Sophia of Montferrat

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Sophia of Montferrat (d. 21 August 1434) was the second wife of John VIII Palaiologos. She was briefly the senior Empress consort of the Byzantine Empire.

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[edit] Family

She was a daughter of Theodore II, Marquess of Montferrat and his second wife Joanna of Bar. Her maternal grandparents were Robert I, Duke of Bar and Marie Valois.

Marie was a daughter of John II of France and Bonne of Bohemia.

[edit] Marriage

On 26 January 1404, Sophia was betrothed to Filippo Maria Visconti. He was a son of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan and his second wife Caterina Visconti. The marriage contract was eventually broken.

On 19 January 1421, Sophia was married to John VIII Palaiologos. He was the eldest surviving son of Manuel II Palaiologos and Helena Dragaš. He was at the time co-ruler with his father. The marriage was recorded by both Doukas and George Sphrantzes in their respective chronicles. Sphrantzes records Hagia Sophia as its location.

According to The Last Centuries of Byzantium 1261-1453 (1972) by J.M. Nicol, Manuel had send ambassadors to the Council of Constance while seeking Papal permission for the marriage. The issue being the conversion of the Roman Catholic bride to the Eastern Orthodox Church. The permission was granted by Pope Martin V which was elected by the council.

According to Nicol, Sophia gained a reputation of being unattractive by the standards of her time. John VIII was not content in his marriage and tended to avoid her. Sophia spend much of her marriage isolated from her husband.

On 21 July 1425, Manuel II died and John VIII succeeded him. Sophia replaced her mother-in-law as senior Empress. However Doukas records the marriage to have ended in August,1426. Sophia never remarried and died eight years later.

Sophia of Montferrat
Born:  ? Died: 1434
Royal titles
Preceded by
Helena Dragaš		 Byzantine Empress consort
1425–1426		 Succeeded by
Maria of Trebizond

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