Rainier, Marquess of Montferrat

Who was Rainier, Marquess of Montferrat?

Renier or Rainier, son of William IV, Marquess of Montferrat, was the ruler of the state of Montferrat in north-west Italy from about 1100 to his death, and the first such to be identified in contemporary documents as Margrave of Montferrat.

Renier was a powerful lord in his own time, appearing extensively in the contemporary documentation. With him the Aleramici of Montferrat first begin to throw off the shroud of obscurity and demonstrate a degree of influence in Italian politics. The beginning of his reign, nevertheless, is not clearly known, as he first appears in a document of 23 March 1111 as Raynerius de Monteferrato marchio. He appears with this same title years later in 1126 and 1133 when, with other members of his family, he founded the Cistercian monstery of Santa Maria di Lucedio near Trino.

Around the time of his appearance in the pages of history, c. 1111, Renier was a follower of the Emperor Henry V. In that year he obtained an imperial concession for the citizens of Turin: a diploma regarding the Via Francigena which passed through the town. Also that year, with his cousin Oberto I of Occimiano, he donated to the Chapter of Saint Evasius of Casale the church of San Martino di Zenzano infra castrum Aucimianum. That this act took place in Occimiano testifies to the importance of that locality, which had in the past been the seat of kings.