Baussenque Wars
Encyclopedia
The Baussenque Wars were a series of armed conflicts (1144 – 1162) between the House of Barcelona
, then ruling in Provence
, and the House of Baux
. They are held up in Provence as the idealistic resistance of one of her native families against the Catalan
"occupation." In reality, they were the first of many successful expansions of Catalan power and influence in the Mediterranean world.
and those of Barcelona for influence in the region of Provence, the succession crisis of the first ruling dynasty of the county of Provence, and the ambitions of the Baux family.
Due to a lack of success in the Reconquista
on their southern frontier, the Catalans turned towards the Mediterranean littoral and northwards. They coveted the region between the Cévennes
and the Rhône
, then under the control of Toulouse. In 1112, the count of Barcelona, Ramon Berenguer III
, married the heiress of Provence, Douce
, who was the daughter of the Countess Gerberga of Provence, Gévaudan
, Carlat
, and part of Rodez
. 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
was excommunicated, but he still lent his support to Aicard
, the deposed archbishop of Arles (since 1080). With the count away on the First Crusade
, 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
and on the right of the Rhône, including the castles of Beaucaire, Vallabrègues
, and Argence. The region between the Durance, the Rhône, the Alps
, and the sea was that of the county and belonged to the house of Barcelona. Avignon
, Pont de Sorgues, Caumont
, and Le Thor
remained undivided.
Innternally, 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
.
, Béziers
, Nîmes
. The other, supporters of Stephanie and Raymond, have the support of Toulouse, the county of Foix
, Arles
(until 1150), and even the Republic of Genoa
, to whom can be attached the attack on Melgueil in 1144, during which Berenguer Ramon died. He was succeeded in his claim by his young son Ramon Berenguer II
.
According to the historian Louis Mathieu Anibert, a man of Arles, his city appointed a consulate to prepare for the occasion of war (1131):
At the opening of the conflict, Raymond of Baux made an appeal to Conrad III
, who was technically the King of Burgundy
, though this title meant more in theory than in practice. Provence being, legally at least, a fief of the Burgundian kingdom, Raymond begged for his sovereign's recognition of the rights of Stephanie as heir to the possessions of Gerberga. By an act of 4 August 1145, with little precision of wording, Conrad validated the right of Stephanie and Raymond to their titles and granted them the power of coining money at Arles and at Trinquetaille
. The latter was a great aid to their aspirations.
Despite Conrad's proclamation, the war gained pace in 1147, generally in favour of Barcelona, for the count of Toulouse was away on the Second Crusade
. In view of his impotence, with only the backing of Arles, Raymond entered into negotiations and made submission to the house of Barcelona. He left for Spain
, where he died before the peace could be concluded. Stephanie's four sons — Hugh, William, Bertrand, and Gilbert — were recompensed for relinquishing their rights to the counties of Gerberga and a treaty was signed at Arles in 1150.
The truce did not last and Stephanie and her sons renewed the conflict in 1155 in alliance with the counts of Toulouse. Hugh achieved a diplomatic victory with his confirmation by the Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick Barbarossa, but like that of Conrad years earlier, it meant nothing to the Catalans. This second war, too, did not go differently for the house of Baux. Humiliatingly, in 1156, they were forced to relinquish the castle of Castillon and other fortified places. They did retain Baux itself and its outer defences, like the castle of Trinquetaille.
In August 1161, Ramon Berenguer travelled to Turin
with his uncle, the count of Barcelona, to obtain the confirmation of his countship in Provence from the emperor. There he met Richeza of Poland, the daughter of the exiled Polish high duke, Ladislaus II. He married her on 17 November and on the return journey, his uncle died. In 1162, open war erupted again. Baux was razed and its environs ravaged. Ramon Berenguer was recognised as victor by the chancelleries
of the Empire
, but Hugh made a last attempt to salvage victory by reminding the emperor of the two chrysobull-attended letters issued on his behalf, one of Conrad the other of Frederick himself. Barbarossa wisely kept silent about his reasons for a change of heart.
In 1166, Ramon Berenguer renewed the war with Genoa which his father had waged. He died besieging Nice
in that year.
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...
, then ruling in Provence
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...
, and the House of Baux
House of Baux
The House of Baux is a French noble family from the south of France. It was one of the most pretigious and powerful families of Medieval Provence, known as the 'Race d’Aiglon'. They were independent Lords as castellan of Les Baux and Arles and wielded very considerable authority at local level...
. They are held up in Provence as the idealistic resistance of one of her native families against the Catalan
Catalan people
The Catalans or Catalonians are the people from, or with origins in, Catalonia that form a historical nationality in Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France are sometimes included in this definition...
"occupation." In reality, they were the first of many successful expansions of Catalan power and influence in the Mediterranean world.
Causes
Three major factors played into the eruption of such a conflict: the competition between the counts of ToulouseCounts 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...
and those of Barcelona for influence in the region of Provence, the succession crisis of the first ruling dynasty of the county of Provence, and the ambitions of the Baux family.
Due to a lack of success in 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...
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
Douce I of Provence
Douce I was the daughter of Gilbert I of Gévaudan and Gerberga of Provence and wife of Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona. In 1112, she inherited the county of Provence through her mother...
, 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 :...
, Carlat
Carlat
Carlat is a commune in the Cantal department in south-central France.The "Rocher de Carlat" or rock of Carlat situated above the picturesque commune was once the site of one of the most powerful and impenetrable chateaux in all of France. It was the seat of Jacques d'Armagnac, duke of Nemours, and...
, 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.
Innternally, 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...
.
Opening moves
Resultant of these crises, the Midi was divided into two clans. The one, supporters of Berenguer Ramon, are supported by his elder brother, Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona, and the viscounts of CarcassonneCarcassonne
Carcassonne is a fortified French town in the Aude department, of which it is the prefecture, in the former province of Languedoc.It is divided into the fortified Cité de Carcassonne and the more expansive lower city, the ville basse. Carcassone was founded by the Visigoths in the fifth century,...
, Béziers
Béziers
Béziers is a town in Languedoc in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the Hérault department. Béziers hosts the famous Feria de Béziers, centred around bullfighting, every August. A million visitors are attracted to the five-day event...
, Nîmes
Nîmes
Nîmes is the capital of the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France. Nîmes has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and is a popular tourist destination.-History:...
. The other, supporters of Stephanie and Raymond, have the support of Toulouse, the county of Foix
County of Foix
The County of Foix was an independent medieval fief in southern France, and later a province of France, whose territory corresponded roughly the eastern part of the modern département of Ariège ....
, 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....
(until 1150), and even the Republic of Genoa
Republic of Genoa
The Most Serene Republic of Genoa |Ligurian]]: Repúbrica de Zêna) was an independent state from 1005 to 1797 in Liguria on the northwestern Italian coast, as well as Corsica from 1347 to 1768, and numerous other territories throughout the Mediterranean....
, to whom can be attached the attack on Melgueil in 1144, during which Berenguer Ramon died. He was succeeded in his claim by his young son Ramon Berenguer II
Ramon Berenguer II, Count of Provence
Ramon 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....
.
According to the historian Louis Mathieu Anibert, a man of Arles, his city appointed a consulate to prepare for the occasion of war (1131):
At the opening of the conflict, Raymond of Baux made an appeal to Conrad III
Conrad III of Germany
Conrad III was the first King of Germany of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. He was the son of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia, and Agnes, a daughter of the Salian Emperor Henry IV.-Life and reign:...
, who was technically the King of Burgundy
King of Burgundy
The following is a list of the Kings of the two Kingdoms of Burgundy, and a number of related political entities devolving from Carolingian machinations over family relations.- Kings of the Burgundians :...
, though this title meant more in theory than in practice. Provence being, legally at least, a fief of the Burgundian kingdom, Raymond begged for his sovereign's recognition of the rights of Stephanie as heir to the possessions of Gerberga. By an act of 4 August 1145, with little precision of wording, Conrad validated the right of Stephanie and Raymond to their titles and granted them the power of coining money at Arles and at Trinquetaille
Trinquetaille
Trinquetaille is an area in the town of Arles, in southern France. It is located in the canton of Arles-Ouest.-Geography:Trinquetaille is located on the right bank of the "Grand Rhône". This position at the top of the Rhône delta makes it part of the Camargue....
. The latter was a great aid to their aspirations.
War
The conflict itself, which had been ongoing since the succession of Berenguer Ramon, accelerated after his death. The rest of the war can be seen as three successive armed conflicts. The first began in 1144, with Berenguer Ramon's war with Genoa, and continued until an accord was signed in 1150. The second lasted a short while (1155 – 1156). The third and final war was most short-lived. It lasted less than a year and saw the house of Barcelona put away the claims of the House of Baux forever. In the end, despite the royal approval of both Conrad and subsequently his nephew, might made right.Despite Conrad's proclamation, the war gained pace in 1147, generally in favour of Barcelona, for the count of Toulouse was away on the Second Crusade
Second Crusade
The Second Crusade was the second major crusade launched from Europe. The Second Crusade was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa the previous year to the forces of Zengi. The county had been founded during the First Crusade by Baldwin of Boulogne in 1098...
. In view of his impotence, with only the backing of Arles, Raymond entered into negotiations and made submission to the house of Barcelona. He left for Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, where he died before the peace could be concluded. Stephanie's four sons — Hugh, William, Bertrand, and Gilbert — were recompensed for relinquishing their rights to the counties of Gerberga and a treaty was signed at Arles in 1150.
The truce did not last and Stephanie and her sons renewed the conflict in 1155 in alliance with the counts of Toulouse. Hugh achieved a diplomatic victory with his confirmation by the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The 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...
Frederick Barbarossa, but like that of Conrad years earlier, it meant nothing to the Catalans. This second war, too, did not go differently for the house of Baux. Humiliatingly, in 1156, they were forced to relinquish the castle of Castillon and other fortified places. They did retain Baux itself and its outer defences, like the castle of Trinquetaille.
In August 1161, Ramon Berenguer travelled to Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
with his uncle, the count of Barcelona, to obtain the confirmation of his countship in Provence from the emperor. There he met Richeza of Poland, the daughter of the exiled Polish high duke, Ladislaus II. He married her on 17 November and on the return journey, his uncle died. In 1162, open war erupted again. Baux was razed and its environs ravaged. Ramon Berenguer was recognised as victor by the chancelleries
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
of the 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...
, but Hugh made a last attempt to salvage victory by reminding the emperor of the two chrysobull-attended letters issued on his behalf, one of Conrad the other of Frederick himself. Barbarossa wisely kept silent about his reasons for a change of heart.
In 1166, Ramon Berenguer renewed the war with Genoa which his father had waged. He died besieging Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
in that year.