Walter III, Count of Brienne

Walter III of Brienne (died 14 June 1205) was the Count of Brienne 1191–1205, Prince of Taranto, Duke of Apulia, and Count of Lecce, and titular King of Sicily 1201–1205. He was the son of Erard II of Brienne and Agnès of Montfaucon.

In 1200 he married Elvira, daughter of Tancred of Sicily and sister and heiress of the deposed king William III of Sicily. At the time of their marriage, she and her family were exiles in France, trying to find allies to reclaim the Kingdom of Sicily from the young King Frederick.

Walter had joined the Fourth Crusade as a vassal of Theobald III of Champagne, and while traveling through Italy was persuaded by Pope Innocent III to regain southern Italy and Sicily from the Germans, in return for Lecce and Taranto. With the Pope's blessing, Walter returned to France to liquidate his lands and buy troops, yet a year later, Walter still had not hired enough men to attack Regno. Innocent III tiring of Walter's stalling, hired men out of the papal treasury for the invasion.

Walter attacked Diepold on 10 June 1201 at the bridge near Agnella, and won another victory on 22 October at Cannae. Despite urging from Pope Innocent III, Walter was unwilling to invade Sicily before he had consolidated his position on the mainland. By 1204, Walter was besieged in the fortress of Terracina by Diepold of Vohburg and lost an eye to an arrow, but he broke the siege and put Diepold to flight. On 11 June 1205, Walter was assassinated by Diepold while besieging him at Sarno. He was buried at the church of St. Maria della Foce in Sarno.

In 1205, his widow gave birth to his son

His daughter

His widow Elvira married secondly Giacomo Sanseverino, Count of Tricarico, and thirdly Tigrini Guidi, Count of Modigliano (or Count Palatine in Tuscany?)

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