William II Sánchez of Gascony
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William II Sánchez Duke of Gascony
from circa 961 at least until 996, was the younger illegitimate son of duke Sancho IV
and successor, around 961, of his childless elder brother, duke Sancho V
. He united the County of Bordeaux with the Gascony. Documents of his reign say that his grandfather came from Iberia
, lending credence to "phantasmagorical" genealogies placing the origins of García II Sánchez
across the Pyrenees
. He died in 996 or 997 and was succeeded by his son Bernard William.
Around 970, William was using only the title of count as when "Lord William Sánchez, count of the Gascons" donated land in the village of "Luco Deo" to the monastery of Saint Vincent-de-Lucq. He inherited the county of Bordeaux
from his cousin William the Good, son of his aunt Entregodis, who married one Raymond, and united it to Gascony permanently. He later carried the ducal title. Aimoin
entitled him "Count of Bordeaux and duke of all Gascony" in his biography of Abbo of Fleury
. Before 977, William also added the Agen
ais and the Bazadais
. This expansion of the duchy was probably the cause of an increase in our information about the region and its dukes after a period of obscurity lasting from the Viking
raids of the 840s.
In 977, William restored the priory of La Réole
, using the title of dux Wasconum (Duke of Gascony). He was not at that time employing the title Count of Bordeaux. He was in possession of Bordeaux by 988, when he sought the advice of the council of seniores ("lords") of Bordeaux for the restoration of the monastery of Saint-Sever
. While Gascony had long been out of the orbit of the French kings, Bordeaux had not been. With its acquisition, William began dating his charters by the reign of the king, Hugh Capet (987–96), with the clause "King Hugh reigning" (regnante rege Hugone).
During the reign of William II, his brother Gombald, the "Bishop of the Gascons", established control over all the dioceses in Gascony and eventually became Archbishop of Bordeaux. The entire Gascon church hierarchy was controlled by William's family. When William travelled to Navarre
to join the Reconquista
and combat Muslims, he left Gombald in charge in Gascony. In Navarre he acquired a wife, but was forced to return to Gascony as Viking raids became increasingly serious. He perpetrated a major defeat of the Vikings at Taller
in 982 and they vanished as a serious threat thereafter. Their permanent settlements along the Adour
were removed and they were driven back into the north, the pays de Born-Landes
.
They had three children:
William may have been the father (or uncle) of Gersenda, who married Henry I, Duke of Burgundy, and also of Toda, who married Bernard I of Besalú
.
Duke of Gascony
The Duchy of Vasconia , later known as Gascony, was a Merovingian creation: a frontier duchy on the Garonne, in the border with the rebel Basque tribes...
from circa 961 at least until 996, was the younger illegitimate son of duke Sancho IV
Sancho IV Garcés of Gascony
Sancho IV Garcés was the Duke of Gascony from 930 to his own death in 950 or 955...
and successor, around 961, of his childless elder brother, duke Sancho V
Sancho V Sánchez of Gascony
Sancho V Sánchez was briefly Duke of Gascony from the death of his father, Sancho IV, between 950 and 955 to his own death...
. He united the County of Bordeaux with the Gascony. Documents of his reign say that his grandfather came from Iberia
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
, lending credence to "phantasmagorical" genealogies placing the origins of García II Sánchez
García II Sánchez of Gascony
García II Sánchez , called the Bent, was the duke of Gascony from sometime before 887 to his death....
across the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
. He died in 996 or 997 and was succeeded by his son Bernard William.
Around 970, William was using only the title of count as when "Lord William Sánchez, count of the Gascons" donated land in the village of "Luco Deo" to the monastery of Saint Vincent-de-Lucq. He inherited the county of Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
from his cousin William the Good, son of his aunt Entregodis, who married one Raymond, and united it to Gascony permanently. He later carried the ducal title. Aimoin
Aimoin
Aimoin , French chronicler, was born at Villefranche-de-Longchat about 960, and in early life entered the monastery of Fleury, where he became a monk and passed the greater part of his life....
entitled him "Count of Bordeaux and duke of all Gascony" in his biography of Abbo of Fleury
Abbo of Fleury
Abbo of Fleury , also known as Abbon or Saint Abbo was a monk, and later abbot, of the Benedictine monastery of Fleury sur Loire near Orléans, France....
. Before 977, William also added the Agen
Agen
Agen is a commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in Aquitaine in south-western France. It lies on the river Garonne southeast of Bordeaux. It is the capital of the department.-Economy:The town has a higher level of unemployment than the national average...
ais and the Bazadais
Bazadais
The Bazadais is a French breed of beef cattle.-History:This breed comes from ancient cattle bred in Bazas, a little town in the south of Bordeaux. It is probably related to Limousin or Blonde d'Aquitaine.-Morphology:...
. This expansion of the duchy was probably the cause of an increase in our information about the region and its dukes after a period of obscurity lasting from the Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
raids of the 840s.
In 977, William restored the priory of La Réole
La Réole
La Réole is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Geography:La Réole is located on the right bank of the Garonne, southeast of Bordeaux by rail.-History:...
, using the title of dux Wasconum (Duke of Gascony). He was not at that time employing the title Count of Bordeaux. He was in possession of Bordeaux by 988, when he sought the advice of the council of seniores ("lords") of Bordeaux for the restoration of the monastery of Saint-Sever
Saint-Sever
Saint-Sever is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France.-History and geography:Saint-Sever stands on an eminence...
. While Gascony had long been out of the orbit of the French kings, Bordeaux had not been. With its acquisition, William began dating his charters by the reign of the king, Hugh Capet (987–96), with the clause "King Hugh reigning" (regnante rege Hugone).
During the reign of William II, his brother Gombald, the "Bishop of the Gascons", established control over all the dioceses in Gascony and eventually became Archbishop of Bordeaux. The entire Gascon church hierarchy was controlled by William's family. When William travelled to 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....
to join the Reconquista
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...
and combat Muslims, he left Gombald in charge in Gascony. In Navarre he acquired a wife, but was forced to return to Gascony as Viking raids became increasingly serious. He perpetrated a major defeat of the Vikings at Taller
Taller
Taller is a commune in the Landes department in Aquitaine in south-western France.William II Sánchez of Gascony perpetrated a major defeat of the Vikings at Taller in 982 and they vanished as a serious threat thereafter....
in 982 and they vanished as a serious threat thereafter. Their permanent settlements along the Adour
Adour
The Adour is a river in southwestern France. It rises in High-Bigorre , at the Col du Tourmalet, and flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Bayonne. It is long, of which the uppermost as the Adour du Tourmalet. At its final stretch, i.e...
were removed and they were driven back into the north, the pays de Born-Landes
Landes forest
The Landes forest or the Landes of Gascony , in the historic Gascony region of southwestern France now known as Aquitaine, is the largest maritime-pine forest in Europe...
.
Family
William married Urraca Garcés (died before 1008), a daughter of king García Sánchez I of Pamplona (927–70) and widow of count Fernán González of Castile.They had three children:
- Bernard, succeeded his father.
- Sancho VI, later ruled Gascony as well.
- Brisca (Prisca) married duke William V of AquitaineWilliam V of AquitaineWilliam V , called the Great , was Duke of Aquitaine and Count of Poitou from 990 until his death. He was the son and successor of William IV by his wife Emma of Blois, daughter of Theobald I of Blois. He seems to have taken after his formidable mother, who ruled Aquitaine as regent until 1004...
as his second wife and brought a claim on Gascony to the House of Poitiers, which eventually passed to them, in the person of Brisca's son Odo on the death of Sancho VI.
William may have been the father (or uncle) of Gersenda, who married Henry I, Duke of Burgundy, and also of Toda, who married Bernard I of Besalú
Bernard I of Besalú
Bernard I , called Taillefer , was the Count of Besalú in Catalonia from 988 until his death...
.
Primary sources
- Aimoin. Vita Abbonis, abbatis Floriacensis. published by J. Mabillon in Acta sanctorum ordinis sancti Benedicti. Paris, 1668–1701.
Secondary sources
- Sedycias, João. História da Língua Espanhola.
- Foundation for Medieval Genealogy: Gascony.
- Monlezun, Jean Justin. Histoire de la Gascogne. 1846.
- Collins, Roger. The Basques. Blackwell Publishing: London, 1990.
- Higounet, Charles. Bordeaux pendant le haut moyen age. Bordeaux, 1963.
- Lewis, Archibald R. The Development of Southern French and Catalan Society, 718–1050. University of Texas Press: Austin, 1965.