| Anna of Savoy | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augusta | |||||
 | |||||
| Byzantine Empress consort | |||||
| Tenure | 1326–1341 | ||||
| Byzantine regent | |||||
| Regency | 1341–1347 | ||||
| Monarch | John V Palaiologos | ||||
| Byzantine empress in Thessalonica | |||||
| Reign | 1351–1365 | ||||
| Predecessor | Irene of Montferrat(until 1317) | ||||
| Successor | Manuel II Palaiologos(from 1382) | ||||
| Born | 1306 | ||||
| Died | 1365 (aged 58–59) Thessaloniki | ||||
| Spouse | Andronikos III Palaiologos | ||||
| Issue | Maria (renamed Eirene) John V Palaiologos Michael Palaiologos Eirene (renamed Maria) | ||||
| |||||
| House | Savoy(by birth) Palaiologos(by marriage) | ||||
| Father | Amadeus V, Count of Savoy | ||||
| Mother | Maria of Brabant | ||||
| Religion | Eastern Orthodox prev.Roman Catholic | ||||
Anna of Savoy, bornGiovanna (1306–1365), was aByzantine Empress consort, as the second spouse ofAndronikos III Palaiologos. She served asregent, with the titlesaugusta andautokratorissa,[1] during the minority of her sonJohn V Palaiologos from 1341 until 1347.[2] In Byzantium, she was known asAnna Palaiologina, owing to her marriage to Andronikos.[1]
Anna was a daughter ofAmadeus V, Count of Savoy, and his second wife,Maria of Brabant.[3] She was betrothed toAndronikos III Palaiologos in September 1325,[4] during which time he was involved in a civil war with his paternal grandfatherAndronikos II Palaiologos.[5]
The marriage took place in October 1326.[4] She joined theEastern Orthodox Church and took the name Anna.[6] In 1328, Andronikos III enteredConstantinople and finally deposed his grandfather.[7]
On 14-15 June 1341, Andronikos III died.[8] He was succeeded by their son John V who was still three days short of his ninth birthday. Anna was appointedregent for her son.[9] However, Andronikos III had entrusted the administration to his advisorJohn Kantakouzenos, whom Anna did not trust.
At about the same time,Stefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia launched an invasion of NorthernThrace. Kantakouzenos left Constantinople to try to restore order to the area. In his absence,Patriarch John XIV of Constantinople and courtierAlexios Apokaukos convinced Anna that the senior advisor was her enemy. Anna declared Kantakouzenos an enemy of the state and offered the title ofeparch of Constantinople to Apokaukos.
On 26 October 1341, Kantakouzenos answered by proclaiming himself emperor atDidymoteicho. He still controlled part of theByzantine army, and his claim to the throne began acivil war that lasted until 1347.Ivan Alexander of Bulgaria soon allied with the faction under John V and Anna whileStefan Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia sided with John VI. Both rulers were actually taking advantage of the civil war for their own political and territorial gains. In time John VI would ally himself withOrhan I of the nascentOttoman emirate.
At the same time Anna was attempting to gain support fromWestern Europe. In Summer, 1343 an emissary proclaimed her loyalty toPope Clement VI inAvignon. In August, 1343, Anna pawned theByzantine crown jewels to theRepublic of Venice for 30,000ducats as part of an attempt to secure more finances for the war.[10] However the jewels disappeared and no help was sent.[11] Anna at last lost the war and her supporters deserted her.[11]
On 3 February 1347, the two sides reached an agreement. John VI was accepted as senior emperor with John V as his junior co-ruler.[12] The agreement included the marriage of John V toHelena Kantakouzene, a daughter of Anna.[13] John VI entered Constantinople and took effective control of the city.
In 1351, Anna left Constantinople forThessaloniki. She held her own court in the city, issuing decrees in her name and even controlling amint.[11] She was the second Byzantine empress to hold court in Thessaloniki, followingIrene of Montferrat. Her rule there lasted to about 1365. For some fourteen years she reigned as Empress in Thessalonica, retaining her titles of Augusta and Empress.[14]
Her last official act was the donation of a convent in the memory ofAgioi Anargyroi (Greek: «Άγιοι Ανάργυροι» "The Angels Without Money"). Agioi Anargyroi is the joined description ofSaints Cosmas and Damian, who supposedly offered free medical services. Their devotees usually pray for healing. The donation may indicate Anna suffering from poor health and hoping for a cure.[citation needed] A little later she became a nun and died under the name "Anastasia" ca. 1365.[11]
Anna of Savoy Born: 1306 Died: 1365 | ||
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| Preceded by | Byzantine Empress consort 1326–1341 | Succeeded by |
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