Editing Thomas, Count of Flanders (section)

===Later years===
In 1255, Thomas was protecting his territories in the Piedmont region against the town of Asti. In a battle at Moncalieri, he was taken prisoner and held in Turin. The two cities were seeking to force Thomas to acknowledge their independence from Savoy control. In response, [[Pope Alexander IV]] placed an interdict against Turin and Asti, and King [[Henry III of England]] imprisoned all Lombards in his kingdom. [[Louis IX of France]] arrested 150 Asti merchants at the urging of his wife (and Thomas's niece) [[Margaret of Provence|Margaret]]. [[Beatrice of Savoy]] did the same in her territories in Provence. Thomas's brothers, [[Peter II, Count of Savoy|Peter]] and [[Philip I, Count of Savoy|Philip]] led an army down from Savoy in 1256, and were able to force a negotiated settlement by the end of the year. In that settlement, the cities were recognized as independent, though they did not achieve the territorial or economic benefits they were originally seeking.{{sfn|Cox|1974|p=254-259}}

[[File:Thomas II de Savoie.jpg|thumb|The tomb of Thomas II de Savoie at Aosta Cathedral]]

Although he was the next brother of [[Amadeus IV of Savoy|Amadeus IV]], he never became the Count of Savoy because he predeceased his nephew, [[Boniface, Count of Savoy|Boniface]], who himself died without sons to succeed him. Thomas did act as regent for Boniface during the early years of his reign. Although Thomas left sons, upon Boniface's death the remaining uncles, younger brothers of Thomas, ruled the County of Savoy. Thomas's eldest son and heir Thomas III thought it to be an injustice and unsuccessfully claimed Savoy. However, it so happened that [[Philip I, Count of Savoy|Philip I]], the last surviving brother of Thomas, made Thomas' younger son Amadeus his heir in Savoy, leaving the elder son, Thomas, and the genealogically senior line descending from him out of the Savoy succession.