Joan, Countess of Flanders
| Joan | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Countess of Flanders | |
| Reign | 1205–1244 |
| Predecessor | Baldwin IX |
| Successor | Margaret II |
| Countess of Hainaut | |
| Reign | 1205–1244 |
| Predecessor | Baldwin VI |
| Successor | Margaret I |
| Born | c. 1200 |
| Died | 5 December 1244 Abbey of Marquette, Lille |
| Spouse |
Ferdinand of Portugal (m. 1212 – wid. 1233) Thomas of Savoy (m. 1237 – her death) |
| Issue | Marie of Portugal |
| House | House of Flanders |
| Father | Baldwin I, Latin Emperor |
| Mother | Marie of Champagne |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Joan, often called Joan of Constantinople (1200? – 5 December 1244), ruled as Countess of Flanders and Hainaut from 1205 until her death. She was the elder daughter of Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders and Hainaut, and Marie of Champagne.
Orphaned during the Fourth Crusade, Joan was raised in Paris under the tutelage of King Philip II of France. He arranged her marriage to Infante Ferdinand of Portugal in 1212. Ferdinand quickly turned against Philip, starting a war that ended with the defeat of Bouvines and his imprisonment. Joan then ruled her counties alone. She faced the rivalry of her younger sister, Margaret, as well as the revolt of her domains - guided by a man who claimed to be her father. After the end of the war, Ferdinand was released but died soon after. Joan then married Thomas of Savoy. She died in 1244 at the Abbey of Marquette near Lille, having survived her only child, a daughter by Ferdinand.
Joan's policies favored economic development in her counties; in fact, she granted several charters to the Flemish cities. She played an important role in the development of the Mendicant orders, the Beguines, the Victorines and hospital communities in her domains (without neglecting the traditional religious orders). Under her reign, women's foundations increased, transforming the place of women in both society and the church.
The Manessier's Continuation (also called the Third Continuation), one of the novels of the Story of the Grail was written for Joan, as well as the Life of St. Martha of Wauchier de Denain. The first novel in Dutch, Van den vos Reynaerde, was written by a cleric of her court.
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