William V, Marquis of Montferrat facts for kids

William V of Montferrat (born around 1115 – died 1191) was an important ruler known as the seventh Marquis of Montferrat. He ruled from 1135 until his death in 1191. People also called him William the Old to tell him apart from his oldest son, William Longsword.

William was the only son of Marquis Renier I and his wife Gisela. His mother Gisela was also the widow of Count Humbert II of Savoy. William was described as a smart, friendly, and generous person. He had many powerful family connections. For example, he was a nephew of Pope Callixtus II and a half-brother of Amadeus III of Savoy.

Family and Children

William married Judith of Babenberg (also called Ita) sometime before March 28, 1133. Judith was the daughter of Leopold III, Margrave of Austria. They had five sons and three daughters. Many of their children became very important in the history of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Byzantine Empire.

Their children included:

• William Longsword, who became the Count of Jaffa and Ascalon. He was the father of Baldwin V of Jerusalem.
• Conrad, who later became the King of Jerusalem.
• Boniface, who took over as Marquis of Montferrat after his father. He also founded the Kingdom of Thessalonica.
• Frederick, who joined the Church and became a Bishop.
• Renier, who married into the Byzantine imperial family.
• Agnes, who married Count Guido Guerra III Guidi.
• Adelasia, or Azalaïs, who married Manfred II, the Marquis of Saluzzo. She later ruled for her grandson.
• An unnamed daughter who married Albert, Marquis of Malaspina.

William and Judith had many powerful family connections. This sometimes made it hard to find suitable marriage partners for their children, as many potential spouses were too closely related.

Important Alliances

William took part in the Second Crusade, which was a major religious war. He fought alongside his half-brother Amadeus of Savoy and his nephew Louis VII of France.

William and his sons were strong supporters of the Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. They fought with him in his long struggle against the Lombard League, which was a group of northern Italian cities.

Later, William changed his alliance and teamed up with the Byzantine emperor Manuel I Komnenos. In 1179, Emperor Manuel suggested a marriage between his daughter Maria and one of William's sons. Since Conrad and Boniface were already married, his youngest son, Renier, married Princess Maria. Sadly, Renier and Maria were later killed during a power struggle in the Byzantine Empire. After this, William's family became allies with Emperor Barbarossa again.

Crusades in the East

In 1183, William's grandson, Baldwin V, became the co-king of Jerusalem. At this time, William was probably in his late sixties. He left the rule of Montferrat to his sons Conrad and Boniface and traveled back to the East. He was given the castle of St. Elias.

William fought in the Battle of Hattin in 1187, where he was captured by Saladin's army. Meanwhile, his son Conrad had arrived in Tyre. Conrad took charge of the city's defenses. During the siege of Tyre, Saladin tried to make Conrad surrender by showing him his captured father, William. But Conrad bravely refused to give up the city, even threatening to shoot his own father if Saladin harmed him. Eventually, Saladin gave up the siege and left Tyre.

In 1188, William was released unharmed. He spent his final days in Tyre with his son. He likely passed away in the summer of 1191.

William in Popular Culture

William of Montferrat appears as a character in the video game Assassin's Creed (2007). The game is set during the Third Crusade in 1191. In the game, William is shown as the ruler of Acre under King Richard. He is also secretly a member of the Templar Order. The game shows him hoarding food and forcing people to join the army to prepare them for a "New World" vision. This makes him a target for the Assassins. The game's story about William's death is actually inspired by the real-life death of his son, Conrad, who was also killed by Assassins.

Sources

• Haberstumpf, Walter. Dinastie europee nel Mediterraneo orientale. I Monferrato e i Savoia nei secoli XII–XV, 1995
• Hamilton, Bernard. The Leper King and His Heirs: Baldwin IV and the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem, 2000.
• Settia, Aldo A. "Guglielmo V di Monferrato, detto il Vecchio", Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani, vol. LX, Roma 2003
• Usseglio, Leopoldo. I Marchesi di Monferrato in Italia ed in Oriente durante i secoli XII e XIII, 1926.