Joan of Savoy facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joan of Savoy
Joan and her mother's tomb in église des Cordeliers
Duchess consort of Brittany
Tenure	1329–30 April 1341
Born	c. 1310
Died	29 June 1344 (aged 33–34) Dijon
Burial	église des Cordeliers, Dijon
Spouse	John III, Duke of Brittany
House	House of Savoy
Father	Edward, Count of Savoy
Mother	Blanche of Burgundy

Joan of Savoy (born around 1310 – died June 29, 1344) was a noblewoman who became the Duchess of Brittany by marrying John III, Duke of Brittany. She was also a claimant to the County of Savoy after her father's death in 1329.

Early Life and Marriage

Joan was born in 1310. She was the only child of Edward, Count of Savoy, and his wife, Blanche of Burgundy.

In 1329, when Joan was about 19 years old, she married John III, Duke of Brittany. John was 43 and had no children. Joan was his third wife. His second wife, Isabella, had died the year before.

Claim to Savoy

The same year Joan got married, her father, Edward, died. Since she was his only child, Joan believed she should be the next ruler of Savoy. However, Savoy had never had a female ruler before. This led to a big argument about who should inherit the title.

Joan's uncle, Aymon, had the support of the nobles in Savoy. They followed a rule that usually meant only men could inherit the title. So, Aymon became the new Count of Savoy.

Joan's husband, John, supported her claim to Savoy. After their marriage, Joan continued to push for her right to rule. She even teamed up with another powerful leader, the Dauphin de Viennois, against her uncle.

Finally, the King of France helped them make a deal. In November 1339, Joan gave up her claim to Savoy. In return, she received a yearly payment of 6,000 livres.

Duchess of Brittany

Joan and John were married for 12 years. They did not have any children. When John died on April 30, 1341, Joan became a widow without kids.

John's death caused a big fight over who would rule Brittany next. The main people involved were John's half-brother, also named John of Montfort, and John's niece, Joan.

Later Life and Death

In 1343, Joan's uncle Aymon died. Joan once again tried to claim the County of Savoy. This time, she was going against her nine-year-old cousin, Amadeus VI.

In her will, Joan decided to leave the county to Philip, Duke of Orléans. She did this to show her displeasure with her cousins. In the end, Philip made a similar deal to Joan's earlier one. He gave up the claim in exchange for a yearly payment of 5,000 livres.

Joan died on June 29, 1344.

Images for kids

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  Joan and her mother's tomb in église des Cordeliers