John II Palaiologos of Montferrat

John II Palaiologos (1321–1372) was Marquis of Montferrat from 1338 and spent his reign pushing the march's borders against its neighbours. The son of Theodore I, he shared in government from 1336 and succeeded at seventeen. With help from his cousin Otto of Brunswick-Grubenhagen he turned on the Angevins of Naples.

He used King Robert's death in 1343 to take Alessandria, Asti and Tortona by 1344, and in 1345 defeated their vicar at Gamenario. With Visconti's tacit backing he added Alba, Bra and Valenza, and in 1355 he escorted Charles IV and received Cherasco, Novara and Pavia.

His 1358 marriage to Isabella, titular queen of Majorca, cost him imperial favour and brought war with the Visconti, and he gave back the Pavia lands for Visconti ones near Asti. He died in 1372, and three of his sons succeeded him in turn.