Humbert I of Savoy

Humbert I (Hubert de Maurienne in French, Umberto I Biancamano di Moriana in Italian and in official documents, b. 980 - d. Hermillon[?], 1047 or 1048) was the first count of the House of Savoy which continuously ruled the region and became the monarchs of Italy after the unification.

Surnamed Biancamano (literally meaning white-handed - in the original sense this should have meant a very generous man), he was considered a noble from either Saxony, Italy, Burgundy or Provence.

Humbert married Ancilla, or Auxilia or Ancilia (Austrian), daughter of the master of ceremonies of the House of Burgundy) and had four sons:

1. Amedeo, later Amedeus I of Savoy
2. Aimone[?] (d. 1054 or 1055), bishop of Sion[?]
3. Burcado, or Burcardo[?] (d. 1068 or 1069), bishop of Lyons
4. Oddone

Some authors are convinced that in the reality he had more sons.

During the campaigns of Rudolph of Burgundy[?] to make Rome the imperial seat, Humbert supported the Emperor (of which family he was a loyal by marriage) with provisions and soldiers. Thus Rudolph installed him in 1003 as the count of the mountainous region of Aosta[?] and of the northern Viennois[?] as a reward.

Humbert in turn protected the right flank of Empire advancement into Italy. However the county was pretty much autonomous after the fall of the Ottonian Dynasty of Holy Roman Empire which cared less of a minor power.

In 1032 he received the Maurienne[?], his native county, from Conrad II the Salian that he had helped in his Italian campaigns against archbishop Aribert of Milan.

succeeded by Amedeo I

See also: Kings of Savoy