Bonne of Bourbon

Bonne of Bourbon (1341 – 19 January 1402) was a Countess of Savoy by marriage to Amadeus VI of Savoy. She served as regent of Savoy during the absence of her spouse from 1366 to 1367, with her son in 1383, and finally during the minority of her grandson Amadeus VIII, Duke of Savoy in 1391–1395. Biography Bonne was the daughter of Peter I, Duke of Bourbon, and Isabella of Valois. She was engaged to Amadeus VI, Count of Savoy as part of the Treaty of Paris (1355), which included a dowry of three thousand florins per year. She married Amadeus in September 1355 in Paris. Immediately after their wedding, her husband had to return to his army, still engaged in the Hundred Years' War. First regency In 1366, when her husband left on a crusade to Bulgaria, he named her as regent of Savoy for the duration of his absence, to be advised by his council. In 1367, James, lord of Piedmont, a cousin of Amadeus, died. There was a dispute over his inheritance between his eldest son, Philip and his widow, Margaret of Beaujeu, representing the interests of her young sons, Amadeus and Louis. Bonne, acting as regent, was only able to keep them from open war. She was not able to settle the dispute, and Philip had to go to Amadeus in Venice to try to get resolution. She greatly enjoyed the Alpine mountain lakes of Savoy, and tried to ensure the castles she stayed in had good views of them. In 1371, she oversaw the building of the chateau at Ripaille, seeking to build a manor that would more easily accommodate the larger court of the Count. The new chateau had large windows overlooking Lake Geneva. She was a great patron of music, and was known for her skill on the harp.