See also: List of rulers of Montferrat. The Marchioness and Duchesses of Montferrat[1] were the consorts of the rulers of a territory in Piedmont south of the Po and east of Turin called Montferrat. The March of Montferrat was created by Berengar II of Italy in 950 during a redistribution of power in the northwest of his kingdom. It was originally named after and held by the Aleramici. In 1574, Montferrat was raised to a Duchy by Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor (see Duchy of Montferrat).
| Picture | Name | Father | Birth | Marriage | Became Marchioness | Ceased to be Marchioness | Death | Spouse | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name Unknown | Guglielmo I | ||||||||
| Gerberga of Ivrea (Gerberga di Ivrea) | Berengar II of Italy (Ivrea) | 945 | - | - | - | Aleramo | |||
| Name Unknown | Ottone I degli Aleramici | ||||||||
| Waza | The Miracula sancti Bononii records William's wife as Waza. She prayed at the tomb of Saint Bononio, abbot of Santissimi Michele e Genuario di Lucedio. | Guglielmo III degli Aleramici | |||||||
| Adelaide of Susa (Adelasia di Susa) | Ulric Manfred II of Turin (Arduinici) | 1014/20 | before 19 January 1042 | January 1142 husband's accession | 14 March 1044/1045 husband's death | 19 December 1091 | Enrico degli Aleramici | ||
| Constance of Savoy (Costanza di Savoia) | (Savoy) | - | - | - husband's accession | 20 November 1084 husband's death | - | Ottone II degli Aleramici | ||
| His first wife | - | - | - | 20 November 1084 husband's accession | - | Guglielmo IV degli Aleramici | |||
| Otta d'Agliè (Otta di Aglié) | Tibaldo d'Agliè | - | - | 1100 husband's death | - | ||||
| Gisela of Burgundy (Gisella di Borgogna) | William I, Count of Burgundy (Ivrea) | 1075 | 1105 | May 1133 | Ranieri degli Aleramici | ||||
| Judith of Babenberg (Giuditta di Babenberg) | Leopold III, Margrave of Austria (Babenberg) | late 1110s/1120 | before 28 March 1133 | May 1135 husband's accession | after 1168 | Guglielmo V degli Aleramici | |||
| Isabella I of Jerusalem (Isabella di Gerusalemme) | Amalric I, King of Jerusalem (Ingelger) | 1172 | 24 November 1190 | 1191 husband's accession | 28 April 1192 husband's death | May/June 1205 | Corrado degli Aleramici | ||
| Margaret of Hungary (Margherita d'Ungheria) | Béla III of Hungary (Árpád) | 1175 | 9 August 1202 | 4 September 1207 husband's death | after 1223 | ||||
| Berta of Clavesana (Berta di Clavesana) | Bonifacio, Marquess of Clavesana and Count of Cortemiglia (Aleramici) | 1180 | 9 August 1202 | 4 September 1207 husband's accession | 1224 | Guglielmo VI degli Aleramici | |||
| Margaret of Savoy (Margherita di Savoia) | Amadeus IV, Count of Savoy (Savoy) | 1224/28 | 9 December 1235 | 12 June 1253 husband's death | 1254 or after 14 January 1264 | Bonifacio II degli Aleramici | |||
| Isabel de Clare (Isabella di Clare) | Richard de Clare, 6th Earl of Hertford (de Clares) | 1240 | June 1258 | 1270 | Guglielmo VII degli Aleramici | ||||
| Beatrice of Castile and León (Beatrice di Castiglia e León) | Alfonso X of Castile and León (Anscarids) | 5 November/6 December 1254 | August 1271 | after 1280 | |||||
| Margaret of Savoy (Margherita di Savoia) | Amadeus V, Count of Savoy (Savoy) | 1295 | 23 March 1296 | 9 March 1305 husband's death | 1339 | Giovanni I degli Aleramici | |||
| Picture | Name | Father | Birth | Marriage | Became Marchioness | Ceased to be Marchioness | Death | Spouse | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina Spinola | Opicino Spinola, Doge of Genoa (Spinola) | 1295 | October 1307 | 1337 | Teodoro I Paleologo | ||||
| Cécile of Comminges (Cecilia di Comminges) | Bernard VII, Count of Comminges (Comminges) | - | 1337 | 24 April 1338 husband's death | after 23 June 1354 | Giovanni II Paleologo | |||
| Isabella of Majorca (Isabella di Maiorca) | James III of Majorca (Barcelona) | 1337 | 4 September 1358 | 19 March 1372 husband's death | 1406 | ||||
| Violante Visconti | Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Lord of Milan (Visconti) | 1354 | 2 August 1377 | 16 December 1378 husband's death | November 1386 | Ottone III Paleologo | |||
| Argentina of Lunigiana (Argentina di Lunigiana) | Leonardo Malaspina, Marquess of Massa (Malaspina) | - | - | - | 1387 | Teodoro II Paleologo | |||
| Joanna of Bar (Giovanna di Bar) | Robert I, Duke of Bar (Scarpone-Montbéliard) | - | 8 September 1393 | 15 January 1402 | |||||
| Blessed Margaret of Savoy (Beata Margherita di Savoia) | Amadeo, Prince of Achaea (Savoy) | 21 June 1390 | 17 January 1403 | 16 April 1418 husband's death | 23 November 1464 | ||||
| Joanna of Savoy (Giovanna di Savoia) | Amadeus VII, Count of Savoy (Savoy) | 16 July 1392 | 26 April 1411 | 16 April 1418 husband's accession | 12 March 1445 husband's death | January 1460 | Giovanni Giacomo Paleologo | ||
| Marguerite of Savoy (Margherita di Savoia) | Louis, Duke of Savoy (Savoy) | 1439 | 2 May/December 1458 | 19 January 1464 husband's death | 9 March 1483 | Giovanni IV Paleologo | |||
| Marie de Foix (Maria di Foix) | Gaston IV, Count of Foix (Foix-Béarn-Bigorre) | 1452 | 19 January 1465 | 1467 | Guglielmo VIII Paleologo | ||||
| Isabella Maria Sforza (Elisabetta Maria Sforza) | Francesco I Sforza, Duke of Milan (Sforza) | 10 June 1456 | 18 July 1469 | 1 September 1472 | |||||
| Bernardina of Brosse (Bernarda di Brosse) | Jean II de Brosse (Brosse) | 1450 | 6 January 1474 | 27 February 1483 husband's death | 17 February 1485 | ||||
| Helena of Brosse (Elena di Brosse) | Jean II de Brosse (Brosse) | 1460 | 31 August 1483 | 1484 | Bonifacio III Paleologo | ||||
| Maria of Serbia (Marija Branković) | Stefan III Branković, Despotes in Serbia (Branković) | 1466 | 8 July 1485 | 31 January 1494 husband's death | 27 August 1495 | ||||
| Anne of Alençon (Anna d'Alençon) | René, Duke of Alençon (Valois-Alençon) | 30 October 1492 | 31 October 1508 | 4 October 1518 husband's death | 18 October 1562 | Guglielmo IX Paleologo | |||
| Julia of Naples (Giulia di Napoli) | Frederick IV of Naples (Trastámara) | 1492 | 21 April 1533 | 30 April 1533 husband's death | 10 March 1542 | Giovanni Giorgio Paleologo | |||
Spanish occupation until 1536.
In 1536 Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor granted the marquisate, despite competing claims from Savoy and from the Marquis of Saluzzo, to the Gonzagas. This was confirmed in 1559 by the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis.
| Picture | Name | Father | Birth | Marriage | Became Marchioness | Ceased to be Marchioness | Death | Spouse | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Margaret Palaeologina (Margherita Paleologa) | Guglielmo IX Paleologo (Paleologi) | 11 August 1510 | 3 October 1531 | 1536 husband's accession | 28 August 1540 husband's death | 28 December 1566 | Federico I Gonzaga | ||
| Catherine of Austria (Caterina d'Austria) | Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor (Habsburg) | 15 September 1533 | 22 October 1549 | 22 February 1550 husband's death | 28 February 1572 | Francesco I Gonzaga | |||
| Eleanor of Austria (Eleonora d'Austria) | Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor (Habsburg) | 2 November 1534 | 26 April 1561 | 1574 Marquisate raised to a Duchy | 5 August 1594 | Guglielmo X Gonzaga | |||
In 1574, Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor raised the Gonzaga marquis to a duke and the "march" became the Duchy of Montferrat.
| Picture | Name | Father | Birth | Marriage | Became Duchess | Ceased to be Duchess | Death | Spouse | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eleanor of Austria (Eleonora d'Austria) | Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor (Habsburg) | 2 November 1534 | 26 April 1561 | 1574 Marquisate raised to a Duchy | 14 August 1587 husband's death | 5 August 1594 | Guglielmo X Gonzaga | ||
| Eleonora de' Medici | Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (Medici) | 28 February 1567 | 29 April 1584 | 14 August 1587 husband's accession | 9 September 1611 | Vincenzo I Gonzaga | |||
| Margaret of Savoy (Margherita di Savoia) | Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy (Savoy) | 28 April 1589 | 19 February 1608 | 9 February 1612 husband's accession | 22 December 1612 husband's death | 26 June 1655 | Francesco II Gonzaga | ||
| Caterina de' Medici | Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (Medici) | 2 May 1593 | 16 February 1617 | 29 October 1626 husband's death | 17 April 1629 | Ferdinando I Gonzaga | |||
| Isabella Gonzaga (Isabella Gonzaga) | Alfonso Gonzaga, Marquess of Novellara (Gonzaga) | 1576 | 1616 | 29 October 1626 husband's accession | 25 December 1627 husband's death | ? 1627 [2] | Vincenzo II Gonzaga | ||
| Picture | Name | Father | Birth | Marriage | Became Duchess | Ceased to be Duchess | Death | Spouse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isabella Clara of Austria (Isabella Clara d'Austria) | Leopold V, Archduke of Austria (Habsburg) | 12 August 1629 | 7 November 1649 | 14 August 1665 husband's death | 24 February 1685 | Carlo III Gonzaga | ||
| Anna Isabella Gonzaga (Anna Isabella Gonzaga) | Ferrante III Gonzaga, Duke of Guastalla (Gonzaga) | 1655 | 1670 | 11 August 1703 | Carlo IV Gonzaga | |||
| Suzanne Henriette of Lorraine (Susanna Enrichetta di Lorena) | Charles III, Duke of Elbeuf (Guise) | 1 February 1686 | 8 November 1704 | before 5 July 1708 Conquest by Dukes of Savoy | 19 December 1710 | |||