WOMEN’S HISTORY † AZALAÏS DEL VASTO (c. 1075 – 16 April 1118)
Azalaïs del Vasto was a daughter of Manfredo Incisa del Vasto, the younger brother of Bonifacio del Vasto, marchese della Liguria. Her father and uncle were both members of a cadet line of the House of Aleramici and distant cousins of the Marchesi di Monferrato. Her first cousin once removed, Manfredo II del Vasto, marchese di Saluzzo, later married Alasia degli Aleramici di Monferrato. In 1089, she became the third wife of Roger Bosso de Hauteville, conte di Sicilia. Azalaïs and Roger had two sons and an unknown number of daughters; sometimes Maximilla and Mathilde are considered the same person and sometimes they are considered separate. After Roger’s death in 1101, Azalaïs served as regent for their son, Simon, and took the responsibility of crushing rebellions. Simon died in 1104 and afterwards, Azalaïs served as regent for her second son, Roger. Roger came of age in 1112, but probably continued to play a role in her son’s rule. In 1112, it was arranged that Azalaïs would marry Baudouin Ier de Jérusalem. Baudouin had previously been married to an Armenian noblewoman whose name is unknown, but has traditionally been called Arda. In 1105, Baudouin had repudiated Arda and forced her into a convent, though she was later released and fled to Constantinople. Azalaïs agreed to the marriage on the grounds that if she and Baudouin had children, Jerusalem would be inherited by them and if not, it would go to her son, Roger. The terms were agreed to and Azalaïs and Baudouin married. However, Azalaïs and Baudouin had no children. In 1117, Baudouin fell ill and supposed that his illness and lack of heirs were a sign of God’s displeasure at his bigamous marriage, as his marriage to Arda had never been dissolved. Arnoul de Chophouses, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem (who had suggested the marriage of Baudouin and Azalaïs in the first place) annulled the marriage and Azalaïs went back to Sicily and died 16 April 1118. According to Guillaume de Tyr, Roger was outraged at his mother’s treatment and “conceived a mortal hatred against the kingdom and its people.” Meanwhile, Baudouin had died on 2 April 1118 in Egypt with no heirs. His kingdom was first offered to his older brother, Eustache III de Boulogne², but ultimately went to his cousin, Baudouin de Rethel³. As for Roger, he declared himself the King of Sicily in 1130 with the encouragement of Antipope Anacletus II and Azalaïs’ brother, Enrico del Vasto.
² Eldest son of Eustache II de Boulogne and Ida von Lothringen and father of Mathilde de Boulogne. ³ Husband of Morphia of Melitene and father of Mélisende, queen of Jerusalem; Hodierne, comtesse de Tripoli, and Alix, princesse d’Antioche.
