Humbert II, Dauphin of Vienne
| Humbert II, Dauphin of Viennois | |
|---|---|
| Dauphin of the Viennois | |
Humbert II
|
|
| Born | 1312 |
| Died | 4 May 1355 |
| Noble family | La Tour-du-Pin |
| Spouse(s) | Marie of Baux |
|
Issue
André
|
|
| Father | John II, Dauphin of Vienne |
| Mother | Beatrice of Hungary |
Humbert II de la Tour-du-Pin (1312 – 4 May 1355) was the Dauphin of the Viennois from 1333 to 16 July 1349. He was a son of the Dauphin John II and Beatrice of Hungary. Humbert was the last dauphin before the title went to the French crown, to be bestowed on the heir apparent.
When Humbert inherited the Dauphiné on the death of his brother Guigues VIII in 1333, they were at war with Aymon, Count of Savoy. Within a year, Philip VI of France was able to broker a truce between the new Dauphin and Savoy.
To contemporaries, he was incompetent and extravagant, lacking the warlike ardour of his brother Guigues. He passed his youth at Naples enjoying the aesthetic pleasures of the Italian trecento. His subsequent court at Beauvoir-en-Royans had a reputation for extravagance. Unlike his predecessors, Humbert was not itinerant, moving continually from one dauphinal castle to another, instead preferring to settle in Beauvoir.
He married Marie of Baux, niece of Robert, King of Naples by his sister Beatrice.
In 1333, Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor, sought to counter French influence in the region, and offered Humbert the Kingdom of Arles, an opportunity to gain full authority over Savoy, Provence, and surrounding territories. Humbert was reluctant to take the crown and the conflict that would follow with all around him, so he declined. Subsequently, Humbert found himself more and more financially dependent on Philip VI of France.
He depleted his treasury funding a vain Crusade to rescue the Holy Land, during which time he established the Order of Saint Catherine, a confraternal order. After the death of his only son André (5 September 1333 – Grenoble, October 1335), he quickly gave up the idea of a Crusade and by 1337 was planning to cede his inheritance. He first offered it to Robert of Naples, who did not like the terms. In 1339, financial difficulties building up, he made an inventory of his possessions, with the hope of selling them to Pope Benedict XII.
...
Wikipedia