Wilhelm I (Montferrat)

Wilhelm I. Margrave of Mon (t) ferrat (Italian: Guglielmo del Monferrato ; † before 933) was a Northern Italian count of West Franconian origin and the progenitor of the Aleramides named after his son Aleram , the Margraves (until 1305) of Montferrat .

Few historical data are known about Wilhelm. Since his son was first recorded as a count ( comes ) in 933 and, according to a document from 961, Wilhelm also had this title, it is assumed that Wilhelm died before 933 and that the son inherited this title. Aleram professed Salian law , so the family should have been of West Franconian origin.

A document from Otto I dated March 23, 967 shows that Wilhelm already had possessions in northern Italy, since the document was partly inherited and partly acquired from his son in Montferrat and in the counties of Turin , Vercelli , Asti , Acqui , Savona , Parma , Cremona and Bergamo confirmed.

A document from 924 mentions a Count Wilhelm together with three other north Italian magnates - the Archbishop Lambert of Milan , the Count Giselbert of Bergamo and the Count Samson - as confidants ( dilectissimi fideles ) of King Rudolf II of Italy, who are with the King for Bishop Relatives of Guido of Piacenza . Since the three counts are also referred to as "illustres comites", except for Aleram's father but no count with the name Wilhelm is known in Northern Italy at the time in question, it is assumed that this was Wilhelm von Montferrat.

Due to his presumed membership of this illustrious circle of Rudolf's supporters, of whom Archbishop Lambert and Count Samson were among the grandees who helped Rudolf to secure the royal crown against Berengar I , it is assumed that Wilhelm could possibly also be identical with that Wilhelm, who, according to the Gesta Berengarii (between 915 and 924), came to Italy as early as 888/889 with 300 armed men from the Franconian Empire to support Duke Guido von Spoleto against Berengar I.

literature

• Rinaldo Merlone: Guglielmo I. In: Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani. Vol. LX, Istituto della Enciclopedia d'Italia, Rome 2003