Philip of Montfort, Lord of Castres


Philip ΙΙ of Montfort was a French nobleman, Count of Squillace in Italy from 1266/68, then Lord of Castres in 1270. He was the son of Philip I of Monfort, Lord of Tyre and Eleonore of Courtenay. His coat-of-arms was Gules, a lion rampant double queued argent, a label of four points azure.

Biography

He joined the expedition of Charles of Anjou to conquer the Kingdom of Sicily, and he shared command of the first battalion at the Battle of Benevento with Hugh of Mirepoix. After Benevento, he was given command of forces to protect the Papal States. He led the Angevin troops into the island of Sicily, and put down the revolt that resulted in the sacking of Augusta.
On his father’s death in March 1270, he succeeded to his French seigneury of Castres, but his father's possessions in Outremer had been granted to his half-brother John of Montfort. He joined the Eighth Crusade and died in Tunis.

Family

He married Jeanne de Lévis-Mirepoix, daughter of Guy I de Lévis, Lord of Mirepoix and Guibourge of Montfort and had three children: