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Demetrio MonferratoKing of Thessalonica from 1207 to 1224
Date of Birth: 01.01.1205
Country:  Greece |
Content:
- Demetrius of Montferrat, King of Thessalonica
- Reign and Challenges
- Threats and Alliances
- Exile and Legacy
Demetrius of Montferrat, King of Thessalonica
Early Life and SuccessionDemetrius was born in Thessalonica in 1205, the son of Boniface of Montferrat, King of Thessalonica, and Margaret of Hungary, the widow of Byzantine Emperor Isaac II Angelus. He was named after Saint Demetrius of Thessalonica, the city's patron saint.
Reign and Challenges
In 1207, Boniface was killed in battle against the Bulgarians, and Demetrius inherited the throne. However, his reign was challenged by a conspiracy of Lombard barons led by Umberto II of Biandrate. The barons intended to install Demetrius' half-brother, Marquis William VI of Montferrat, as king.
Emperor Henry I of Flanders intervened and crowned Demetrius in 1209, but Umberto continued to control the garrisons of several fortresses. Henry besieged and captured Serres but failed to take Kavala. The emperor then summoned the knights of Thessalonica to a parliament in Ravenna, but many refused to attend, forcing Henry to continue the war.
Threats and Alliances
In 1216, Emperor Pierre de Courtenay sided with the Lombard barons and proclaimed William VI king. However, Pierre was captured and executed by Theodore Komnenos Doukas, the ruler of Epirus. Theodore launched a series of attacks on the Thessalonic kingdom, capturing several fortresses.
In 1222, Theodore allied with William VI, who sent an army led by Umberto to conquer Thessalonica. However, before the army could reach the city, Theodore captured it in December 1224.
Exile and Legacy
Demetrius fled to Italy with the Catholic archbishop, seeking refuge at the court of Emperor Frederick II of the Holy Roman Empire. He accompanied the emperor on the Sixth Crusade and died in Amalfi in 1230. His formal claim to the Kingdom of Thessalonica passed to Frederick II.
