Marie of Savoy, Duchess of Milan

Marie of Savoy (1411–1469) was a Duchess of Milan by marriage to Filippo Maria Visconti. Biography Marie was a daughter of Amadeus VIII, Duke of Savoy (later the Antipope Felix V) and Mary of Burgundy. Her maternal grandparents were Philip the Bold and Margaret of Flanders.

In July 1425, Marie's father the Duke of Savoy was persuaded to join the Venetian republic in the what would be called the Wars in Lombardy between the Venetians against the Duchy of Milan and to hinder his conquest of neighbouring territories. Later that year the Milanese army at Maclodio (4 October 1427), were defeated by the Venetians.

While a victory, several circumstances prevented it from being a complete one. Filippo Maria, Duke of Milan then negotiated an agreement wherein he would make peace with Amadeus VIII by Filippo Maria marrying Amadeus daughter, Marie and as part of the marriage agreement she would be given Vercelli as her dower lands.

Only a few months later on 2 December 1427 Marie and Filippo Maria were married by proxy at Turin.

Marriage On 6 September 1428, she left Thonon and arrived at Verceille, where the seventeen-year-old Marie was married to the thirty-six-year old Filippo Maria on 29 September Marie's dowry was set at one hundred thousand gold florins. Louis had been married to Anne of Cyprus since 1432 but their first child was not born until (1435).

Marie however found herself outmaneuvered by her stepdaughters husband Francesco Sforza who succeeded her husband as the new ruler. Marie then retired to Visconti Castle at Vercelli to live a religious life.

Death Marie died in 1458 while a nun at a Saint Clare.

In her will she bequeathed her wealth to her brother Louis. but when he died before her, she instead left it to Louis of Achaea, the step-son of her paternal aunt , and to a niece.

Marie requested that she be buried in the church of Santa Maria di Billiemme in Vercelli.

Ancestry