Otton III Paleologue ( Italian: Ottone III del Monferrato ), also called Secondotto ( Secondotto ; 1361 - December 16, 1378 ) - Marquis of Monferrato. The eldest son of the Marquis Giovanni II and his wife Isabelle of Mallorca.
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Biography
Shortly after birth, he was engaged to Maria, daughter of Galeazzo II Visconti , and received a dowry for the city of Asti. However, in March 1362, Mary died.
Inherited to his father in 1372. As a minor, he was under the tutelage of Amadeus VI of Savoy , his relative, and Otto IV of Braunschweig-Grubenhagen (in Monferrat service since 1339). According to the will of his father, he was supposed to be under guardianship until the age of 25.
In 1376, Otto IV of Braunschweig-Grubenhagen, on the advice of the pope, married Queen of Naples Joan of I, and left Montferrat.
Left without a wise adviser, Secondotto began to make political mistakes. He married Violanta , daughter of Galeazzo II Visconti , widow of Lionel d'Anver (prenuptial contract of 06.15.1377), and became an ally of his brother-in-law Gianalezzo Visconti . Together, they took Asti on February 6, 1378, but the city went to Gian Galeazzo, who declared himself his governor.
In the same year, Amadeus VI of Savoy seized the monferratic cities of Chivasso, Rivas, Poyrino and Mazze under the pretext of unsettled monetary debts. At the talks held in Pavia in August, he demanded that the marquis reimburse military expenses.
Fearing for his life, Secondotto fled from Pavia with a small detachment of bodyguards and was mortally wounded by one of them near Parma (in Langirano) on December 16, 1378 as a result of a fight initiated by the Marquis himself. He was probably in a state of temporary insanity.
Upon learning of the death of the former ward, Otton IV of Braunschweig-Grubenhagensky returned to Monferrat and, having put things in order there, seated Giovanni III, the brother of Secondotto, on the throne.
Sources
- Angelo Pezzana, Storia della città di Parma continuata, Tomo primo, Parma, Ducale Tipografia, 1837.
- Walter Haberstumpf, OTTONE III Paleologo, in Dizionario biografico degli italiani, vol. 80, Roma, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, 2014. URL consultato il 9 agosto 2017.
- http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/MONFERRATO,%20SALUZZO,%20SAVONA.htm#OttoneMontiferratensisB