Cosmographie in four bookes : containing the chorographie and historie of the whole vvorld, and all the principall kingdomes, provinces, seas and isles thereof / by Peter Heylyn.

The Duke of MONTFERRAT.

THe Dukedom of MONTFERRAT, is situate betwixt Lombardy and ••iemont, or the Rivers of Tenarus and Po, on the East and West; extended North and South in a line or branch from the Alpes to the borders of Liguria, of which last it was sometimes counted part, and called Liguria Cisapennina for distinction sake.

It took this name either à Monte ferrato, from some mountain of it stored with Iron; or else à monte feraci, as some rather think, from the fertilitie of the Mountains. And to say truth, though the whole Country seem to be nothing else than a continuall heap of Mountains, yet are they Mountains of such wonderfull fruitfulness, that they will hardly give place to any Valley in Europe.

The principall River of it is the Tenarus, above mentioned, which springing out of the hils about Barceis, a Town of the Marquisate of Saluzzes, falleth into the Po not far from Pavie. The principall Cities of it are, 1 Alba, called by Plinie Alba Pomera, situate on the banks of the sayd River, in a rich and fertile soyl, but a very bad air: near to which in a poor village called Zobia, the Emperor Pertinax was born. Who being of mean and obscure Parents, after the death of Commodus, was called by the Conspirators to the Roman Empire. But being over-zea∣lous to reform the corruptions of the souldiers, he was by the Praetorian Guards (hating their Princes for their vertues as much as formerly for their vices) most cruelly murdered; and the Imperiall dignity sold to Julianus for 25 Sestertiums a man. 2 Casal, vulgarly called Saint Vas, from the Church there dedicated to St. Evasius (or Saint Vas, as they speak it commonly) the strongest Town in all this Country; well built, and peopled with many antient and noble Fami∣lies, of which the family of St. George is one of the principall, and made a Bishops See by Pope Sixtus the fourth, An^o 1474. t was in former times the chief seat of the house of Montferrat, and for that cause compassed with a strong wall, and a fair Castle: but of late fortified after the

modern manner of Fortifications, and strengthned with an impregnable Citadel by Duke Vin∣cent Gonzaga, as the surest Key of his estate; in which new Citadell the Governour of the Pro∣vince holds his usuall residence. 3 Aique, in Latin Aquensis, famous for its Bathes or Fountains of hot and medicinall waters. 4 Saint Saviours, where there is a very strong Fortress, as there is also in 5 Ponsture, or Pont di Stura, so called of the River Stura. 6 Osoniano, antiently Occimianum, the old seat of the first Marquesses of this Montferrat. 7 Villa nova. 8 Balzale. 9 Liburn, and many others of less note.

Here are also with in the limits of this Dukedom, the Towns of Ast, Cherian, and Chivasco, be∣longing to the Dukes of Savoy, in the description of whose Country we may speak more of them; together with Novara and Alexandria, appertaing to the Dukedom of Millain, which we have spoken of already. And hereunto also I refer the strong (and in those times) impregnable Fortress, by the Latin Historians called Fraexinetum, from some Grove of Ashes near unto it; situ∣ate in the advantages of the Mountains, and not far from the sea; by consequence better able to defend it self and admit relief; and therefore made the receptacle or retreat of the Saracens, at such time as they had footing in these parts of Italie. First took and fortified by them in the year 891, recovered afterwards by the prowess and good fortune of Otho the Emperor, deservedly sur∣named the Great, about 60 years after. Of great note in the stories of those middle times. By Luitprandus placed near the borders of Provence; by Blondus and Leander near the River Po, and the Town of Valenza, once called Forum Fulvii; and finally by Sigonius in the Coltian Alpes: and so most fit to be referred unto this Country, though now so desolated that there is no remainder of the ruins of it.

This Country was made a Marquisate by Otho the 2^d, An. 985. one of the seven by him erected and given to the 7 sons of Waleran of Saxonie, who had maryed his daughter Adelheide. A Military Family, conspicuously eminent in the Wars of Greece and the Holy-land; where they did many acts of singular merit: insomuch as Baldwin and Conrade, issuing from a second branch hereof, were made Kings of Hierusalem; and Boniface one of the Marquesses got the Kingdom of Thes∣saly, and many fair Estates in Greece. But the Male-issue fayling in Marquess John, the Estate fell to Theodorus Palaeologus, of the Imperiall family of Constantinople, who had maryed the Heir-ge∣nerall of the house; continuing in his name till the year 1534, when it fell into the hands of the Dukes of Mantua. In the person of Duke William Gonzaga raised to the honour of a Duke∣dom, as it still continueth: the best and richest part of that Dukes Estate, and the fairest flower in all his Garden. The residue of the story may be best collected out of the following Cata∣logue of

The Marquesses of Montferrat.

• A. C.
• ••985 1 William, one of the sonnes of Waleran and Adelheide, made the first Marquess of Mont∣ferrat.
• 2 Boniface, the sonne of William.
• 3 William II. who accompanied the Emperor Conrade the 3. and 5 Lewis of France to the Holy-land.
• ••183 4 Boniface II. sonne of William the second, his younger brother William being designed King of Hierusalem, and Reyner another of them made Prince of Thessaly, succeeded his Father in Montferrat. Ayding his Nephew Baldwin the sonne of William in reco∣vering the Kingdom of Hierusalem, he was took prisoner by Guy of Lusignan, Com∣petitor with him for that title.
• 5 William III. sonne of Boniface, poysoned in the Holy-land, where he endeavoured the restoring of his Brother Conrade to that languishing Kingdom.
• 6 Boniface III. sonne of William the third, for his valour in taking of Constantinople, made King of Thessalie.
• 1254 7 Boniface IV. sonne of Boniface the third, added Vercelli and Eporedium unto his Estate.
• 8 John, surnamed the Just, the last of this house.
• 9 Theodore Palaeologus, sonne of the Emperor Andronicus Palaeologus the elder, and Yoland his wife, daughter of Boniface the fourth.
• 10 John Palaeologus, sonne of Theodore.
• 11 Theodorus II. sonne of John, a great builder and endower of Religious houses.
• 12 Jacobus Johannes, sonne of Theodore the second.
• 13 John III. eldest sonne of Jacobus Johannes.
• 1464 14 William IV. brother of John the third, founder of the City and Monastery of Casal
• 1487 15 Boniface V. brother of John and William, the two last Marquesses, invested by Frede∣derick the fourth, Blanea Maria the daughter of William surrendring her Estate un∣to him.
• 16 William V. sonne of Boniface the fift.
• 1518 17 Boniface VI. sonne of William the fift.
• 1530 18 John George, brother of William the fift, succeeded his Nephew in the Estate; which he held but four years. After whose death, An^o 1534, this Marquisate was adjudged to Frede∣rick

• the first Duke of Mantua, who had maryed Margaret daughter of William the fift, and next heir to George. Whose successors may be seen in the former Catalogue of the Dukes of Mantua.

The Arms hereof are Gules, a Chief Argent.

Here are in this Estate. Arch-Bishops o Bishops 4.

And now according to my method, I should proceed to the description and story of the Prin∣cipality of P••emont, the last and most Western part of Italy. But being it lyeth partly in, and partly at the foot of the Alpes, was antiently a part of the Province called Alpes Coltiae, and is now part of the Estate of the Duke of Savoy: we will defer it till we come to those Alpine Pro∣vinces which are next to follovv. And so much shall suffice for Italie, in which there are, be∣sides those of Premont,

• Popes 1.
• Arch-B. 35.
• Patriarchs 3.
• Bishops 292.
• Universities 17.
• ...viz.

• ...In the Land of the Church.
  • Rome.
  • Bononia.
  • Ferrara.
  • Perusia.
• In Sicil.
  • Palermo.
  • Catana.
• In the Signeury of Venice.
  • Venice.
  • Padua.
  • Verona.
• In the Dukedom of Tuscanie.
  • Florence.
  • Pisa.
  • Sienna.
• In Naples.
  • Naples.
  • Salera.
• In Lombardie.
  • Millain.
  • Pavie.
  • Mantua.