Sabaudia

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

THE DVKEDOME OF SABAVDIA. (Book Sabaudia)

MAny doe make great inquisition concerning the name of Sabaudia.* 1.1 Some doe derive it a Sabatijs Vadis, or the Sabatian Fords. Pliny calleth it Sabatium Vadum, a City of Liguria, which Pomponius Mela calleth Sabbatia, Ptolemy Sabbata, and Strabo Zabbatoon Ouada. Others call it Sabaudia, as it were Sabbat•rum Auwe, that is the Field, or Meddow of the Sabbatians, whom Volaterranus calleth Sabbaudians. Some call it Saulvote, as it were a way thorow Flints, Bryars, and rugged places. Some call it Saulve-Voie, that is, the Safe way, which was once very dangerous and full of Theeves as fabulous Writers doe report. Sabaudia is often named in the Register Booke among the Provinces of Gallia Narbonensis. And former Writers doe mention it, sometimes calling it Sabaudia,* 1.2 and sometimes Sapaudia. On the North and West it is bounded with the County of Br•ssanium (which the Duke of Sabaudia passed over to the King of France in Exchange, for the Marquiship of Salutium) and with Helvetia, and the Lake Lemane, which lyeth betweene them: on the East with Valesia and Piemont, and the Mountaines which runne betweene them: and on the South is the Delphinate. In the Valleys and Champion places, the soyle is pleasant and fruitfull, especially toward the Nouth, by the Lake Leman, where it bringeth forth excellent Wine, which is called Ripalium, from the banke of the Lake. There are excellent Pastures for feeding all sorts of Cattell, especially neere S. Bernards Mount. All this tract of ground which containeth Sabaudia, the Delphinate, and other confining Provinces, were heretofore a Kingdome, as it appeare in Livie, lib. 21. where we read that two Brothers who contended for the Kingdome of the Allobrogum did choose Hanniball to Arbitrate betweene them. That part of the Kingdome of which we entreate, namely, Sabaudia, had afterward divers Lords and Princes, it is now governed by Dukes: whose bounds were shorter formerly. For then they were onely called Earles of Maurien•ia: the first whereof was Bertholdus, who being enforced to change his owne Country, went into that part of Burgundie, which the Allobrogians call the County of Maurienna: which County he obtained for some service done to the Empire, which his Sonne Humbert the first, having more fully received of the Emperour Henry the third did passe over to his Sonne Amades the first and Humbert the second, his Nephew, who by the successive right of Adetheida, the Wife of Humbert the first, were also Marquesses of Segusium, and had Tarantasia joyned to their Territories. The Sonne of Humbert the second, was Amades the second, the first Earle of Sabaudia, and Marquesse of the Taurinians and Segusians. After him there followed in a right line Humbert the third, Thomas, who got by warre the Principality of Piemont, also Amedes the third, who got into his owne possession the Country of Chablasium and Vallis Augustae Petra, having no Heyre Males to inherit them, and also Boniface, who dying without issue, his Unckles succeeded after him, Peter, who much enlarged his Principality, having taken all the Townes neere to the Lake Leman, and Philip, formerly Archbishop of Lions, who for want of issue did passe over the better part of his Inheritance to Amedes the fifth, his Brother Thomases Sonne, who was surnamed the Great. After him succeeded his Sonnes Edward who had no Heire Male, and Amedes the fifth. After whom succeeded Amedes the 6. who founded the Order of the Knights of the Post: also Amedes the 7. and Amedes the 8, whom the Emperour iSgismund did create the first Duke of Sabaudia, in the yeere 1416. whom after a voluntarie resignation of his Principalities unto his Sonne Ludovick, became a Monke, and the Fathers of the Counsell of Basil, made him Pope after Eugenius the 4. and called him Pope Felix the fifth. Nine yeeres afterward he yeelded up that dignity to Nicolas the fift, being content to be a Cardinal onely. He dyed in the yeere 1452. at Ripalis, neere the Lake Leman. Moreover there were 8. more Amadesses.

The Metropolis of Sabaudia is Chamberiacum, commonly called Chamberi, which the Ancients did call Camerinum, as Paradine noteth in his Sabaudia. Pinetus thinketh that the Ancients did call it Forum Voconij, which Pliny mentioneth, lib. 3. cap. 4. and Antoninus in his Itinerarie. So that it cannot be that they should count Forum Vocorium among those Townes, which are in the Province neere unto the Mediterranian Sea. Also Peutingers Itinerarie Table doth place there Forum Voconij, not farre from the French shore, betweene Forum Iu•ij, now called Fricul, and Mataron. Varerius vainely trifleth in his Chorographie of Portugal, who maketh Forum Voconij, to be Forum Vocontij, as if it were the Metropolis of the Vocontians, when the chiefe City of that Country is Augusta Dia Vocentiorum, now called Die. Caenalis also and Castilion doe thinke that Chamberry is Cinarum, which Cicero mentioneth in his Epistles. Moreover Chamberry hath a Castle, and the Dukes of Sabaudia have a House there, who have established here a Seate of Justice for the whole Country, and a Parliament. The parts of Sabaudia are the Counties following. I will adde something concerning the Lordships. Fossigni is neere the Lake Leman. In it they say is Ripalia, allusively Ripam Alos, or the Sea-banke, (for some of the Inhabitants doe call the Leman Lake the Sea, and truely it rages oftentimes like the Sea) it is commonly called Ripaille. It is a pleasant place, and famous because Amedes the 8. the first Duke of Sabaudia, did there live a Monke, having formerly resigned up his Principalities, and was chosen and consecrated Pope by the Fathers of the Counsell of Basill after Eugenius the fourth, the 9. before the Kalends of September, in the yeere 1440. and was called Faelix the 5. he lived a while, and built some smal Aedifices, which I saw in the yeere 1585.

He dyed there in the yeere 1452. in the moneth of January, having three yeeres before for quiet sake passed over the Papall dignity to Nicolas, he being content to be a Cardinall onely. Elenor Daughter to the Lord of Fossignij married Peter the sixt Earle of Sabaudia. And also Mary the Daughter of Amedes the fourth, the 8. Earle of Sabaudia, of the Brabantine family, was married to the Duke of this Country. Amedes the third got the Principality of Chablasius, which is neere to Fossigni Eastward, commonly call'd Chablois, and joyned them to his Dominions, seeing there were no lawfull Heires Male to inherit it. Some doe reckon the Townes of Tononium, Evianum, Guingaunum, and others, which I am afraid to write, as having no warrant for it. Concerning the Lordship commonly call'd Val d'Osta, we will speake in a more convenient place in the Description of Italy, where we will entreat of Piemont.

The chiefe Mountaines are the Alpes, which now as it were a wall doe separate Italy from France, and Germany. Festus thinketh that the Alpes were so called from their whitenesse, and the most doe affirme that the Alpes are the highest Mountaines in Europe. And many names of the Alpes are found in ancient Monuments, which doe shew that there were many parts of the Alpes, but we will by the way touch onely those parts, which for the most part doe lye in and about Sabaudia, as the Sabbatian Alpes, from whence it is thought that Sabaudia is denominated, which begin neere to Samona, neere a place called Vay, which the ancients call Vada Sablatia, from whence they bend like a Bow towards Monegne, which was heretofore called Portus Herculis Monaeci, and from thence they doe stretch out toward the River Var or Varo, which parteth France from Italy. There are also the Sea Alpes, but these we passe over as we goe towards Province, as also the Penine Alpes. The Cotrian Alpes follow, which begin at a place called Saulteron, where there are two wayes, both which doe encline towards the Marquiship of Salutium. In these Alpes there is the Mountaine Agno, and the Mountaine Viso, which the ancients did call the Mountaine Vesulus, through which there is a hollow passage from France into Italy, after this passage there are two wayes, the one whereof leadeth toward Verguel, the other toward Rauel, which are Fortresses to the Marquiship of Salutium. And betweene this Mountaine and the hollow-way three Fountaines doe spring up, and flow-into one Channell doe make the famous River of Po. In this Country is the Hill of the Crosse, and the Mountaine Genebre or Genevre, ther Mountaines end neere Luze, where the River Doria separateth them from the Graecian Alpes. The Graecian Alpes doe follow, the name whereof is derived from Hercules the Sonne of Amphytrio a Graecian, who travaild over these Mountaines out of Italy into France. In that part of these Mountaines which is toward France the Ceentronians were seated, who are now called Tarantasy, by whom the way to Chamberry lyeth. There are also betweene these Mountaines the Veragra, who containe the lower Valesians, and the Countries Gauot and Focigny: and the way of these Mountaines is called, the Mountaine of S. Bernard. There are many others besides, which for brevity sake we omit. The nature and quality of these Mountaines is miraculous; for he that passeth over them meeteth still with new variety of wayes, because now the way is wide, and by and by it growes strait, now the Mountaines seeme to touch the ayre, and by and by doe descend againe, there is a Plaine, and here a Vale enclosed with high Hills: neverthelesse the Valleyes in many places doe bring forth good Corne, on the Mountaines also there is much Grasse for Pasturing of Cattell: and in some places there is Wine. There are also divers Mines, and some kindes of living Creatures, which are not found any where else, and many other rarities, which for brevity sake we omit. Besides Rhodanus these Rivers doe water Sabaudia, Araru▪ Isura, Doria, Arva, Danius, and others. There are also the Lakes Leman, de Nicy, de Bourget, &c.