Amadeus VIII, Duke of Savoy

Antipope Felix V, the last historical Antipope.

Amadeus VIII (September 4, 1383 – January 7, 1451) was the son of Amadeus VII, Count of Savoy and Bonne of Berry. He was surnamed the Peaceful and was the Count of Savoy from 1391 to 1416 and was elevated by Emperor Sigismund to the Duke of Savoy in 1416. Amadeus was also the antipope Felix V from November 1439 to April 1449.

After the death of his father in 1391, his mother acted as a regent, because of his youth.

In 1418 his distant cousin Louis of Savoy-Achaea, his brother-in-law, the last male of the elder branch of House of Savoy, died, leaving Amadeus as his heir-general, thus finally uniting the male-lines of the House of Savoy.

He increased his dominions, encouraged several attempts to negotiate an end to the Hundred Years' War, and, after the death of his wife, retired from his position as Duke to become a hermit. Elected by the Council of Basel as an alternative Pope in opposition to Pope Eugene IV, Amadeus served as Felix V, regarded as an antipope, before stepping down to accept a Cardinal's hat instead.

Amadeus' image in history is marred by the account of him as a pontiff concerned with money, to avoid disadvantaging his heirs, found in the Commentaries of Pius II. Nor is there evidence that he intrigued to obtain the papal office, sending the bishops of Savoy to Basel for this purpose.

(Note on numbering: Pope Felix II is now considered an anti-pope. At the time however, this was not recognized and so the second currently acknowledged Pope Felix is known by the official number III. This has advanced the numbering of all subsequent Popes Felix by one. Popes Felix III and IV are currently acknowledged as the second and third popes by that name. It could also have affected the name taken by the anti-pope Felix V, who if he was now seen as having been a pope, would now been seen as the fourth Felix.)

Family and children

Coat of Arms of the Counts of Savoy

He married Mary of Burgundy (1380-1422), daughter of Philip II, Duke of Burgundy and granddaughter of John II of France and had nine children:

1. Margaret of Savoy (1405-1418)
2. Anthony of Savoy (1407)
3. Anthony of Savoy (1408)
4. Margaret of Savoy (1410-1479) married to:
   1. Louis III, titular king of Naples;
   2. Louis IV, Count Palatine of the Rhine;
   3. Ulrich V, Count of Württemberg.
5. Mary of Savoy (1411-1469), married Filippo Maria Visconti, duke of Milan.
6. Amadeus of Savoy, Prince of Piemonte (1412-1431)
7. Louis of Savoy (1413-1465), his successor
8. Bonne of Savoy (1415-1430)
9. Philip of Savoy, Count of Genève (1417-1444) unmarried.

See also

• Louis Aleman

External links

• Catholic Encyclopedia entry

Antipopes of the Roman Catholic Church

Hippolytus · Novatian · Felix II · Ursicinus · Eulalius · Laurentius · Dioscorus · Theodore · Paschal · Constantine II · Philip · John VIII · Anastasius · Christopher · Boniface VII · John XVI · Gregory VI · Sylvester III · Benedict X · Honorius II · Clement III · Theodoric · Adalbert · Sylvester IV · Gregory VIII · Celestine II · Anacletus II · Victor IV (1138) · Victor IV (1159–1164) · Paschal III · Callixtus III · Innocent III · Nicholas V · Clement VII · Benedict XIII · Alexander V · John XXIII · Clement VIII · Benedict XIV · Felix V

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