Yolande of Montferrat (Countess of Savoy)

In 1330, Aymon of Savoy married Yolande of Montferrat, daughter of Theodore I of Montferrat (c. 1290-1338), son of the Byzantine emperor Andronicus II Palaeologus (1259-1332). It took a long time for the couple to have children. Yolande was worried. So, she went on a pilgrimage to the Notre-Dame cathedral in Bourg-en-Bresse, a journey she hoped would bless her with an heir. In 1334, her prayers were answered with the birth of the future count, Amadeus VI. The couple went on to have four more children. Yolande died during childbirth.

The mural paintings in the Camera Domini at Chillon Castle, which were completed at Aymon’s request between 1341 and 1344 by Jean de Grandson depict the coats of arms of Savoy and Montferrat.