List of dukes, kings, counts, and margraves of Provence
Encyclopedia
Provence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
has a history quite separate from that of any of the larger nations of Europe. Its independent existence has its origins in the frontier nature of the dukedom in Merovingian Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
. In this position, influenced and affected by several different cultures on different sides, the Provençals maintained a unity which was reinforced when it was created a separate kingdom in the Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
decline of the later ninth century. Provence was eventually joined to the other Burgundian kingdom
Upper Burgundy
Upper Burgundy is the part of Burgundy east of the Jura mountains, that together with the western County of Burgundy from 868 formed the Kingdom of Upper Burgundy, encompassing both sides of the Jura mountains range...
, but it remained ruled by its own powerful, and largely independent, counts.
In the eleventh century, Provence became disputed between the traditional line and the counts of Toulouse
Counts of Toulouse
The first Counts of Toulouse were the administrators of the city and its environs under the Merovingians. No succession of such royal appointees is known, though a few names survive to the present...
, who claimed the title of "Margrave of Provence." In the High Middle Ages
High Middle Ages
The High Middle Ages was the period of European history around the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries . The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which by convention end around 1500....
, the title of Count of Provence belonged to local families of Frank
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
ish origin, to the House of Barcelona
House of Barcelona
The House of Barcelona was a medieval dynasty that ruled the County of Barcelona continuously from 878 and the Crown of Aragon from 1137 . From the male part they descend from the Bellonids, the descendants of Wifred the Hairy...
, to the House of Anjou and to a cadet branch of the House of Valois
Valois Dynasty
The House of Valois was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty, succeeding the House of Capet as kings of France from 1328 to 1589...
. After 1032, the county was part of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. It was inherited by King Louis XI of France
Louis XI of France
Louis XI , called the Prudent , was the King of France from 1461 to 1483. He was the son of Charles VII of France and Mary of Anjou, a member of the House of Valois....
in 1481, and definitively incorporated into the French royal domain
Crown lands of France
The crown lands, crown estate, royal domain or domaine royal of France refers to the lands, fiefs and rights directly possessed by the kings of France...
by his son Charles VIII
Charles VIII of France
Charles VIII, called the Affable, , was King of France from 1483 to his death in 1498. Charles was a member of the House of Valois...
in 1484.
Merovingian dukes and patricians
During the period of the Merovingian dynastyMerovingian dynasty
The Merovingians were a Salian Frankish dynasty that came to rule the Franks in a region largely corresponding to ancient Gaul from the middle of the 5th century. Their politics involved frequent civil warfare among branches of the family...
in Gaul, Provence was a province ruled by duces
Dux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
(dukes), military leaders and district commanders who served as defenders of the frontiers of the kingdom and ruled over vast territories as opposed to the comites
Comes
Comes , plural comites , is the Latin word for companion, either individually or as a member of a collective known as comitatus, especially the suite of a magnate, in some cases large and/or formal enough to have a specific name, such as a cohors amicorum. The word comes derives from com- "with" +...
(counts), who ruled the cities and their environs. Provence was usually a part of the division of the Frankish realm known as Kingdom of Burgundy
Kingdom of Burgundy
Burgundy is a historic region in Western Europe that has existed as a political entity in a number of forms with very different boundaries. Two of these entities - the first around the 6th century, the second around the 11th century - have been called the Kingdom of Burgundy; a third was very...
, which was treated as its own kingdom. Their title sometimes appears as rector Provinciae.
This is an incomplete list of the known Merovingian-appointed dukes of Provence.
- GondulfGondulf of ProvenceGondulf, Duke, was a Patrician of Provence who later became Bishop of Metz from the year of 591. He was a son of Florentinus , a Senator, and wife Artemia, daughter of St. Rusticus and wife.-Sources:...
(fl. c. 491) - Liberius (until 534), Ostrogothic appointee
- Bodegisel (fl. c. 566)
- Adovarius (561 – 569)
- Lupus (569 – 570)
- Jovin (570 – 573)
- Albin (573 – 575)
- Dinamius (from 575)
- Leudegisel (fl. c. 585), of Burgundian Provence
- Nicetas (from 587)
- Babo (fl. c. 600)
- Aegyla (fl. c. 602)
- Bado (634 – 641)
- Willibad (641 – 643), of Burgundian Provence
- HectorHector of ProvenceHector was the Patrician of Provence in the 660s and 670s. He intervened in the wars between Leodegar and Ebroin in Burgundy on behalf of the former, as recorded in the Passio Leudegarii. When he died, Eticho invaded Provence and tried to take Lyon, unsuccessfully.-Sources:*Lewis, Archibald R. ""...
(fl. c. 679) - NemfidiusNemfidiusNemfidius was Patriarch of Provence around 700 CE, during the time of Pepin of Herstal . He was succeeded by Antenor. Nemfidius issued coins, some of which have reached us....
(fl. c. 700) - AntenorAntenor of ProvenceAntenor was the Patrician of Provence in the last years of the 7th and first years of the 8th century. He was independent of Arnulfing authority and the representative of the Merovingian sovereign in Provence at a time when Arnulfing power was eclipsing the royal.Antenor's influence in Provence was...
(fl. c. 697) - MetrannusMetrannus of ProvenceMetrannus was the Patrician of Provence around the year 700, when he appeared in control of Marseille according to the Passio Leudegarii.-Sources:*Lewis, Archibald R. "" Speculum, Vol. 51, No 3 , pp 381–410....
(fl. c. 700) - Maurontus (c. 720 – 739)
- AbboAbbo of ProvenceAbbo was the Patrician of Provence in opposition to Maurontus in the 730s. He was also rector of Maurienne and Susa. Abbo came from the family of Waldelenus in the Besançon. They controlled the Alpine passes of Susa, Embrun, and Gap....
(fl. c. 739)
Carolingian dukes and margraves
Provence was ruled by a poorly-known series of dukes during the period of general Carolingian unityCarolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term which has been used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty in the Early Middle Ages. This dynasty is seen as the founders of France and Germany, and its beginning date is based on the crowning of Charlemagne, or Charles the...
until the Treaty of Verdun
Treaty of Verdun
The Treaty of Verdun was a treaty between the three surviving sons of Louis the Pious, the son and successor of Charlemagne, which divided the Carolingian Empire into three kingdoms...
(843).
- LeibulfLeibulf of ProvenceLeibulf, Leybulf, or Letibulf was the Count of Provence in the early ninth century. Along with Gaucelm, who ruled Gothia, and Bera, who ruled Catalonia, he was one of the three most important magnates in the south during the early reign of Louis the Pious, during which the emperor reorganised that...
(until c. 829) - GuerinGuerin of ProvenceGuerin, Garin, Warin, or Werner was the Count of Auvergne, Chalon, Mâcon, Autun, Arles and Duke of Provence, Burgundy, and Toulouse. Guerin stabilised the region against the Saracens from a base of Marseille and fortified Chalon-sur-Saône...
(c. 829 – 845) - Fulcrad (845 – c. 860)
Carolingian kings
After the division of the Carolingian EmpireCarolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term which has been used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty in the Early Middle Ages. This dynasty is seen as the founders of France and Germany, and its beginning date is based on the crowning of Charlemagne, or Charles the...
by the Treaty of Verdun
Treaty of Verdun
The Treaty of Verdun was a treaty between the three surviving sons of Louis the Pious, the son and successor of Charlemagne, which divided the Carolingian Empire into three kingdoms...
(843), the first of the fraternal rulers of the three kingdoms to die was Lothair I
Lothair I
Lothair I or Lothar I was the Emperor of the Romans , co-ruling with his father until 840, and the King of Bavaria , Italy and Middle Francia...
, who divided his middle kingdom
Middle Francia
Middle Francia was an ephemeral Frankish kingdom created by the Treaty of Verdun in 843, which divided the Carolingian Empire among the sons of Louis the Pious...
in accordance with the custom of the Franks between his three sons. Out of this division came the Kingdom of Provence, given to Lothair's youngest son, Charles
Charles of Provence
Charles of Provence was the Carolingian King of Provence from 855 until his early death in 863.Charles was the youngest son of Holy Roman Emperor Lothair I and Ermengarde of Tours....
. A heritage of royal rule was thus inaugurated in Provence that, though it was often subsumed into one of its larger neighbouring kingdoms, it was just as often proclaiming its own sovereigns.
The kingdom of Provence was also known as Lower Burgundy
Lower Burgundy
Lower Burgundy was a historical kingdom in what is now southeastern France, so-called because it was lower down the Rhone Valley than Upper Burgundy. Lower Burgundy is sometimes called the Kingdom of Arelat or the Kingdom of Cisjurane Burgundy...
(or Cisjurane Burgundy). Its capital was first Vienne
Vienne
Vienne is the northernmost département of the Poitou-Charentes region of France, named after the river Vienne.- Viennese history :Vienne is one of the original 83 departments, established on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Poitou,...
then Arles
Arles
Arles is a city and commune in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture, in the former province of Provence....
and it is therefore sometimes known as Arelate.
- CharlesCharles of ProvenceCharles of Provence was the Carolingian King of Provence from 855 until his early death in 863.Charles was the youngest son of Holy Roman Emperor Lothair I and Ermengarde of Tours....
(855 – 863)
- Provence divided between surviving brothers, Lothair II and the Emperor Louis II. The bulk goes to Louis.
- Louis IILouis II, Holy Roman EmperorLouis II the Younger was the King of Italy and Roman Emperor from 844, co-ruling with his father Lothair I until 855, after which he ruled alone. Louis's usual title was imperator augustus , but he used imperator Romanorum after his conquest of Bari in 871, which led to poor relations with Byzantium...
(863 – 875), also Holy Roman EmperorHoly Roman EmperorThe Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
from 855
- Louis II
- As with his Kingdom of ItalyKingdom of Italy (medieval)The Kingdom of Italy was a political entity under control of Carolingian dynasty of Francia first, after the defeat of the Lombards in 774. It was finally incorporated as a part of the Holy Roman Empire in 962....
, Louis's Provence goes to his uncle on his death.- Charles the BaldCharles the BaldCharles the Bald , Holy Roman Emperor and King of West Francia , was the youngest son of the Emperor Louis the Pious by his second wife Judith.-Struggle against his brothers:He was born on 13 June 823 in Frankfurt, when his elder...
(875 – 877), also Holy Roman EmperorHoly Roman EmperorThe Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
from 875 - Louis the StammererLouis the StammererLouis the Stammerer was the King of Aquitaine and later King of West Francia. He was the eldest son of Charles the Bald and Ermentrude of Orléans. He succeeded his younger brother in Aquitaine in 866 and his father in West Francia in 877, though he was never crowned Emperor...
(877 – 879)
- Charles the Bald
- With the death of Louis, Charles' successor, Provence refused to elect his two sons and instead elected one of their own as king. Boso married ErmengardErmengard of ProvenceErmengard was the only surviving daughter of Louis II, Holy Roman Emperor. In 876, she married Boso, from the Bosonid, Count of Vienne, who declared himself King of Provence in 879....
, daughter of Louis II, to strengthen his and his son's claim.- BosoBoso of ProvenceBoso was a Frankish nobleman from the Bosonid-family, who was related to the Carolingian dynasty, who rose to become King of Provence ....
(879 – 887) - Louis the BlindLouis the BlindLouis the Blind was the king of Provence from January 11, 887, King of Italy from October 12, 900, and briefly Holy Roman Emperor, as Louis III, between 901 and 905. He was the son of Boso, the usurper king of Provence, and Ermengard, a daughter of the Emperor Louis II. Through his father, he was...
(887 – 928), also Holy Roman EmperorHoly Roman EmperorThe Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
from 901 to 905
- Boso
- Louis's kingdom did not pass to his heirs, but instead to his brother-in-law, the husband of his sister, Hugh, who had acted as his regent since 905. Hugh never used the royal title in Provence.
- HughHugh of ItalyHugh of Arles was King of Italy from 924 until his death. He was a Bosonid. During his reign, he empowered his relatives at the expense of the aristocracy and tried to establish a relationship with the Byzantine-Roman Empire...
(911 – 933)
- Hugh
- In 933, Provence ceases to be a separate kingdom as Hugh exchanged it with Rudolph II of Upper Burgundy for the Iron Crown of LombardyIron Crown of LombardyThe Iron Crown of Lombardy is both a reliquary and one of the most ancient royal insignia of Europe. The crown became one of the symbols of the Kingdom of Lombards and later of the medieval Kingdom of Italy...
, that is, rule of Italy.
Counts, within the Empire
It was in the aftermath of the death of Louis the BlindLouis the Blind
Louis the Blind was the king of Provence from January 11, 887, King of Italy from October 12, 900, and briefly Holy Roman Emperor, as Louis III, between 901 and 905. He was the son of Boso, the usurper king of Provence, and Ermengard, a daughter of the Emperor Louis II. Through his father, he was...
that Provence began to be ruled by local counts placed under the authority of a margrave. Firstly, Hugh of Arles served as duke and regent during Louis' long blindness. Secondly, Hugh gave the march of Vienne and duchy of Provence to Rudolf II of Burgundy in a treaty of 933. Rudolf was never recognised by the nobles of the country and instead appointed Hugh, Duke of Burgundy, its first margrave.
At the time, the premier counts in the region were the counts of Arles
Counts of Arles
This is a list of the counts of Arles.*Garin, or Warin, , also Guerin in French, Garí in Spanish, and Guerí in Catalan; also duke of Toulouse , margrave of Burgundy, and count of Autun, Mâcon, Chalon, Mementois, and Auxois...
and those of Avignon. From Rotbold I of Arles descended the family members of which would first bear the title comes Provinciae or "count of Provence." William I
William I of Provence
William I , called the Liberator, was Count of Provence from 968 to his abdication. In 975 or 979, he took the title of marchio or margrave. He is often considered the founder of the county of Provence...
and Rotbold II
Rotbold II of Provence
Rotbold II was the Count of Provence from 968 to his death and margrave from 993. He was the elder of two sons of Boso II of Arles and Constance, the younger being William I, who took up the title of marchio in 979 and that of dux later...
did not divide their father's domains and this indivisibility was maintained by their respective descendants. It is thus impossible to ascertain who succeeded whom in the county as various reigns overlap. The margravial title also continued in their family until it passed to Bertrand, Count of Toulouse in 1062.
First dynasty
- 961–1008 Rotbold IIRotbold II of ProvenceRotbold II was the Count of Provence from 968 to his death and margrave from 993. He was the elder of two sons of Boso II of Arles and Constance, the younger being William I, who took up the title of marchio in 979 and that of dux later...
(margrave from 993) - 968–993 William IWilliam I of ProvenceWilliam I , called the Liberator, was Count of Provence from 968 to his abdication. In 975 or 979, he took the title of marchio or margrave. He is often considered the founder of the county of Provence...
(margrave from 975) - 994–1018 William IIWilliam II of ProvenceWilliam II , called the Pious, was the Count of Provence, succeeded his father, William I, on the latter's retirement to a monastery just before his death in late 993. He did not succeed in the margravial title, which went to his uncle Rotbold II...
- 1008–1014 Rotbold IIIRotbold III of ProvenceRotbold III was the Count and Margrave of Provence from 1005 to his death. He was the only son of Rotbold II and Emilde, daughter of Stephen, Viscount of Gévaudan. He inherited all his father's titles on his death in 1008...
(also margrave) - 1014–1037 William IIIWilliam III of ProvenceWilliam III was the Count and Margrave of Provence from 1014 to his death. He inherited his titles from his father Rotbold III....
(also margrave) - 1037–1062 EmmaEmma of ProvenceEmma was the daughter of Rotbold III of Provence and Ermengarda. She inherited the title Margrave of Provence from her elder brother William III in 1037 and married William III of Toulouse.With William, she had four children:...
(also margravine) - 1018–1030 William IVWilliam IV of ProvenceWilliam IV was the Count of Provence from 1018 to his death. He was a son of William II, whom he succeeded, and a co-count with his brothers Fulk and Geoffrey. He appears in many charters of his mother, Gerberga, who acted as his regent until 1019. He was the eldest amongst his siblings and he...
- 1018–1051 Fulk BertrandFulk Bertrand of ProvenceFulk Bertrand I was the joint Count of Provence with his elder brother William IV from 1018 and with his younger brother Geoffrey I from at least 1032 if not earlier. After William's death, Fulk assumed the title of margrave, indicating headship of the dynasty...
- 1032–1062 Geoffrey IGeoffrey I of ProvenceGeoffrey I or Josfred was the joint Count of Provence with his elder brothers William IV and Fulk from 1018 to his death. He was the third son of William II of Provence and Gerberga of Mâcon and a scion of the younger line of the family...
- 1051–1094 William BertrandWilliam Bertrand of ProvenceWilliam Bertrand , known as William V or Bertrand I or II, was the count and margrave of Provence from 1051 to his death...
- 1063–1067 Geoffrey IIGeoffrey II of ProvenceGeoffrey II was the first count of Forcalquier following the death of his father Fulk Bertrand in 1062. His elder brother Bertrand II inherited Provence, but not the title of margrave. Geoffrey himself is often counted amongst the co-counts of Provence of the era...
- 1063–1093 Bertrand IIBertrand II of ProvenceWilliam VI Bertrand II was count of Provence following the death of his father Fulk Bertrand, though he is not mentioned until the next year . Fulk was either the eldest or second eldest son of Geoffrey....
- 1093–1112 GerbergaGerberga of ProvenceGerberga was the Countess of Provence from 1093 to 1112. She was a daughter of [Geoffrey I of Provence ] and a sister of Bertrand II of Provence and Matilda....
- 1112–1127 Douce I
- Gerberga died in 1112, passing the county to her daughter Douce I, whose husband, Ramon Berenguer III, Count of BarcelonaRamon Berenguer III, Count of BarcelonaRamon Berenguer III the Great was the count of Barcelona, Girona, and Ausona from 1082 , Besalú from 1111, Cerdanya from 1117, and Provence, in the Holy Roman Empire, from 1112, all until his death in Barcelona in 1131...
, thus became Ramon Berenguer I of Provence.
House of Barcelona
With a lack of success in the ReconquistaReconquista
The Reconquista was a period of almost 800 years in the Middle Ages during which several Christian kingdoms succeeded in retaking the Muslim-controlled areas of the Iberian Peninsula broadly known as Al-Andalus...
on their southern frontier, the Catalans turned towards the Mediterranean littoral and northwards. They coveted the region between the Cévennes
Cévennes
The Cévennes are a range of mountains in south-central France, covering parts of the départements of Gard, Lozère, Ardèche, and Haute-Loire.The word Cévennes comes from the Gaulish Cebenna, which was Latinized by Julius Caesar to Cevenna...
and the Rhône
Rhône River
The Rhone is one of the major rivers of Europe, rising in Switzerland and running from there through southeastern France. At Arles, near its mouth on the Mediterranean Sea, the river divides into two branches, known as the Great Rhone and the Little Rhone...
, then under the control of Toulouse. In 1112, the count of Barcelona, Ramon Berenguer III
Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona
Ramon Berenguer III the Great was the count of Barcelona, Girona, and Ausona from 1082 , Besalú from 1111, Cerdanya from 1117, and Provence, in the Holy Roman Empire, from 1112, all until his death in Barcelona in 1131...
, married the heiress of Provence, Douce, who was the daughter of the Countess Gerberga of Provence, Gévaudan
Gévaudan
Gévaudan is a historical area of France, nowadays situated in Lozère département. It took its name from the Gabali, a Gallic tribe subordinate to the Arverni.- History :...
, Carladais, and part of Rodez
Rodez
Rodez is a town and commune in southern France, in the Aveyron department, of which it is the capital. Its inhabitants are called Ruthénois.-History:Existing from at least the 5th century BC, Rodez was founded by the Celts...
. The marriage was probably taken at the urging of the church, which was then in conflict with house of Toulouse. In 1076, Count Raymond IV
Raymond IV of Toulouse
Raymond IV of Toulouse , sometimes called Raymond of St Gilles, was Count of Toulouse, Duke of Narbonne, and Margrave of Provence and one of the leaders of the First Crusade. He was a son of Pons of Toulouse and Almodis de La Marche...
was excommunicated, but he still lent his support to Aicard
Aicard, Archbishop of Arles
Aicard of Marseilles was the Archbishop of Arles from 1070 to 1080 and again from 1107 to his death.He was the son of Jaufre I, Viscount of Marseilles, and Rixendis of Millau. The vicecomital family of Marseilles were vassals of the Count of Provence and allies of the House of Baux...
, the deposed archbishop of Arles (since 1080). With the count away on the First Crusade
First Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
, the church took the opportunity to seize the balance of power in the region. This marriage effectively put Provence under Catalan control.
In 1125, Raymond's heir, Alfonso Jordan, signed a treaty whereby his family's traditional claim to the title of "Margrave of Provence" was recognised and the march of Provence was defined as the region north of the lower Durance
Durance
The Durance is a major river in south-eastern France.Its source is in the south-western Alps, in Montgenèvre ski resort near Briançon and it flows south-west through the following départements and cities:* Hautes-Alpes: Briançon, Embrun.* Alpes-de-Haute-Provence: Sisteron, Manosque.* Vaucluse:...
and on the right of the Rhône, including the castles of Beaucaire, Vallabrègues
Vallabrègues
Vallabrègues is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.-Geography:Vallabrègues is the only commune of the Gard department located on the left bank of the Rhône River...
, and Argence. The region between the Durance, the Rhône, the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, and the sea was that of the county and belonged to the house of Barcelona. Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
, Pont de Sorgues, Caumont
Caumont-sur-Durance
Caumont-sur-Durance is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
and Le Thor
Le Thor
Le Thor is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It has an attractive Romanesque church, Notre-Dame-du-Lac.-External links:*...
remained undivided.
Internally, Provence was racked by uncertainties over the rights of succession. Douce and Ramon Berenguer signed all charters jointly until her death in 1127, after which he alone appears as count in all charters until his death in 1131. At that time, Douce's younger sister, Stephanie was married to Raymond of Baux, who promptly laid claim to the inheritance of her mother, even though Provence had peacefully passed into the hands of her nephew, Berenguer Ramon I
Berenguer Ramon I, Count of Provence
Berengar Raymond I was the count of Provence . The younger son of Raymond Berengar III, count of Barcelona, and Douce of Provence. While his older brother Raymond Berengar received Barcelona , he received Provence .He married Beatrice, heiress of Melgueil...
.
- 1112–1131 Ramon Berenguer I the GreatRamon Berenguer III, Count of BarcelonaRamon Berenguer III the Great was the count of Barcelona, Girona, and Ausona from 1082 , Besalú from 1111, Cerdanya from 1117, and Provence, in the Holy Roman Empire, from 1112, all until his death in Barcelona in 1131...
- 1131–1144 Berenguer Ramon IBerenguer Ramon I, Count of ProvenceBerengar Raymond I was the count of Provence . The younger son of Raymond Berengar III, count of Barcelona, and Douce of Provence. While his older brother Raymond Berengar received Barcelona , he received Provence .He married Beatrice, heiress of Melgueil...
, son of previous - 1144–1166 Ramon Berenguer IIRamon Berenguer II, Count of ProvenceRamon Berenguer II was the count of Provence from 1144 to his death. His uncle, Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona, was the regent until 1157....
, son of previous- 1144–1157 Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of BarcelonaRamon Berenguer IV, Count of BarcelonaRamon Berenguer IV , sometimes called the Holy, was the Count of Barcelona who effected the union between the Kingdom of Aragon and the Principality of Catalonia into the Crown of Aragon....
, as regentRegentA regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
(Ramon Berenguer III)
- 1144–1157 Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of Barcelona
- 1166–1167 Douce II, daughter of previous
- 1167–1173 Alfonso I the ChasteAlfonso II of AragonAlfonso II or Alfons I ; Huesca, 1-25 March 1157 – 25 April 1196), called the Chaste or the Troubadour, was the King of Aragon and Count of Barcelona from 1164 until his death. He was the son of Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona and Petronilla of Aragon and the first King of Aragon who was...
, son of Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona, kept the title until his death in 1196
- The County of Forcalquier was incorporated into the domains of Alfonso II upon his marriage with Gersande de ForcalquierGarsenda of ForcalquierGarsenda or Garsende de Sabran was the Countess of Provence as the wife of Alfonso II from 1193 and the Countess of Forcalquier in her own right from 1209. She brought Forcalquier to the House of Barcelona and united it to Provence...
(1193).- 1173–1181 Ramon Berenguer III (IV)Ramon Berenguer III, Count of ProvenceRamon Berenguer III was the count of Cerdanya , as Peter, and count of Provence .He was the second son of Raymond Berengar IV of Barcelona and Petronilla of Aragon. He received Cerdanya, including Carcassonne and Narbonne, on his father's death, but relinquished it to his younger brother Sancho in...
, son of Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona - 1181–1185 SanchoSancho, Count of ProvenceSancho was the count of Cerdanya from 1168, Provence from 1181 to 1185, and Roussillon from 1185. He was the youngest son of Count Raymond Berengar IV of Barcelona and Queen regnant Petronilla of Aragón....
, son of Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona - 1185–1209 Alfonso IIAlfonso II, Count of ProvenceAlfonso II was the second son of Alfonso II of Aragon and Sancha of Castile. His father transferred the County of Provence from his uncle Sancho to him in 1185. Alfonso II was born in Barcelona....
, son of Alfonso I - 1209–1245 Ramon Berenguer IV (V)Ramon Berenguer IV, Count of ProvenceRamon Berenguer IV , Count of Provence and Forcalquier, was the son of Alfonso II of Provence and Garsenda of Sabran, heiress of Forcalquier. After his father's death , Ramon was imprisoned in the castle of Monzón, in Aragon until he was able to escape in 1219 and claim his inheritance. He was a...
, son of previous - 1245–1267 BeatriceBeatrice of ProvenceBeatrice of Provence , was a countess regnant of Provence. She was also a Queen consort of Sicily by marriage to King Charles I of Sicily....
, daughter of previous, married to Charles of Anjou
- 1173–1181 Ramon Berenguer III (IV)
- Ramon Berenguer IV left no male heirs, so he left the counties of Provence and Forcalquier to his fourth daughter, Beatrice, and her husband, Charles of Anjou.
Capetian Angevin dynasty
- 1246-1285 Charles ICharles I of SicilyCharles I , known also as Charles of Anjou, was the King of Sicily by conquest from 1266, though he had received it as a papal grant in 1262 and was expelled from the island in the aftermath of the Sicilian Vespers of 1282...
, Count of AnjouAnjouAnjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
, Maine, Provence and Forcalquier (1246), King of NaplesKingdom of NaplesThe Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
, SicilySicilySicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
(1266) and Jerusalem (1277). - 1285-1309 Charles II of NaplesCharles II of NaplesCharles II, known as "the Lame" was King of Naples, King of Albania, Prince of Salerno, Prince of Achaea and Count of Anjou.-Biography:...
the Lame, King of NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and (nominal) Jerusalem and Sicily, son of Charles I - 1309-1343 Robert of NaplesRobert of NaplesRobert of Anjou , known as Robert the Wise was King of Naples, titular King of Jerusalem and Count of Provence and Forcalquier from 1309 to 1343, the central figure of Italian politics of his time. He was the third but eldest surviving son of King Charles II of Naples the Lame and Maria of Hungary...
the Wise, Duke of CalabriaCalabriaCalabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
(1296–1309), King of Naples and (nominal) Jerusalem and Sicily (1309), son of Charles II - 1343-1382 Joan I of NaplesJoan I of NaplesJoan I , born Joanna of Anjou, was Queen of Naples from 1343 until her death. She was also Countess of Provence and Forcalquier, Queen consort of Majorca and titular Queen of Jerusalem and Sicily 1343–82, and Princess of Achaea 1373/5–81....
also known as Jeanne d'Anjou, Queen of Naples and (nominal) Jerusalem and Sicily (1343–1381)
- Queen Joan died heirless, leaving the county to Louis I of Anjou, son of King John II of FranceJohn II of FranceJohn II , called John the Good , was the King of France from 1350 until his death. He was the second sovereign of the House of Valois and is perhaps best remembered as the king who was vanquished at the Battle of Poitiers and taken as a captive to England.The son of Philip VI and Joan the Lame,...
the Good, of the House of ValoisValois DynastyThe House of Valois was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty, succeeding the House of Capet as kings of France from 1328 to 1589...
.
Valois-Anjou dynasty
- 1382-1384 Louis I of Anjou, Count and then Duke of Anjou (1351), Duke of Calabria and Count of Maine (1356), Duke of TouraineTouraineThe Touraine is one of the traditional provinces of France. Its capital was Tours. During the political reorganization of French territory in 1790, the Touraine was divided between the departments of Indre-et-Loire, :Loir-et-Cher and Indre.-Geography:...
(1370), nominal King of Sicily (1382) - 1384-1417 Louis II of Anjou, Duke of Anjou, Calabria and Touraine, Count of Maine, nominal King of Sicily (1384), Count of Guise (1404), son of Louis I
- 1417-1434 Louis III of Anjou, Duke of Anjou and Touraine, nominal King of Sicily (1417), Duke of Calabria (1424), son of Louis II
- 1434-1480 René I of NaplesRené I of NaplesRené of Anjou , also known as René I of Naples and Good King René , was Duke of Anjou, Count of Provence , Count of Piedmont, Duke of Bar , Duke of Lorraine , King of Naples , titular King of Jerusalem...
the Good, Count of Guise (1417–1422), Duke of LorraineLorraine (province)The Duchy of Upper Lorraine was an historical duchy roughly corresponding with the present-day northeastern Lorraine region of France, including parts of modern Luxembourg and Germany. The main cities were Metz, Verdun, and the historic capital Nancy....
and BarCounts and dukes of BarBar was a historic duchy of both the Holy Roman Empire and the crown of France, though later totally incorporated with Lorraine into France in 1766. The duchy of Bar includes the "pays" of Barrois.- History :...
(1431), King of Naples and (nominal) Sicily and Jerusalem (1434–1442), Duke of Anjou and Touraine (1434), King of AragonAragonAragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
and Count of Barcelona (in dispute, 1466–1472), son of Louis II - 1480-1481 Charles IIICharles IV, Duke of AnjouCharles IV, Duke of Anjou, also Charles of Maine, Count of Le Maine and Guise was the son of the Angevin prince Charles of Le Maine, Count of Maine, who was the youngest son of Louis II of Anjou and Yolande of Aragon, Queen of Four Kingdoms.He succeeded his father as Count of Maine, Guise, Mortain...
(V of Maine), also known as Charles of Maine, Count of Maine and Guise (1472), nephew of René I
Upon his death the heirless Charles du Maine bequeathed the counties of Provence-Forcalquier to King Louis XI of France
Louis XI of France
Louis XI , called the Prudent , was the King of France from 1461 to 1483. He was the son of Charles VII of France and Mary of Anjou, a member of the House of Valois....
. From this point, the title of Count of Provence becomes simply one of the many hereditary titles of the French monarchy. The only time the title was used following this time was by the future Louis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII , known as "the Unavoidable", was King of France and of Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815...
, who was known as the Comte de Provence until the death of his nephew Louis XVII
Louis XVII of France
Louis XVII , from birth to 1789 known as Louis-Charles, Duke of Normandy; then from 1789 to 1791 as Louis-Charles, Dauphin of France; and from 1791 to 1793 as Louis-Charles, Prince Royal of France, was the son of King Louis XVI of France and Queen Marie Antoinette...
in 1795, when he claimed the French throne.
House of Toulouse
By his marriage to Emma of Provence, daughter of Rotbold III, William III, Count of Toulouse inherited lands and castles in Provence. Emma inherited the title Margrave of Provence on her elder brother's death in 1037. Her son Pons by William III did not survive her, but her grandson did and claimed her title in opposition to the younger line of counts of Provence.- 1062–1094 William IVWilliam IV of ToulouseWilliam IV of Toulouse was Count of Toulouse, Margrave of Provence, and Duke of Narbonne from 1061 to 1094. He succeeded his father Pons of Toulouse upon his death in 1061. His mother was Almodis de la Marche, but she was kidnapped by and subsequently married to Ramon Berenguer I, Count of...
- 1094–1105 Raymond IVRaymond IV of ToulouseRaymond IV of Toulouse , sometimes called Raymond of St Gilles, was Count of Toulouse, Duke of Narbonne, and Margrave of Provence and one of the leaders of the First Crusade. He was a son of Pons of Toulouse and Almodis de La Marche...
- 1105–1112 Bertrand
- 1119–1125 Alfonso JordanAlphonse I of ToulouseAlfonso Jordan was the Count of Tripoli from 1105 until 1109 and thereafter Count of Toulouse until his death. He was the son of Raymond IV of Toulouse by his third wife, Elvira of Castile, was born in the castle of Mont-Pelerin, Tripoli, in today's Lebanon...
To accommodate the longstanding claims of the count of Toulouse, in 1125 Provence was divided along the Durance
Durance
The Durance is a major river in south-eastern France.Its source is in the south-western Alps, in Montgenèvre ski resort near Briançon and it flows south-west through the following départements and cities:* Hautes-Alpes: Briançon, Embrun.* Alpes-de-Haute-Provence: Sisteron, Manosque.* Vaucluse:...
. Lands north of the river constituted the march of Provence, ruled by Toulouse, and south of the river was the county proper, ruled by the House of Barcelona.
- 1125–1148 Alfonso JordanAlphonse I of ToulouseAlfonso Jordan was the Count of Tripoli from 1105 until 1109 and thereafter Count of Toulouse until his death. He was the son of Raymond IV of Toulouse by his third wife, Elvira of Castile, was born in the castle of Mont-Pelerin, Tripoli, in today's Lebanon...
- 1148–1194 Raymond VRaymond V of ToulouseRaymond V was count of Toulouse from 1148 until his death in 1194.He was the son of Alphonse-Jordan. When Alphonse died in the Holy Land in 1148, the county of Toulouse passed to his son Raymond, at the time 14 years old....
- 1194–1222 Raymond VIRaymond VI of ToulouseRaymond VI was count of Toulouse and marquis of Provence from 1194 to 1222. He was also count of Melgueil from 1173 to 1190.-Early life:...
- 1222–1249 Raymond VIIRaymond VII of ToulouseRaymond VII of Saint-Gilles was Count of Toulouse, Duke of Narbonne and Marquis of Provence from 1222 until his death. He was the son of Raymond VI of Toulouse and Joan of England...
- 1249–1271 Joan
- Joan married Alfonso of PoitouAlphonse of ToulouseAlfonso or Alphonse was the Count of Poitou from 1225 and Count of Toulouse from 1247.-Life:...
. At that point, the County of Toulouse, the Duchy of Narbonne, and the Margraviate of Provence passed to the Crown of France, by the terms of the Treaty of Meaux, 1229.
Grand seneschals
- 1480–1481 Pierre de La Jaille
- 1482–1483 Raymond de Glandevès-Faucon
- 1483 Palamède de Forbin
- 1485–1493 Aymar de Poitiers, comte de Valentinois
Governors - grand seneschals
- 1493–1503 Philippe, margrave de Hochberg
- 1504–1513 Louis d'Orléans, comte de Longueville
- 1514 Jean de Poitiers, seigneur de Saint-Vallier
- 1515–1525 René de Savoie, comte de Tende
- 1525–1566 Claude de Savoie, comte de Tende
- 1566–1572 Honoré de Savoie, comte de Tende
Grand seneschals
- 1572–1582 Jean de Pontevès, comte de Carcès
- 1582–1610 Gaspard de Pontevès, comte de Carcès
- 1610–1655 Jean de Pontevès, comte de Carcès
- 1655–1662 François de Simiane-Gordes
Governors
- 1572–1573 Gaspard de Saulx-Tavannes
- 1573–1578 Albert de Gondi, comte de Retz
- 1578–1579 François de La Baume, comte de Suze
- 1579–1586 Henri, bâtard de Valois, comte d'Angoulême
- 1586–1594 Jean-Louis de Nogaret, duc d'ÉpernonJean Louis de Nogaret de La ValetteJean Louis de Nogaret de La Valette , created Duke of Épernon, was a powerful member of the French nobility at the turn of the 17th century. He was deeply involved in plots and politics throughout his life....
- 1592–1594 Gaspard de Pontevès, comte de Carcès
- 1594–1631 Charles de Lorraine, duc de GuiseCharles, Duke of GuiseCharles de Lorraine, 4th Duke of Guise was the son of Henry I, Duke of Guise and Catherine of Cleves.-Biography:...
- 1631–1637 Nicolas de L'Hôpital, marquis de Vitry
- 1637–1653 Louis-Emmanuel de Valois, comte d'Alais
- 1653–1669 Louis de Bourbon-Vendôme, duc de MercœurLouis II de Bourbon-VendômeLouis de Bourbon , was Duke of Mercœur and later the second Duke of Vendôme, and the grandson of Henry IV of France and Gabrielle d'Estrées...
- 1669–1712 Louis-Joseph de Bourbon, duc de Vendôme
- 1712–1734 Claude-Louis-Hector, duc de VillarsClaude Louis Hector de VillarsClaude Louis Hector de Villars, Prince de Martigues, Marquis then Duc de Villars, Vicomte de Melun was the last great general of Louis XIV of France and one of the most brilliant commanders in French military history, one of only six Marshals who have been promoted to Marshal General of...
- 1734–1770 Honoré-Armand, duc de VillarsHonoré-Armand de VillarsDon Honoré Armand de Villars, 2e duc de Villars , Duke and Peer of France, Prince of Martigues, Grandee of Spain, Knight of the Golden Fleece, Viscount of Melun, Marquis of la Melle, Count of Rochemiley, was a French nobleman, soldier and politician.-Early life:He was the son of Claude Louis Hector...
- 1770–1782 Camille-Louis de Lorraine
- 1782–1790 Charles-Just de BeauvauCharles-Just de BeauvauCharles Juste de Beauvau , 2nd Prince of Beauvau , Marshal of France was a French scholar, nobleman and general...
In 1790, the French Revolution definitively ended the governorship.