Aymon de Briançon[1] (died 21 February 1211) was aBurgundian nobleman andCarthusian monk who served as thearchbishop of Tarentaise[2] from around 1175 until his death. From 1186, he was aprince of the Holy Roman Empire. He took part in theThird Crusade in 1189.
Aymon was a native of theTarentaise Valley.[3] He was the eldest son of Aymeric II, lord ofBriançon and viscount ofTarentaise.[4] His younger brother, Aymeric III, succeeded to their father's secular titles.[5] In 1173, Aymon was among the witnesses to the betrothal of Alaïs, daughter of CountHumbert III of Savoy, toJohn, son of KingHenry II of England. Shortly after, he entered theGrande Chartreuse and became a Carthusian monk.[4]
Aymon was elected to succeed ArchbishopPeter II of Tarentaise after the latter's death on 14 September 1174. The dates of his election and consecration are uncertain, but were before 20 March 1176, when he received apapal bull fromAlexander III confirming his diocese's rights and possessions.[4] He received the staff and ring from the pope in accordance with theconcordat of Worms.[4][6] He attended theThird Lateran Council in March 1179. On 4 January 1184, PopeLucius III, at Aymon's request, renewed his predecessor's bull of 1174.[4]
In the first decade of his episcopate, Aymon supported the popes against the emperor, but in 1186 he made a rapprochement to the latter.[7] On 6 May 1186, the EmperorFrederick Barbarossa atPavia issueda golden bull [fr] investing Aymon with the county of Tarentaise and specifying the places under his secular jurisdiction.[4] This elevated Aymon into aprince-bishop, animmediate vassal of the emperor and no longer a subject of the count of Savoy.[8] In accordance with the concordat of Worms, he received a sceptre from the emperor.[4][6]
Aymon led a Burgundian contingent on theThird Crusade in 1189.[9] He did not set out with the emperor, however, but joined him atBraničevo in early July.[10] In the division of the army into four, Aymon's command came directly under that of the emperor.[11] He was the highest-ranking of five bishops charged with holding the city ofPhilippopolis after the crusaders occupied it. The author of theHistory of the Expedition of the Emperor Frederick included a short digression on the resolve of Aymon and BishopPeter of Toul, both from the west of the empire:
Moreover, I do not think that I should omit mention of the resolve of the Archbishop of Tarantaise, the Bishop of Toul and their companions, for as they, accompanied by a large number of knights from Burgundy and Lotharingia, followed somewhat later after the army of Christ, they were upset by various false rumours that our men had been hard hit by attacks from the Hungarians and that they were suffering from hunger and in dire straits. Then, indeed, almost all the companions of the Archbishop of Tarentaise fled in terror back towards the sea. Nevertheless the archbishop himself carried on undaunted towards the army, as did the Bishop of Toul, and after almost six weeks of rapid and steadfast travelling both saw with their own eyes that what they had been told was false.[12]
Aymon and the bishops held Philippopolis from 5 November until 7 December 1189.[13] His subsequent activities on crusade are unrecorded, but he eventually returned home.[14]
On 28 July 1196, Aymon met the EmperorHenry VI atTurin and was confirmed in his secular jurisdiction. On Henry's death in 1198,the succession was disputed.[4] Acting against CountOtto of Poitou, the favoured candidate ofInnocent III, Aymon and ArchbishopAmadeus of Besançon crowned DukePhilip of Swabia asking of Germany and emperor elect inMainz Cathedral in September 1198.[4][7][15] Philip then re-confirmed the 1186 bull. Aymon remained in Mainz until at least September 1199.[4]
On 3 October 1202, Innocent III summoned Aymon to Rome to explain his conduct. There is no record he was punished. He is sometimes said to have taken part in theFourth Crusade and incurred Innocent's displeasure at thesiege of Zara. There is no evidence of this, however.[3] He expanded his diocese's secular power by acquiringfiefs. In 1206, he received the homage of his relatives for the castle of Briançon. His last public act was to arbitrate, at the request ofMargaret of Geneva, a dispute between the priories ofCléry andGilly and theabbey of Tamié in 1210. He died on 21 February 1211.[4]