Florent of Hainaut

Florence of Hainault (* 1255, † January 23, 1297 ) was Prince of Achaia in the name of his wife Isabelle de Villehardouin from 1289 to his death. He was the younger son of John of Avesnes, Count of Hainaut and Adelaide of Holland.

He held the governorship of Zeeland, before he went to southern Italy, and there came into the King Charles II of Naples services, who made him constable of the Kingdom of Naples. On September 16, 1289 he married Isabelle de Villehardouin, the daughter of William II of Villehardouin, prince of Achaia and Morea, whose legacy became the house of Anjou. King Charles II gave Achaia because of marriage to Isabelle back with the proviso that they should survive Florence, not allowed to remarry without the consent of Charles II.

Florence of Hainault and Isabelle settled in Achaia, where he succeeded in 1290, to conclude a peace with the Byzantine Empire in the Treaty of Klarentza. The agreement lasted until 1293, when the Byzantines conquered Kalamata. 1296 lost the castle of Agios Georgios in Arcadia. Florence besieged the castle conquered, but died on January 23, 1297 before the siege had come to the goal.

The daughter of Isabelle and Florence was Matilda of Hainaut ( * 1293, † 1331 ), Princess of Achaia and Morea, who married four times.