Louis, Duke of Savoy

Louis I (Italian: Lodovico; 24 February 1413 – 29 January 1465) was Duke of Savoy from 1440 until his death in 1465.

Louis I
Imagined portrait of Lodovico by Ferrero di Lavriano, 1701
Duke of Savoy
Reign	6 January 1440 – 29 January 1465
Predecessor	Amadeus VIII
Successor	Amadeus IX
Born	(1413-02-24)24 February 1413 Geneva
Died	29 January 1465(1465-01-29) (aged 51) Lyon
Spouse	Anne of Cyprus
Issue	Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy Louis, King of Cyprus Philip II, Duke of Savoy Marguerite, Countess of Saint-Pol Charlotte, Queen of France Maria, Countess of Saint-Pol Bona, Duchess of Milan Jacques, Count of Romont
House	Savoy
Father	Amadeus VIII
Mother	Mary of Burgundy

Life

Coat of arms of the Dukes of Savoy

Louis was born in Geneva, the son of Amadeus VIII, Duke of Savoy and Mary of Burgundy.^[1] He was the first to hold the title of Prince of Piedmont.

On 1 November 1433 (or 12 February 1434), at Chambéry, he married Princess Anne of Cyprus,^[1] an heiress of the Kingdom of Cyprus and the defunct Kingdom of Jerusalem.

The family resided at Allaman Castle, in the region of Vaud (present-day Switzerland). As Count of Vaud, Louis attempted to conquer the Duchy of Milan, then ruled by the short-lived Repubblica Ambrosiana, but the campaign was unsuccessful.

In 1452, he received the Shroud of Turin from Margaret de Charny.^[2] The relic remained in the possession of the House of Savoy until 1946, when the Kingdom of Italy came to an end. It was later bequeathed to the Holy See in 1983.

Louis died in Lyon in 1465 while returning from a visit to France.

Issue

Louis and Anne had the following children:

1. Amadeus IX (Thonon-les-Bains, 1 February 1435 – 30 March 1472), Duke of Savoy.^[3]
2. Marie (Morges, 10 March 1436 – Thonon, 1 December 1437), died in childhood.
3. Louis (Geneva, 1 April 1437 – Ripaille, 12 July 1482), Count of Geneva, King of Cyprus.
4. Philip II (Thonon, 5 February 1438 – Torino, 7 November 1497), Duke of Savoy.^[3]
5. Marguerite (Pinerolo, April 1439 – Bruges, 9 March 1485), married firstly in December 1458 Giovanni IV Paleologo, Marquis of Montferrat, and secondly Pierre II de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol, Brienne, Ligny, Marle, and Soissons.
6. Pierre (Geneva, c. 2 February 1440 – Torino, 21 October 1458), Archbishop of Tarentaise.
7. Janus (Geneva, 8 November 1440 – Annecy, 22 December 1491), Count of Faucigny and Geneva; married Hélène of Luxembourg, daughter of Louis de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol and Jeanne de Bar, Countess of Marle and Soissons.
8. Charlotte (Chambéry, 16 November 1441 – Amboise, 1 December 1483), married King Louis XI of France.^[3]
9. Aimon (Geneva, 2 November 1442 – Geneva, 30 March 1443), died in childhood.
10. Jacques (Geneva, 29 November 1444 – Geneva, 1 June 1445), died in childhood.
11. Agnes (Chambéry, October 1445 – Paris, 16 March 1509), married François d'Orléans, Count of Dunois. Their son was Louis I d'Orléans, Duke of Longueville.
12. Jean Louis (Geneva, 26 February 1447 – Torino, 4 July 1482), Bishop of Geneva.
13. Maria (Pinerolo, 20 March 1448 – 13 September 1475), married Louis de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol, Constable of France.
14. Bonne (Avigliana, 12 August 1449 – Fossano, 17 November 1503), married Galeazzo Maria Sforza, Duke of Milan.^[3]
15. Jacques (Giacomo) (Geneva, 12 November 1450 – Ham, Picardy, 30 January 1486), Count of Romont, Lord of Vaud.
16. Anne (Geneva, September 1452 – Geneva, 1 October 1452), died in childhood.
17. François (Annecy, 19 August 1454 – Torino, 6 October 1490), Archbishop of Auch and Bishop of Geneva.
18. Jeanne (died at birth, c. 1455).
19. François (1456 – 1458), died in childhood.