Blessed Amadeus IX, Duke of Savoy

Amadeus IX (1 February 1435 – 30 March 1472), nicknamed the Happy, was the Duke of Savoy from 1465 to 1472. Known for his piety, charity, and gentle nature, he is venerated by the Catholic Church with a liturgical feast on 30 March. He was beatified by Pope Innocent XI in 1677. Amadeus was born in Thonon-les-Bains, the son of Louis, Duke of Savoy, and Anne de Lusignan, daughter of Janus of Cyprus, King of Cyprus. In 1452, his mother arranged a political marriage to Yolande of Valois (1434–1478), sister of Louis XI of France and daughter of Charles VII of France. Because of his epilepsy and retirement, she was left in control of the state. France and the Holy Roman Empire competed to gain control of Savoy's strategically important Alpine mountain passes and trade routes. His sister, Charlotte of Savoy, became the second wife of Louis XI of France. French influence increased in Savoy and involved the country in the wars between France and the emperors. The Castle of Moncalleri in Piedmont, Italy had been built around 1100 as a hill fortress, to command the main southern access from Turin. In the mid-15th century, Yolande turned it into a Renaissance Royal Palace. Amadeus was a particular protector of Franciscan friars. He also endowed other religious houses as well as homes for the care of the poor and suffering. He made a pilgrimage to Saint-Claude in 1471. He died the following year. Amadeus was an avid collector of manuscripts, adding over sixty items to the ducal library started by his great-grandfather Amadeus VII, Count of Savoy. Amadeus IX had ten children with Yolande of Valois: His daughter Louise became a nun of the Franciscan Second Order after being widowed at a young age. She was also beatified. A reputation for miracles began to grow around a 1474 painting of Amadeus, which was housed in the Dominican church in Turin.