Rotrou III of Perche
Encyclopedia
Rotrou III called the Great (le Grand), was the Count of Perche and Mortagne from 1099. He was a notable Crusader and a participant in the Reconquista
in eastern Spain, even ruling the city of Tudela
in Navarre
from 1123 to 1131. He is commonly credited with introducing Arabian horse
s to the Perche, giving rise to the Percheron
breed. By his creation of a monastery at La Trappe
in memory of his wife, Matilda
, daughter of Henry I of England
, in 1122 he also laid the foundations of the later Trappists
, famous for their beer
.
, travelling with the army of Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy
. What influenced Rotrou in this regard were probably familial connexions. He was related to the Anglo-Norman aristocracy and the Perche was a march (border region) in southern Normandy. A sister was married to Raymond of Turenne, who was a fellow Crusader in the following of Raymond IV of Toulouse
. His mother, Beatrix, was a sister of Ebles II of Roucy
, who had campaigned in Spain in 1073, and Felicia
, who married Sancho Ramírez, King of Aragon. A religious motivation cannot be discounted.
According to the Chanson d'Antioche
, Rotrou was under the command of Bohemond of Taranto during the Siege of Antioch
, and was one of the first to go over the city's walls through scaling ladders on 3 June 1098. When the Crusaders had to confront a Seljuk
relief force two weeks later in open battle, Rotrou was one of the front line commanders. He fulfilled his vow and made it all the way to Jerusalem. The Chanson also mentions his bravery at the Battle of Nicaea
.
In 1107, Rotrou built a castle on land held partly allodially and partly in lordship by Hugh II of Le Puiset
, thus challenging Hugh's rights to the estate. Since Pope Urban II
had taken Crusaders' “houses, families, and all their goods into the protection of Saint Peter and the Roman church”, and both Hugh and Rotrou were veterans of the First Crusade, the dispute was intractable. Bishop and lawyer Ivo of Chartres
could not resolve it, since it involved a judicial duel, over which the church was not allowed to preside, and so remitted it to the court of the County of Blois. There Hugh lost, but in the violence that followed his tenant, who held the land from him as a fief, was captured by Rotrou's men. The reigning pope, Paschal II, who was in Chartres in April, sent the case back to Ivo, who complained in a letter that since “this law of the Church protecting the goods of knights going to Jerusalem was new. . . they did not know whether the protection applied only to their properties or also applied to their fortifications.” Rotrou denied that the case had anything to do with the novel canon law.
, a foundation of his family's and the location of his father tomb. There he asked to become a confrater (brother) of the Abbey of Cluny, Nogent's mother house, and to show his sincerity and prove the fulfillment of his Crusading vow he placed a charter confirming his predecessors' donations to the abbey and the palm frond brought back from Jerusalem on the altar.
Rotrou’s position in the Duchy of Normandy
was that of defender of the frontier with the Île-de-France
. His position was probably enhanced by his participation in the First Crusade. Whereas his father had only held the title of viscount
, Rotrou is usually called a count. In the war between Henry I of England
and Robert Curthose, Rotrou sided with the former and was an important figure in Henry’s administration of the duchy after the capture of Robert at Tinchebrai in 1106. Rotrou was a direct vassal of Henry in England, where he held fiefs jure uxoris, in right of his wife, the king's daughter Matilda. He was not often in England, but is purported to have been close to his wife.
, then King of Aragon and Navarre
, until the Aragonese plotted against them and they returned home. Since no Spanish source mentions any foreign involvement in Aragon during this time it has been speculated that the campaign originated as gossip designed to discredit Alfonso by Cluny, an ally of Alfonso’s rival, Alfonso VI of Castile
. More probably the Normans just accomplished to little to be noticed, or were perhaps sent back home without encountering any Muslims because their services were not need at the time, when Alfonso the Battler had an alliance with the taifa (faction-kingdom) of Zaragoza
. Perhaps the ‘Aragonese plot’ originated as a rumour with dissatisfied returning Normans.
After the death of his wife, eldest son and two of his nephews in the wreck of the White Ship
(1120), Rotrou returned to Spain. His parting may have been an act of penitence (perhaps he believed his sins had brought on the tragedy), or perhaps a public demonstration of grieving, since his wife was a daughter of the king, who had also lost his heir, William Adelin
, in the wreck. According to the Chronicle of San Juan de la Peña
, Rotrou took part in the conquests of Zaragoza
(1118) and Tudela
(1119), but this account has been shown to be apocryphal. Many French barons can be connected with the expedition against Zaragoza, but although his Anales de la Corona de Aragón name Rotrou as fighting under Alfonso of Aragon on several occasions, Jerónimo Zurita does not mention him by name when recording the call for transpyrenean assistance put out by the Battler. Likewise Rotrou is attested fighting for Henry I in Normandy in 1119 and so could not have had any hand in the conquest of Tudela, although the Chronicle of San Juan makes him out to be the chief conqueror and the first and independent ruler of the town. Neither is he mentioned in the charter of surrender of Tudela.
. An Aragonese charter dating to April 1123 refers to Rotrou as "count in Tudela", although it does not specifically refer to him as the ruler of the place. The Norman lord Robert Burdet, who later held the Tarragona
as a principality, may originally have fought alongside Rotrou in Normandy and then followed him to Spain c.1123. Robert is first mentioned in a charter issued by Rotrou in Spain, in which the count granted some houses in Zaragoza to a knight of his named Sabino in gratitude for his services (December 1124). There is a slightly later reference which shows that Rotrou was in control of Tudela and that he had appointed Robert to act as his alcalde
(mayor) or military commander of the citadel and one Duran Pixon to act as adminsitrator (justiciar
). This charter also affirms, against the Chronicle of San Juan, that Rotrou ruled Tudela as a vassal of Alfonso the Battler, who is called “emperor” in the document. Similar charters from February 1128 and November 1131 show that this arrangement continued for almost a decade, even though Rotrou was often absent in Normandy and Robert Burdet in Tarragona. When Alfonso granted fueros to Tudela in 1127 he also mentioned Rotrou, Robert and Duran. It has been suggested that Rotrou's rise to an important frontier post in a city in whose conquest he played no role was either recompense for the mistreatment he received in the first decade of the century or due to the deterrent effect of his private army of Normans on the neighbouring Muslims.
In the winter of 1124–25, Rotrou led an expedition against the hilltop Muslim fortress of Peña Cadiella (Benicadell), which guarded the road from Alicante
to Valencia. Since Muslim troops from Murcia
often moved up this road to Valencia, it was of great strategic importance for any planned campaign in eastern al-Andalus
. Rotrou's expedition, which had royal approval, may have been planned in conjunction with Alfonso's Andalusian expedition that took place in 1127–28. Rotrou was assisted in his endeavour by the Aragonese knights of the Confraternity of Blechite and their master, Galindo Sánchez. Rotrou returned to Normandy with his retinue in 1125, leaving Robert Burdet in command of Tudela (where he is attested in charters from 1126 through 1128). Rotrou did not participate in Alfonso's Andalusian campaign, and a rumour in Normandy claimed that Alfonso made his war out of envy for Rotrou's achievements.
Rotrou returned to Alfonso the Battler in 1130, when he was at the Siege of Bayonne
. On 26 October, from the siege, Alfonso granted the fuero previously given to Tudela to the small town of Corella
. Rotrou was one of the signatories, since the castle of Corella had been granted to him by the king in December 1128. He is last attested as ruler in Tudela with Robert as his underling in a private act of November 1131. He was still in Iberia in March 1132, when he witnessed Alfonso's grant of a fuero to the town of Asín.
.
In Iberia, Rotrou established links with García Ramírez, the future King of Navarre. García married Marguerite de l'Aigle
, daughter of Rotrou's sister Juliana and Gilbert, lord of l'Aigle
. Marguerite had by García a daughter and namesake, Margaret of Navarre, who became the queen of William I of Sicily
. During the period when she held the regency
for her son (1166–71), she raised to the chancellorship her cousin Stephen du Perche
, a younger and illegitimate son of Rotrou. She also made Gilbert
, another cousin from the Perche, count in Gravina
. This Gilbert was one of Rotrou's grandsons, although by which son is not known. Another relation, Henry of Montescaglioso, was a son of Marguerite, perhaps illegitimate.
Reconquista
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...
in eastern Spain, even ruling the city of Tudela
Tudela, Navarre
Tudela is a municipality in Spain, the second city of the autonomous community of Navarre. Its population is around 35,000. Tudela is sited in the Ebro valley. Fast trains running on two-track electrified railways serve the city and two freeways join close to it...
in Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
from 1123 to 1131. He is commonly credited with introducing Arabian horse
Arabian horse
The Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
s to the Perche, giving rise to the Percheron
Percheron
The Percheron is a breed of draft horse that originated in the Perche valley in northern France. Percherons are usually gray or black in color. They are well-muscled, and known for their intelligence and willingness to work. Although their exact origins are unknown, the ancestors of the breed were...
breed. By his creation of a monastery at La Trappe
La Trappe Abbey
La Trappe Abbey or La Grande Trappe is a monastery in Soligny-la-Trappe, Orne, France, and the house of origin of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance , Reformed Cistercians or Trappists, to whom it gave its name.-History:The site of the famous La Trappe Abbey was for centuries...
in memory of his wife, Matilda
Matilda FitzRoy, Countess of Perche
Matilda was an illegitimate daughter of King Henry I of England by a mistress named Edith. She was Countess of Perche by her marriage and drowned in the sinking of the White Ship.Matilda's maternal family are unknown...
, daughter of Henry I of England
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
, in 1122 he also laid the foundations of the later Trappists
Trappists
The Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance , or Trappists, is a Roman Catholic religious order of cloistered contemplative monks who follow the Rule of St. Benedict...
, famous for their beer
Trappist beer
A Trappist beer is a beer brewed by or under control of Trappist monks. There are a total of 174 Trappist monasteries worldwide ; only seven produce Trappist beer and are authorized to label their beers with the Authentic Trappist Product logo that indicates a compliance to the various rules of...
.
First Crusade
Rotrou took part in the First CrusadeFirst 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...
, travelling with the army of Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy
Duke of Normandy
The Duke of Normandy is the title of the reigning monarch of the British Crown Dependancies of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey. The title traces its roots to the Duchy of Normandy . Whether the reigning sovereign is a male or female, they are always titled as the "Duke of...
. What influenced Rotrou in this regard were probably familial connexions. He was related to the Anglo-Norman aristocracy and the Perche was a march (border region) in southern Normandy. A sister was married to Raymond of Turenne, who was a fellow Crusader in the following of Raymond IV of Toulouse
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...
. His mother, Beatrix, was a sister of Ebles II of Roucy
Ebles II of Roucy
Ebles II , also called Eble or Ebale, was the second Count of Roucy of the House of Montdidier. He was the son and successor of Hilduin IV of Montdidier and Alice , daughter of Ebles I of Roucy...
, who had campaigned in Spain in 1073, and Felicia
Felicia of Roucy
Felicia of Roucy was a daughter of Hilduin IV of Montdidier and his wife Alice of Roucy.She married in 1076 to Sancho Ramírez, then king of Aragon after he had divorced his first wife, Isabella of Urgell. His accession to the crown of Navarre later that year made her the first Aragonese consort to...
, who married Sancho Ramírez, King of Aragon. A religious motivation cannot be discounted.
According to the Chanson d'Antioche
Chanson d'Antioche
The Chanson d'Antioche is a chanson de geste in 9000 lines of alexandrines in stanzas called laisses, now known in a version composed about 1180 for a courtly French audience and embedded in a quasi-historical cycle of epic poems inspired by the events of 1097 – 1099, the climax of the First...
, Rotrou was under the command of Bohemond of Taranto during the Siege of Antioch
Siege of Antioch
The Siege of Antioch took place during the First Crusade in 1097 and 1098. The first siege, by the crusaders against the Muslim city, lasted from October 21, 1097, to June 2, 1098. The second siege, against the crusaders who had occupied it, lasted from June 7 to June 28, 1098.-Background:Antioch...
, and was one of the first to go over the city's walls through scaling ladders on 3 June 1098. When the Crusaders had to confront a Seljuk
Great Seljuq Empire
The Great Seljuq Empire was a medieval Persianate, Turko-Persian Sunni Muslim empire, originating from the Qynyq branch of Oghuz Turks. The Seljuq Empire controlled a vast area stretching from the Hindu Kush to eastern Anatolia and from Central Asia to the Persian Gulf...
relief force two weeks later in open battle, Rotrou was one of the front line commanders. He fulfilled his vow and made it all the way to Jerusalem. The Chanson also mentions his bravery at the Battle of Nicaea
Battle of Nicaea
The Battle of Nicaea was fought in 193 between the forces of Septimus Severus and his eastern rival, Pescennius Niger. It took place at Nicaea in Asia Minor...
.
In 1107, Rotrou built a castle on land held partly allodially and partly in lordship by Hugh II of Le Puiset
Hugh II of Le Puiset
Hugh II of Le Puiset was a crusader knight and Count of Jaffa, who revolted against King Fulk in 1134.-Arrival in the kingdom:...
, thus challenging Hugh's rights to the estate. Since Pope Urban II
Pope Urban II
Pope Urban II , born Otho de Lagery , was Pope from 12 March 1088 until his death on July 29 1099...
had taken Crusaders' “houses, families, and all their goods into the protection of Saint Peter and the Roman church”, and both Hugh and Rotrou were veterans of the First Crusade, the dispute was intractable. Bishop and lawyer Ivo of Chartres
Ivo of Chartres
Saint Ivo ' of Chartres was the Bishop of Chartres from 1090 until his death and an important canon lawyer during the Investiture Crisis....
could not resolve it, since it involved a judicial duel, over which the church was not allowed to preside, and so remitted it to the court of the County of Blois. There Hugh lost, but in the violence that followed his tenant, who held the land from him as a fief, was captured by Rotrou's men. The reigning pope, Paschal II, who was in Chartres in April, sent the case back to Ivo, who complained in a letter that since “this law of the Church protecting the goods of knights going to Jerusalem was new. . . they did not know whether the protection applied only to their properties or also applied to their fortifications.” Rotrou denied that the case had anything to do with the novel canon law.
Norman politics
During Rotrou's absence his father, Geoffrey of Mortagne, died (1099). On the first Sunday after returning to France, Rotrou paid a visit to the monastery of Nogent-le-RotrouNogent-le-Rotrou
Nogent-le-Rotrou is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.It is a sub-prefecture and is located on the Huisne River, 56 kilometres west of Chartres on the RN23 and 150 kilometres south west of Paris, to which it is linked by both rail and motorway...
, a foundation of his family's and the location of his father tomb. There he asked to become a confrater (brother) of the Abbey of Cluny, Nogent's mother house, and to show his sincerity and prove the fulfillment of his Crusading vow he placed a charter confirming his predecessors' donations to the abbey and the palm frond brought back from Jerusalem on the altar.
Rotrou’s position in the Duchy of Normandy
Duchy of Normandy
The Duchy of Normandy stems from various Danish, Norwegian, Hiberno-Norse, Orkney Viking and Anglo-Danish invasions of France in the 9th century...
was that of defender of the frontier with the Île-de-France
Île-de-France (province)
The province of Île-de-France or Isle de France is an historical province of France, and the one at the centre of power during most of French history...
. His position was probably enhanced by his participation in the First Crusade. Whereas his father had only held the title of viscount
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
, Rotrou is usually called a count. In the war between Henry I of England
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
and Robert Curthose, Rotrou sided with the former and was an important figure in Henry’s administration of the duchy after the capture of Robert at Tinchebrai in 1106. Rotrou was a direct vassal of Henry in England, where he held fiefs jure uxoris, in right of his wife, the king's daughter Matilda. He was not often in England, but is purported to have been close to his wife.
Early participation
Rotrou's actual first participation in the Reconquista dates to the first decade of the twelfth century (possibly 1104–5). He and a group of Normans are said to have fought the Muslims in the service of Alfonso the BattlerAlfonso the Battler
Alfonso I , called the Battler or the Warrior , was the king of Aragon and Navarre from 1104 until his death in 1134. He was the second son of King Sancho Ramírez and successor of his brother Peter I...
, then King of Aragon and Navarre
Kingdom of Navarre
The Kingdom of Navarre , originally the Kingdom of Pamplona, was a European kingdom which occupied lands on either side of the Pyrenees alongside the Atlantic Ocean....
, until the Aragonese plotted against them and they returned home. Since no Spanish source mentions any foreign involvement in Aragon during this time it has been speculated that the campaign originated as gossip designed to discredit Alfonso by Cluny, an ally of Alfonso’s rival, Alfonso VI of Castile
Alfonso VI of Castile
Alfonso VI , nicknamed the Brave or the Valiant, was King of León from 1065, King of Castile and de facto King of Galicia from 1072, and self-proclaimed "Emperor of all Spain". After the conquest of Toledo he was also self-proclaimed victoriosissimo rege in Toleto, et in Hispania et Gallecia...
. More probably the Normans just accomplished to little to be noticed, or were perhaps sent back home without encountering any Muslims because their services were not need at the time, when Alfonso the Battler had an alliance with the taifa (faction-kingdom) of Zaragoza
Taifa of Zaragoza
The taifa of Zaragoza was an independent Muslim state in Moorish Al-Andalus, present day eastern Spain, which was established in 1018 as one of the taifa kingdoms, which emerged in the 11th century following the destruction of the Caliphate of Córdoba in the Moorish Iberian Peninsula.During the...
. Perhaps the ‘Aragonese plot’ originated as a rumour with dissatisfied returning Normans.
After the death of his wife, eldest son and two of his nephews in the wreck of the White Ship
White Ship
The White Ship was a vessel that sank in the English Channel near the Normandy coast off Barfleur, on 25 November 1120. Only one of those aboard survived. Those who drowned included William Adelin, the only surviving legitimate son and heir of King Henry I of England...
(1120), Rotrou returned to Spain. His parting may have been an act of penitence (perhaps he believed his sins had brought on the tragedy), or perhaps a public demonstration of grieving, since his wife was a daughter of the king, who had also lost his heir, William Adelin
William Adelin
William , surnamed Adelin , was the son of Henry I of England by his wife Matilda of Scotland, and was thus heir-apparent to the throne. His early death without issue caused a succession crisis.William was born in Winchester...
, in the wreck. According to the Chronicle of San Juan de la Peña
Chronicle of San Juan de la Peña
The Chronicle of San Juan de la Peña is an Aragonese chronicle written in Latin around 1370 in the monastery of San Juan de la Peña at the behest of Peter IV of Aragon...
, Rotrou took part in the conquests of Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
(1118) and Tudela
Tudela, Navarre
Tudela is a municipality in Spain, the second city of the autonomous community of Navarre. Its population is around 35,000. Tudela is sited in the Ebro valley. Fast trains running on two-track electrified railways serve the city and two freeways join close to it...
(1119), but this account has been shown to be apocryphal. Many French barons can be connected with the expedition against Zaragoza, but although his Anales de la Corona de Aragón name Rotrou as fighting under Alfonso of Aragon on several occasions, Jerónimo Zurita does not mention him by name when recording the call for transpyrenean assistance put out by the Battler. Likewise Rotrou is attested fighting for Henry I in Normandy in 1119 and so could not have had any hand in the conquest of Tudela, although the Chronicle of San Juan makes him out to be the chief conqueror and the first and independent ruler of the town. Neither is he mentioned in the charter of surrender of Tudela.
Rule of Tudela
Rotrou was still in Normandy in 1120 when he signed the reconfirmation act of the abbey of Arcisses. Since he received land in Zaragoza after the conquest, it might be assumed that he sent either money or men to assist in the enterprise. He did not sign the city's fueros, which the nobles of southern France who had participated in its conquest did. He had arrived in Aragon by 1123, perhaps as early as 1121. His first participation was probably in the campaign against LleidaLleida
Lleida is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida, as well as the largest city in the province and it had 137,387 inhabitants , including the contiguous municipalities of Raimat and Sucs. The metro area has about 250,000 inhabitants...
. An Aragonese charter dating to April 1123 refers to Rotrou as "count in Tudela", although it does not specifically refer to him as the ruler of the place. The Norman lord Robert Burdet, who later held the Tarragona
Tarragona
Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona...
as a principality, may originally have fought alongside Rotrou in Normandy and then followed him to Spain c.1123. Robert is first mentioned in a charter issued by Rotrou in Spain, in which the count granted some houses in Zaragoza to a knight of his named Sabino in gratitude for his services (December 1124). There is a slightly later reference which shows that Rotrou was in control of Tudela and that he had appointed Robert to act as his alcalde
Alcalde
Alcalde , or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An alcalde was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo and judge of first instance of a town...
(mayor) or military commander of the citadel and one Duran Pixon to act as adminsitrator (justiciar
Justiciar
In medieval England and Ireland the Chief Justiciar was roughly equivalent to a modern Prime Minister as the monarch's chief minister. Similar positions existed on the Continent, particularly in Norman Italy. The term is the English form of the medieval Latin justiciarius or justitiarius In...
). This charter also affirms, against the Chronicle of San Juan, that Rotrou ruled Tudela as a vassal of Alfonso the Battler, who is called “emperor” in the document. Similar charters from February 1128 and November 1131 show that this arrangement continued for almost a decade, even though Rotrou was often absent in Normandy and Robert Burdet in Tarragona. When Alfonso granted fueros to Tudela in 1127 he also mentioned Rotrou, Robert and Duran. It has been suggested that Rotrou's rise to an important frontier post in a city in whose conquest he played no role was either recompense for the mistreatment he received in the first decade of the century or due to the deterrent effect of his private army of Normans on the neighbouring Muslims.
In the winter of 1124–25, Rotrou led an expedition against the hilltop Muslim fortress of Peña Cadiella (Benicadell), which guarded the road from Alicante
Alicante
Alicante or Alacant is a city in Spain, the capital of the province of Alicante and of the comarca of Alacantí, in the south of the Valencian Community. It is also a historic Mediterranean port. The population of the city of Alicante proper was 334,418, estimated , ranking as the second-largest...
to Valencia. Since Muslim troops from Murcia
Murcia
-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
often moved up this road to Valencia, it was of great strategic importance for any planned campaign in eastern al-Andalus
Al-Andalus
Al-Andalus was the Arabic name given to a nation and territorial region also commonly referred to as Moorish Iberia. The name describes parts of the Iberian Peninsula and Septimania governed by Muslims , at various times in the period between 711 and 1492, although the territorial boundaries...
. Rotrou's expedition, which had royal approval, may have been planned in conjunction with Alfonso's Andalusian expedition that took place in 1127–28. Rotrou was assisted in his endeavour by the Aragonese knights of the Confraternity of Blechite and their master, Galindo Sánchez. Rotrou returned to Normandy with his retinue in 1125, leaving Robert Burdet in command of Tudela (where he is attested in charters from 1126 through 1128). Rotrou did not participate in Alfonso's Andalusian campaign, and a rumour in Normandy claimed that Alfonso made his war out of envy for Rotrou's achievements.
Rotrou returned to Alfonso the Battler in 1130, when he was at the Siege of Bayonne
Siege of Bayonne
The Siege of Bayonne was launched by Alfonso the Battler, King of Aragon and Navarre, apparently against the Duke of Aquitaine, William X, and lasted from October 1130 to October 1131. The city of Bayonne was then a part of Aquitaine, nominally a part of France...
. On 26 October, from the siege, Alfonso granted the fuero previously given to Tudela to the small town of Corella
Corella, Spain
Corella is a town and municipality with 7,621 people , located in the province of Navarre, northern Spain, and close to Tudela. Corella is well known for its very good wine. -External links:*...
. Rotrou was one of the signatories, since the castle of Corella had been granted to him by the king in December 1128. He is last attested as ruler in Tudela with Robert as his underling in a private act of November 1131. He was still in Iberia in March 1132, when he witnessed Alfonso's grant of a fuero to the town of Asín.
Second trip to the Holy Land
Sometime before 1144, Rotrou returned to the Mideast on Crusade, one of the few north French barons to do so. On this second trip Rotrou obtained some relics which he donated to the monastery he had founded at La TrappeLa Trappe Abbey
La Trappe Abbey or La Grande Trappe is a monastery in Soligny-la-Trappe, Orne, France, and the house of origin of the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance , Reformed Cistercians or Trappists, to whom it gave its name.-History:The site of the famous La Trappe Abbey was for centuries...
.
In Iberia, Rotrou established links with García Ramírez, the future King of Navarre. García married Marguerite de l'Aigle
Marguerite de l'Aigle
Marguerite de l'Aigle was a daughter of Gilbert de l'Aigle, Seigneur de l'Aigle and his wife Juliana du Perche. She was Queen consort of Navarre, by her marriage to García Ramírez of Navarre.- Family :...
, daughter of Rotrou's sister Juliana and Gilbert, lord of l'Aigle
L'Aigle
L'Aigle is a commune in the Orne department in Basse-Normandie in north-western France.This commune used to be known as Laigle. According to Orderic Vitalis, the nest of an eagle was discovered during the construction of the castle....
. Marguerite had by García a daughter and namesake, Margaret of Navarre, who became the queen of William I of Sicily
William I of Sicily
William I , called the Bad or the Wicked, was the second king of Sicily, ruling from his father's death in 1154 to his own...
. During the period when she held the regency
Regent
A 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...
for her son (1166–71), she raised to the chancellorship her cousin Stephen du Perche
Stephen du Perche
Stephen du Perche was the chancellor of the Kingdom of Sicily and Archbishop of Palermo during the early regency of his cousin, Queen Margaret of Navarre ....
, a younger and illegitimate son of Rotrou. She also made Gilbert
Gilbert, Count of Gravina
Gilbert was a Norman Count of Gravina from 1159.He was a cousin of Margaret of Navarre, the queen of Sicily. He arrived in Sicily sometime around 1159 and, through Margaret's influence, was created Count of Gravina in Apulia immediately....
, another cousin from the Perche, count in Gravina
Gravina in Puglia
Gravina in Puglia is an Italian municipality in the Southern Italian Province of Bari, site along a river of the same name in the Western Murgia geographical area of Apulia.It is the seat of the Alta Murgia National Park....
. This Gilbert was one of Rotrou's grandsons, although by which son is not known. Another relation, Henry of Montescaglioso, was a son of Marguerite, perhaps illegitimate.