Chalon (county)

County Chalon ( fr. Chalon sur Saône ) - a medieval Burgundy feudal formation, the capital of which was the city of Chalon-sur-Saone .

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History

County Education

The first known Count of Chalon is Adalard (d. Circa 763 ). He is usually considered the son of Hildebrand I (c. 682–751), the count in Burgundy and the lord Perrasi. He received Chalon in 733 . Adalard actively participated in the struggle of Pepin Short against the Duke of Aquitaine, but died in the fight against Count Auvergne Shelping .

Chalon at Burgundy Margrave

The next famous count is Guverin (Varin) II (d. In 853 year ). He was a very prominent figure in Burgundy, uniting in his hands several Burgundy counties. He took an active part in the struggle between the emperor Louis the Pious and his sons. Initially, he was a supporter of Lothar I , it was Guerin who, in 830, took Empress Judith to exile in Poitiers. After section 831, his influence in Burgundy increased significantly. But in 834, Guverin joined the emperor, defending the city of Chalon from the army of Lothar. But despite this, the city was captured and devastated. Lothar spared Guverin, but ordered him to take the oath of allegiance.

In 835, Guverin was named Count of Chalon. In the years 835/840 he was absent from Burgundy, while in Lyon , Vienne , Toulouse . In the Chronicle in 840/842, it is referred to as the Margrave ("Duke") of Burgundy ("dux Burgundiae potentissimus") and Toulouse ("dux Tolosanus"). At this time, he spread his influence to the Rhone and Gothia.

After the death of Emperor Louis in 840, Guerin goes over to the side of Karl Lysy , swearing allegiance to him in Orleans . In 841, he participated in the battle of Fontenoy in the army of Karl Lysy and Louis of Germany against the emperor Lothar. For this, after signing the Verdun Treaty in 843, he received the counties of Autun , Oson, and Desmois , which, together with the counties Macon , Shanois, and Mermontois he already owns, makes him the most powerful feudal lord in Burgundy. From this moment on, Guverin becomes margrave or marquise of Burgundy.

In 850, Guerin sent his eldest son Isembart to Gothia against Guillaume, the son of Bernard Septimanski, who rebelled against Charles. Isembart was captured, but he soon managed to escape. Gathering great strength, he captured Guillaume, who was soon executed by order of the king.

After the death of Gverin, his possessions passed to Isembart ( 815 - 858 ), but practically nothing is known about his rule. Soon after March 858 he was succeeded by Onfroix (Gumfred) (d. After 876 ), and King Karl conferred on Gumfried the title of Marquis of Burgundy. In 862, Gumfried's close relative, Regent of Provence Gerard was accused of rebellion against the king, but Karl did not give the accusation a move. But in April 863, Humphried captured Toulouse from the Marquis Raimund I. The king sent troops to Burgundy and seized the possessions of Gumfried, distributing them, and Gumfried himself fled first to Italy , and then to Swabia .

Counts Eckhardt, Boson, and Ademar

After the distribution of the possessions of Onfroy, Chalon went to Eckhard ( 810 - 877 ). He came from the sideline of the Carolingians , going from the brother of Karl Martel Hildebrand I. Eckhard was the son of Hildebrand III , Earl of Autun, inheriting the family ownership of Perrasi in 836 . In the years 840 - 859 he owned the burgundy county of Morvois, but after he revolted in 858, he was deprived of possessions. And in 863 he received Chalon. But the Count of Chalon was no longer the ruler of Burgundy, sharing power in it with Count of Autun. In 870, Eckhardt also received the county of Macon and the southern part of Otenua. Perhaps it was at this time that Charolais and Brionne were separated from Autun, after which Charolais became part of the County of Chalons. At the same time, most of Charolais was already in the possession of Eckhard (Senorius Perrasi - his clan possession).

In 877, Chalon became part of the possessions of Boson ( 850 - 887 ), who in 879 declared himself king of Lower Burgundy (Provence) and Chalon was included in other counties in the kingdom. But in 880, his brother, Richard the Intercessor , opposed him. As a result, Boson lost a number of Burgundy counties, including Chalon, whose graph was Ademar (d. After 901 ). The origin of Ademar is rather confused. Apparently he was a relative of the Robertins - his ancestor could be Guverin (d. In 772 ), a count in Thurgau. But in 887, at the post of Count Chalon, he was succeeded by Manasius I de Vergie .

County of Chalon under Vergie House Management

Perhaps Manasius I the Old received Chalon due to the fact that he married the daughter of Boson. In addition, he received several more Burgundy counties. He was a supporter of Richard the Intercessor , supporting him in everything. In 893, the king of France, Ed, arrives in Chalon to make peace with Richard, but he remains neutral because he supports Charles the Simple. In 894, Richard supported Manasiah, who captured Bishop Langre Thibault (he challenged the choice of Manasiah’s brother, Valdo, as Bishop of Autun ). In 895, Manasiah supported Richard in a confrontation with Archbishop Sansa Gauthier .

Manasseh also supports Richard in the fight against the Normans who devastated Burgundy. In 898, he participated in the battle of Saint Florentin against the Normans, and in 911, in the battle of Chartres, where the Burgundian army defeated Rollon . The end of his life, Manasiah spent in Vergi Castle.

After the death of Manasiah, his possessions were divided between his sons. The eldest, Valo (d. 924 ) inherited Chalon, Gilbert (d. 956 ) received the county of Avalon, Manasius II the Younger (d. 936 ), received the counties of Oson and Dijon, as well as Vergie. Herve's youngest son (d. After 920) became Bishop of Autun. After the death of Valo in 924, Chalon goes to Gilbert. He married the daughter of Richard the Intercessor, which strengthened his ties with the Burgundian ducal house, although in 931/932 he had a conflict with King Raul , as a result of which Gilbert lost the castle of Avalon. At the same time, Gilbert remained a faithful vassal of the Duke of Hugo Black . After the death of a childless Hugo, Burgundy passes to Gilbert. But he did not have sons, therefore, even during his lifetime, Gilbert transferred all the rights to the duchy of Hugo the Great , who married the eldest daughter of Gilbert, Liegard, his second son Otton , who eventually inherited Burgundy after the death of Gilbert in 956 . The second daughter, Adelaide, married Lambert, Robert's youngest son, Viscount Dijon. By decision of King Lothar, Chalon inherited Lambert , although Robert de Vermandois , Earl of Mo, married to Gilbert's youngest daughter, Adele / Verre, also claimed Chalon. In the end, Robert got the county of Troyes.

Counts Lambert and Hugo I

Count Lambert (c. 930 - 979 ) in 968 was forced to repel the attack of the Duke of Aquitaine Guillaume IV , who attempted to capture Charolais. But thanks to the support of Geoffrey I, the lord Seymour-en-Brionne, the 2nd 34th Lambert was able to defeat the Aquitaine army in Chalmois and preserve the southern border of his county along the Loire. Lambert is also known for his support of the Cluny movement. Since the abbot Cluny Mayol was on friendly terms with Lambert, during the reign of the latter in Chalon many monasteries adopted the Cluny charter.

After the death of Lambert, the county was inherited by his son Hugo I ( 972 - 1039 ). In 987, the Hungarians entered the county, ravaging several abbeys. In addition, they partially burned the city. In March 999, Hugo was elected Bishop of Auxerre, which was confirmed by the Duke of Burgundy, Ed-Henry . This appointment did not prevent him from preserving the rights of the secular Count Chalon, alternately fulfilling the duties of a soldier and a priest. Also, like his father, Hugo supported the Cluny movement , transferring the monastery of Parey to Cluny in May 999 .

Hugo maintained friendly relations with King Robert II . After the dynasty of the Dukes of Burgundy ended, he supported Robert's rights to the duchy in 1002 - 1017 against the claims of other Burgundian feudal lords. At the same time, he created 3 baronies in the territory of Chalon, including Donzi, which he transferred to his nephew Geoffrey. In 1024, Hugo led, with King Robert, a large assembly of archbishops, bishops, abbots, and counts in Eri en Auxerrois.

In 1027, Hugo attended Reims at the coronation of King Robert's son, Heinrich . In the same year, he opposed the son of Count of Burgundy Otto-Guillaume - Renault , who invaded Charolais. As a result, Renault was defeated and captured. But in defense of Renault, his father-in-law, the Duke of Normandy, Richard , who devastated the county, spoke out, after which Renault was released. Later, Hugo made a trip first to Rome, and in 1034/1035 to Palestine. He died in Auxerre in 1039 .

The county of Chalon under the control of the house of Semur-en-Brionne

After the death of Hugo I, the county of Chalon passed to Thibault de Semur (c. 990 - 1065 ), the son of Geoffrey I, Senor de Semur-en-Brionne and Matilda (Mago) de Chalon, sister of Hugo I. Many clergy emerged from this family. Thibault's nephew, Hugo de Semur, was Abbot of Cluny, the other Hugo was Bishop of Auxerre, Reno - Archbishop of Lyon.

In 1056, a church cathedral was held in Chalon under the leadership of the papal legate of Hildebrand and in the presence of Abbot Cluny Hugo de Semur. On it, the bishop of Chalon Guy was accused of simony and, despite the defense of Count Thibault, was found guilty and removed from his post. In August 1063, another cathedral was held. His goal was to examine the complaint of the Clunian monks about the oppression by Bishop Macon.

After the death of Thibault, he was succeeded by the son of Hugo II (c. 1022 - 1079 ). He did not rule for long. In 1073, another church cathedral was held in Chalon. In 1078, Hugo went on a pilgrimage to Saint-Jacques de Compostell, but died on his return to France. The widow of Hugo, daughter of the Duke of Burgundy Robert I, Constance, soon married the King of Castile and Leon Alfonso VI .

Since Hugo II did not leave the children, the rights to Chalon were claimed by the sons of his two sisters (the son of Adelaide Guy de Thiers and the son of Ermengard Humbert de Bourbon-Lancy), as well as the cousin of Hugo, Geoffrey II de Donzi. Regent until the dispute was resolved became the only living sister of Hugo, Adelaide. Humbert eventually abandoned the county, and Geoffrey and Guy agreed that the county would remain indivisible, and that both applicants would hold the title of Count de Chalon.

Geoffrey II de Donzi (c. 1040 - 1097 ) in 1096 took part in the Crusade . In order to get the money to participate in the campaign, he sold his part of Chalon to his brother Savaric de Vergie, who, in turn, borrowed money for half his purchase from Bishop Gautier de Coucher. Since he did not return the money, the bishops of Chalon took the title of Count of Chalon. The heirs of Savaric sold their quarter of the county to the Duke of Burgundy Hugo II .

County Chalon under Thier House Management

As well as Geoffrey de Donzi, Guy I de Thiers (c. 1050 - 1113 ) participated in the First Crusade. Returning to France, he remains the only ruler of the county. After Guy’s death, he is succeeded by his son, Guillaume I (c. 1075 - 1168 ). He participated in the creation of the abbey of La Ferte , which became one of the pillars of the Cistercian order.

Later Guillaume, together with Count Macon Gerard I , opposed the abbey of Cluny. They captured the castle of Lourdon, owned by the abbey, the abbey itself was looted. In 1166, King Louis VII, at the request of Abbot Etienne, intervened, leaving the army at the head of Burgundy to restore order in the counties of Chalon and Macon. Guillaume took refuge in the mountains of Saint Vicente. He devastated Brionne, Parai, Marsigny and Semur. As a result, the king confiscated the county and transferred it under the control of the Duke of Burgundy . Guillaume died in exile in 1168 .

After the death of his father, his son Guillaume II (c. 1120 - 1202 ), who took part in the war on the side of his father, decided to ask the king for forgiveness. He went with his mother Beatrice to Wesel, where the king gave him back the county of Chalon. But part of the county, the rights to which at one time were sold to the heirs of Savaric de Vergie, remained in the hands of the Duke of Burgundy. He later married the daughter of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa . In 1180, he again entered the battle with Cluny Abbey, supporting his son-in-law. At the call of Abbot Cluny, King Philip II Augustus intervened in this fight, forcing Guillaume to conclude an agreement with the abbey in the castle of Lourdon.

In 1186, Guillaume passed off his heiress Beatrice as Count of Oson Etienne III . And in 1190, together with the Duke of Burgundy, Hugo III went on the Third Crusade. As regent of the county of Chalon, he leaves his daughter. After returning from Palestine in 1192, he abdicated in favor of his daughter Beatrice and ended his life as a monk in Cluny. He died in 1202 .

The reign of Beatrice ( 1174 - 1227 ) is considered one of the happiest periods in the history of the county. At this time, Chalon is recovering from the effects of the riots. In 1200, she divorced her husband.

Jean I Wise and the disappearance of the county

After the death of Beatrice, Chalon passes under the control of her son, Jean I the Wise ( 1190 - 1267 ), who became the last ruler of the county. Even before receiving investment in the county, Jean was forced to settle the conflict with Cluny Abbey. In 1232, he pacified the revolt of the butchers in Chalon, giving the right to sell meat in the city to anyone who wants to do it. For his informed decisions in politics, he earned the nickname the Wise.

In 1237, in order to control the policies of Count Otto II Meransky of Burgundy, Jean exchanged his ancestral counties Chalon and Oson for Senoria Salen and a number of other possessions to his nephew, Duke of Burgundy Hugo IV . As a result, Chalon and Oson became part of the duchy.

Jean kept the name of his mother - Chalon. His descendants were the counts of Burgundy, Auxerre, Tonner, the lords of Chalon-Arles, and later - the princes of Orange and the counts of Chalon-Auxerre.