Amadeus III of Geneva

Amadeus III (, 29 March 1311 – 18 January 1367) was the Count of Geneva from 1320 until his death. He ruled the Genevois, but not the city of Geneva proper, and it was during his time that the term "Genevois" came to be used as it is today. He was the eldest son and successor of William III and Agnes, daughter of Amadeus V of Savoy. He played a major rôle in the politics of the House of Savoy, serving consecutively as regent and president of the council, and also sitting on the feudal tribunal—one of three tribunals of the Audiences générales—of the Duchy of Aosta. Conflict with Savoy After the city and castle of Annecy were devastated in a fire in 1320, Amadeus moved his court to La Roche, which had been the seat of the counts of Geneva between 1124 and 1219. In 1325 Amadeus joined the coalition formed by Guigues VIII of Viennois against Edward of Savoy. On 7 August he fought in the victory of the Battle of Varey over the Savoyards. In 1326 the envoys of Charles IV of France negotiated a truce so that both counts, of Geneva and of Savoy, could join the king's expedition against Flanders in 1327–28. In January 1329 the new Count Aymon of Savoy came to terms with Amadeus, and the two established a commission to investigate the disputed territory between the Duingt and the Faverges. Ultimately Amadeus became a vassal of Aymon for at least a part of his territories. In 1338 another commission was established to deal with further boundary issues. The relationship between the peaceable and unambitious counts of Geneva and Savoy were, after 1337, always friendly. In 1336 Amadeus donated the village of Vésenaz to the monastery of Bellerive. Regency of Savoy On 11 January 1334 Amadeus stood godfather to his first cousin Amadeus VI of Savoy in the Sainte-Chapelle, then under construction, at Chambéry. He and Louis II of Vaud were designated by Aymon as regents for the young Amadeus, which roles they assumed on Aymon's death on 22 June 1343. On 26 June, after Aymon's funeral, the young Amadeus was crowned as Count of Savoy and Amadeus of Geneva was the first to swear the oath of fealty. The count of Geneva and the lord of Vaud moved into the Castle of Chambéry and signed a written agreement, still preserved, whereby neither could act without the consent of the other, and all acts were to be committed to writing for purposes of review. In the details of this agreement considerable mutual suspicion can be detected.