Bernat of Septimania
Encyclopedia
Bernard of Septimania (795–844), son of William of Gellone
, was the Frankish
Duke of Septimania and Count of Barcelona from 826 to 832 and again from 835 to his execution. He was also count of Carcassonne from 837. He was appointed to succeed his fellow Frank Rampon
. During his career, he was one of the closest counsellors of the Emperor
Louis the Pious
, a leading proponent of the war against the Moors
, and opponent of the interests of the local Visigoth
ic nobility.
Bernard must have inherited land in the area around Toulouse
from which he expanded his power to become count around 826. He first attracted the attention of higher-ups by quelling the local revolt of a nobleman named Aisso
, who was perhaps a Gothic lieutenant of the deposed Bera, Count of Barcelona
. The garrisons of the castles in the area, who had been favorable to Bera, joined Aisso in a revolt against the new count. Only the castle of Roda de Ter
, in the county of Ausona, resisted and was subsequently destroyed by Aisso. From his newly-occupied territory, Aisso attacked the county of Cerdanya and the region of the Vallès
. The young count Bernard requested and received some help from the Emperor, as well as that of some local hispani (probably Gothic noblemen). To counter these reinforcements, Aiss sent his brother to request help from Abd ar-Rahman II
, Emir of Córdoba, the only potential ally powerful enough to threaten the Franks. Abd ar-Rahman sent the general Ubayd Allah Abu Marwan
to Zaragoza
in May 827, from whence he invaded the territory of Barcelona, reaching the city itself in the summer. He besieged it and ransacked its environs, but failed to take it.
When the Emperor learned of these raids, he ordered his second son, Pepin
, then King of Aquitaine, and the counts Hugh of Tours
and Matfrid of Orléans
to recruite an army against the Muslims, but recruitment was slow. By the time the army arrived, Abu Marwan had already returned to Muslim territory, taking Aisso and his followers with him (late 827).
This reprieve, seen as a victory, greatly increased Bernard's prestige. Though the ravaged county of Ausona, a dependency of Barcelona, remained depopulated into the mid-ninth century, its ruin was attributed to the late arrival of Hugh and Matfird. Both counts were dispossessed of their counties at the Assembly
of Aachen
in 828. At that assembly, Orléans was granted to Odo and Bernard's brother Gaucelm
received the fiefs
of Conflent
and Rasez. As Leibulf of Provence
had died in the spring, his vast dominions — Narbonne
, Béziers
, Agde
, Melgueil
, Nîmes
, and probably Uzès
— were assigned to Bernard. From this wide collection of honores in Septimania
, Bernard took the title "Duke of Septimania". In another assembly, at Ingelheim in June, a reprisal raid into Cordoban territory was considered, but although an army was gathered in Thionville
, it did not enter the lands controlled by Bernard as the risk of Muslim raiding seemed to have declined.
to Pavia
to wear the Iron Crown
. Louis summoned Bernard to replace his son at court, with granting him the title of camerarius or Chamberlain
and the custody of the young Charles
, then just Duke of Alsace, Alemannia
, and Rhaetia, but later destined to be King of West Francia. Bernard delegated the government of his counties to his brother Gaucelm, who thereupon took the title marchio or margrave
.
After only a few months at court, Bernard had made many enemies. Indeed, he was the prime catalyst for the revolt of Lothair the following year. Thegan of Trier
, in his Gesta Hludowici, recorded that he was accused of having an illicit relationship with Empress, Judith of Bavaria
, but considered these rumours to be lies. Nevertheless, these rumours provoked a riot in the army gathered at Rennes
to fight the Bretons
in April 830. His life under threat, as the three elder children of Louis supported the opposition against him, Bernard abandoned the court and, according to the Annales Bertiniani
, returned to Barcelona. His brother, Eribert, who had remained at court, was banished. Bernard was deprived of the county of Autun
which he had sometime before been granted.
At an assembly in Nijmegen in October 830, the Emperor recovered his authority after a brief civil war with his sons. Subsequently in another assembly, at Aachen
in February 831, he proceeded to a divide the Empire, giving Gothia to Charles, although the division would not be effective until his death. Bernard attempted to regain favour with Judith and Charles, but they avoided renewing relations with him after his fall from grace. At the Assembly of Thionville, October 831, Bernard spoke personally with the Emperor, but could not regain his previous position at court. In response, Bernard reversed his previous loyalties and side with the Emperor's enemies.
(with Vallespir
) and probably also Rasez and Conflent. By 2 February, Berenguer was already in Elna
.
Finally in the autumn, the successive victories of the imperial forces compelled Pepin and Bernard to appear before the Emperor in October. Pepin was dispossessed of his kingdom and sent as prisoner to Trier
, having ceded all his territories to his half-brother Charles. Bernard was accused of infidelity and dismissed from all his offices and dispossessed of all his honores in Septimania and Gothia, which were given to Berengar. His brother Gaucelm was probably also dispossessed, but for a time he remained in possession of the County of Empúries
, ignoring his dismissal.
, near Lyon
, where he would deliver a verdict. Berengar died unexpectedly on the way and, freed of obstacles, the Emperor gave Septimania and its counties and that of Toulouse to Bernard. The only territories not returned were Empúries and Roussillon, which had already been granted to Sunyer I
and Alaric respectively, and Urgell
and Cerdanya, which had been detached from Toulouse by the usurper Aznar I Galíndez
. Sunifred
, brother of Oliba of Carcasonne, was assigned to expel him.
Bernard returned to his domain, where the Goth population that had supported Bera and then Berengar, still opposed him. Ten complaints were presented against him at the Assembly of Quierzy-sur-Oise
in September 838. From 841, he was often absent participating in the struggles of the Empire, and the counties were administered by their respective viscount
s.
defeated their brother Lothair, who retreated to the south with his army. Bernard remained outside the battle awaiting its result, upon which he sent his son William to offer homage to Charles the Bald and to promise him that his father would obtain the submission of Pepin II
, the rebellious son of Pepin, who was claiming to rule Aquitaine. It seems that Bernard had no intention of keeping this last promise.
During Charles the Bald's campaign in Aquitaine (842), he decided to punish Bernard, dispossessing him of the county of Toulouse in favor of Acfred (July). Bernard, however, refused to accept the decision and revolted, openly allying himself to Pepin II and expelling Acfred from Toulouse (843). Charles responded by sending the dux
Guerin of Provence
, who in 842 directed the campaign in Aquitaine, against Septimania. Various other events — renewed Viking
invasions and Breton raids — compelled an end to the internal civil struggles afflicting the Empire and, in August 843, the Treaty of Verdun
was signed between the three brothers, Charles, Louis, and Lothair. Septimania and Gothia were left in the hands of Charles the Bald. The county of Uzès, where Bernat still possessed estates was assigned to Lothair. Furthermore, the county of Autun, which had long been lost to Bernard, and to which his son was renewed a claim, was given to Guerin.
In 844, Charles the Bald returned to Aquitaine with the objective of forcing Pepin II to submit and conquering Toulouse. Bernard of Septimania was captured, either by the royal forces during the assault on Toulouse or, according to French historian Pierre Andoque, the year before by the Guerin in Uzès. Andoque maintains that in 844 he was merely brought before Charles during his campaign through Aquitaine. One way or the other, in May 844 Bernard was presented to Charles, who ordered his execution.
The following month, Pepin II and Bernard's son William dealt a severe blow to Charles in the Angoumois
on 14 June. Bernard's honores were given to Sunifred, who had been tasked previously with subduing Aznar in the Aragon
.
Bernard married Dhuoda
, (Dhuoda Sanchez) possible daughter of Sancho I of Gascony
, (Sancho Loupez) on 29 June 824 in Aachen. By her he had two sons, the aforementioend William and another named Bernard Plantapilosa
.
William of Gellone
Saint William of Gellone was the second Count of Toulouse from 790 until his replacement in 811. His Occitan name is Guilhem, and he is known in French as Guillaume d'Orange, Guillaume Fierabrace, and the Marquis au court nez.He is the hero of the Chanson de Guillaume, an early chanson de geste,...
, was the Frankish
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...
Duke of Septimania and Count of Barcelona from 826 to 832 and again from 835 to his execution. He was also count of Carcassonne from 837. He was appointed to succeed his fellow Frank Rampon
Rampó, Count of Barcelona
Rampó was the second Count of Barcelona from 820 until his death.After Bera was deposed Emperor Louis the Pious gave his lands to a nobleman unconnected to the factional struggles that had developed in Gothia. He chose the Frank Rampó, who had been a faithful servant to his father Charlemagne...
. During his career, he was one of the closest counsellors of the Emperor
Carolingian 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...
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
, a leading proponent of the war against the Moors
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 opponent of the interests of the local Visigoth
Visigoth
The Visigoths were one of two main branches of the Goths, the Ostrogoths being the other. These tribes were among the Germans who spread through the late Roman Empire during the Migration Period...
ic nobility.
Title
Bernard was indisputably a count (comes) of Barcelona and several other counties over the course of his long career. He also appears in the chronicles with the title duke (dux), though the extent to which this was a military designation is obscure. He is sometimes retrospectively referred to by historians as a margrave (marchio). Here are his name and title as they appear in several primary sources:- Bernhardus comes Barcinonensis ("Bernard, Count of Barcelona")
- duce Bernhardo ("Duke Bernard")
- præfatus Bernardus ("Prefect Bernard")
- Bernhardum Barcenonensium ducem ("Bernard, Duke of Barcelona")
- Bernardus comes marcæ Hispanicæ ("Bernard, Count of the Hispanic March")
- Bernardo comiti Tolosano ("Bernard, Count of Toulouse")
Count of Barcelona
Bernard is first attested in historical records as one of four sons in a document of his father's dating to 14 December 804 dealing with the foundation of the monastery of Gellone.Bernard must have inherited land in the area around Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
from which he expanded his power to become count around 826. He first attracted the attention of higher-ups by quelling the local revolt of a nobleman named Aisso
Aissó
Ayxun ibn Sulayman ibn Yaqdhan al-Arabí better known as Ayxun or Aissó was an Islamic or a Goth nobleman who led a revolt in Barcelona, Ausona, and Girona in 826 to 827....
, who was perhaps a Gothic lieutenant of the deposed Bera, Count of Barcelona
Bera, Count of Barcelona
Bera was the first count of Barcelona from 801 until his deposition in 820.He was also the count of Girona and Besalú from 812 or 817 and count of Razès and Conflent from 790 until his deposition.-Origins:...
. The garrisons of the castles in the area, who had been favorable to Bera, joined Aisso in a revolt against the new count. Only the castle of Roda de Ter
Roda de Ter
Roda de Ter is a municipality in the comarca of Osona, province of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, near Vic, on the Ter River above the Sau Reservoir. Population: 5,435 , area: 2.18 km². Its church is dedicated to St. Peter. Main monuments: Pont Vell and the Capella del Sòl del Pont...
, in the county of Ausona, resisted and was subsequently destroyed by Aisso. From his newly-occupied territory, Aisso attacked the county of Cerdanya and the region of the Vallès
Vallès
El Vallès is a historical county in Catalonia, Spain, located in the center of the Catalan Pre-coastal range. It is nowadays represented by two separate administrative divisions which are part of the Barcelona Province, named comarques...
. The young count Bernard requested and received some help from the Emperor, as well as that of some local hispani (probably Gothic noblemen). To counter these reinforcements, Aiss sent his brother to request help from Abd ar-Rahman II
Abd ar-Rahman II
Abd ar-Rahman II was Umayyad Emir of Córdoba in the Al-Andalus from 822 until his death.He was born in Toledo, the son of Emir Al-Hakam I...
, Emir of Córdoba, the only potential ally powerful enough to threaten the Franks. Abd ar-Rahman sent the general Ubayd Allah Abu Marwan
Ubayd Allah Abu Marwan
Ubayd Allah , known as Abu Marwan , was a general in the service of Emir Abd ar-Rahman II of Córdoba. He was an uncle of the Emir Al-Hakam I....
to Zaragoza
Zaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
in May 827, from whence he invaded the territory of Barcelona, reaching the city itself in the summer. He besieged it and ransacked its environs, but failed to take it.
When the Emperor learned of these raids, he ordered his second son, Pepin
Pepin I of Aquitaine
Pepin I was King of Aquitaine.-Biography:He was the second son of Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye....
, then King of Aquitaine, and the counts Hugh of Tours
Hugh of Tours
Hugh was the count of Tours and Sens during the reigns of Charlemagne and Louis the Pious, until his disgrace in February 828. He was probably a son of Count Haicho of the House of the Etichonen....
and Matfrid of Orléans
Matfrid of Orléans
Matfrid was Count of Orléans in the reign of Emperor Louis the Pious. Historians presume that he was the first of Frankish noble clan known as the Matfridings, Matfridinger or Matfriede.-Matfrid:...
to recruite an army against the Muslims, but recruitment was slow. By the time the army arrived, Abu Marwan had already returned to Muslim territory, taking Aisso and his followers with him (late 827).
This reprieve, seen as a victory, greatly increased Bernard's prestige. Though the ravaged county of Ausona, a dependency of Barcelona, remained depopulated into the mid-ninth century, its ruin was attributed to the late arrival of Hugh and Matfird. Both counts were dispossessed of their counties at the Assembly
Legislature
A legislature is a kind of deliberative assembly with the power to pass, amend, and repeal laws. The law created by a legislature is called legislation or statutory law. In addition to enacting laws, legislatures usually have exclusive authority to raise or lower taxes and adopt the budget and...
of Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
in 828. At that assembly, Orléans was granted to Odo and Bernard's brother Gaucelm
Gaucelm
Gaucelm was a Frankish count and leading magnate in Gothia during the reign of Louis the Pious. He was initially the Count of Roussillon from about 800, but he received Empúries in 817 and was thenceforward the chief representative of imperial authority in that region.He was the son of William of...
received the fiefs
Fiefs
Fiefs may refer to:* Fiefdom* Fiefs, a commune of the Pas-de-Calais département in northern France...
of Conflent
County of Conflent
The County of Conflent or Confluent was one of the Catalan counties of the Marca Hispanica in the ninth century. Usually associated with the County of Cerdanya and the county of Razès, and was located to the west of Roussillon...
and Rasez. As Leibulf of Provence
Leibulf of Provence
Leibulf, 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...
had died in the spring, his vast dominions — Narbonne
Narbonne
Narbonne is a commune in southern France in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. It lies from Paris in the Aude department, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Once a prosperous port, it is now located about from the shores of the Mediterranean Sea...
, 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...
, Agde
Agde
Agde is a commune in the Hérault department in southern France. It is the Mediterranean port of the Canal du Midi.-Location:Agde is located on the river Hérault, 4 km from the Mediterranean Sea, and 750 km from Paris...
, Melgueil
County of Melgueil
The County of Melgueil was a fief of first the Carolingian Emperor, then the King of France, and finally the Papacy during the Middle Ages. Counts probably sat at Melgueil from the time of the Visigoths. The counts of Melgueil were also counts of Maguelonne and Substantion from at least the time...
, 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:...
, and probably Uzès
Uzès
Uzès is a commune in the Gard department in southern France.It lies about 25 km north-northeast of Nîmes.-History:Originally Ucetia, Uzès was a small Gallo-Roman oppidum, or administrative settlement. The town lies at the source of the Eure, from where a Roman aqueduct was built in the first...
— were assigned to Bernard. From this wide collection of honores in Septimania
Septimania
Septimania was the western region of the Roman province of Gallia Narbonensis that passed under the control of the Visigoths in 462, when Septimania was ceded to their king, Theodoric II. Under the Visigoths it was known as simply Gallia or Narbonensis. It corresponded roughly with the modern...
, Bernard took the title "Duke of Septimania". In another assembly, at Ingelheim in June, a reprisal raid into Cordoban territory was considered, but although an army was gathered in Thionville
Thionville
Thionville , is a commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. The city is located on the left bank of the river Moselle, opposite its suburb Yutz.-Demographics:...
, it did not enter the lands controlled by Bernard as the risk of Muslim raiding seemed to have declined.
Court career
In August 829, the Emperor sent his son LothairLothair 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...
to Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
to wear the Iron Crown
Iron Crown of Lombardy
The 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...
. Louis summoned Bernard to replace his son at court, with granting him the title of camerarius or Chamberlain
Chamberlain (office)
A chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing a household. In many countries there are ceremonial posts associated with the household of the sovereign....
and the custody of the young Charles
Charles the Bald
Charles 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...
, then just Duke of Alsace, Alemannia
Duke of Swabia
The following is a list of Dukes of Swabia in southwest Germany.Swabia was one of the five stem duchies of the medieval German kingdom, and its dukes were thus among the most powerful magnates of Germany. The most notable family to hold Swabia were the Hohenstaufen, who held it, with a brief...
, and Rhaetia, but later destined to be King of West Francia. Bernard delegated the government of his counties to his brother Gaucelm, who thereupon took the title marchio or margrave
Margrave
A margrave or margravine was a medieval hereditary nobleman with military responsibilities in a border province of a kingdom. Border provinces usually had more exposure to military incursions from the outside, compared to interior provinces, and thus a margrave usually had larger and more active...
.
After only a few months at court, Bernard had made many enemies. Indeed, he was the prime catalyst for the revolt of Lothair the following year. Thegan of Trier
Thegan of Trier
Thegan of Trier was a Frankish Roman Catholic prelate and the author of Gesta Hludowici imperatoris which is a principal source for the life of the Holy Roman Emperor Louis the Pious, the son and successor of Charlemagne.-Biography:Very little is known of Thegan's life; he appears to have come...
, in his Gesta Hludowici, recorded that he was accused of having an illicit relationship with Empress, Judith of Bavaria
Judith of Bavaria
Judith , was Duchess of Bavaria. She was the eldest daughter of Arnulf the Bad of Bavaria and Judith of Sülichgau....
, but considered these rumours to be lies. Nevertheless, these rumours provoked a riot in the army gathered at Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
to fight the Bretons
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
in April 830. His life under threat, as the three elder children of Louis supported the opposition against him, Bernard abandoned the court and, according to the Annales Bertiniani
Annales Bertiniani
Annales Bertiniani, or The Annals of St. Bertin, are late Carolingian, Frankish annals that were found in the monastery of St. Bertin, after which they are named. Their account is taken to cover the period 830-82, thus continuing the Royal Frankish Annals , from which, however, it has circulated...
, returned to Barcelona. His brother, Eribert, who had remained at court, was banished. Bernard was deprived of the county of Autun
Autun
Autun is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in Burgundy in eastern France. It was founded during the early Roman Empire as Augustodunum. Autun marks the easternmost extent of the Umayyad campaign in Europe.-Early history:...
which he had sometime before been granted.
At an assembly in Nijmegen in October 830, the Emperor recovered his authority after a brief civil war with his sons. Subsequently in another assembly, at Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
in February 831, he proceeded to a divide the Empire, giving Gothia to Charles, although the division would not be effective until his death. Bernard attempted to regain favour with Judith and Charles, but they avoided renewing relations with him after his fall from grace. At the Assembly of Thionville, October 831, Bernard spoke personally with the Emperor, but could not regain his previous position at court. In response, Bernard reversed his previous loyalties and side with the Emperor's enemies.
Civil war of 831–832
In November 831, Pepin of Aquitaine revolted against his father. While Berengar the Wise, Count of Toulouse, advised him against such a course of action, Bernard encouraged it. In early 832, Louis the Pious began the campaign against his rebellious son. Berengar, loyal to the Emperor, invaded the Bernard's honores and took RoussillonRoussillon
Roussillon is one of the historical counties of the former Principality of Catalonia, corresponding roughly to the present-day southern French département of Pyrénées-Orientales...
(with Vallespir
Vallespir
Vallespir is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, part of the French Département of Pyrénées-Orientales. The capital of the comarca is Ceret, and it borders Conflent, Rosselló, Alt Empordà, Garrotxa and Ripollès...
) and probably also Rasez and Conflent. By 2 February, Berenguer was already in Elna
Elna
Elna is a Swiss company which produces sewing machines.-External links:**...
.
Finally in the autumn, the successive victories of the imperial forces compelled Pepin and Bernard to appear before the Emperor in October. Pepin was dispossessed of his kingdom and sent as prisoner to Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
, having ceded all his territories to his half-brother Charles. Bernard was accused of infidelity and dismissed from all his offices and dispossessed of all his honores in Septimania and Gothia, which were given to Berengar. His brother Gaucelm was probably also dispossessed, but for a time he remained in possession of the County of Empúries
County of Empúries
The County of Empúries was a medieval county centred on the town of Empúries and enclosing the Catalan region of Peralada. It corresponds to the historic comarca of Empordà....
, ignoring his dismissal.
Civil war of 833–834
In 833, however, Lothair revolted. Pepin, with Bernard and Gaucelm, remained loyal to Louis and, after defeating Lothair's forces, and returning the emperor to power on 1 March 834, Bernard requested the return of his honores, citing the loss of men he had sustained for the emperor's cause. However, Berengar was still in legal possession. The Emperor hesitated over his decision, but, in June 835, he summoned Bernard and Berengar to an Assembly in CremieuxCrémieux
Crémieux may refer to:* Adolphe Crémieux, French lawyer and statesman* Hector-Jonathan Crémieux, French playwright and librettist* The residents of Crémieu, a town near Lyon, France, known as Crémieux....
, near Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, where he would deliver a verdict. Berengar died unexpectedly on the way and, freed of obstacles, the Emperor gave Septimania and its counties and that of Toulouse to Bernard. The only territories not returned were Empúries and Roussillon, which had already been granted to Sunyer I
Sunyer I of Ampurias
Sunyer I was count of Empúries and Roussillon from 834 to 841.He was the son of Count Belló I of Carcassonne....
and Alaric respectively, and Urgell
Urgell
The County of Urgell is one of the historical Catalan counties, bordering on the counties of Pallars and Cerdanya.The county was carved by the Franks out of a former section of the Mark of Toulouse when the Alt Urgell area became part of the Carolingian Empire between 785 and 790.The original...
and Cerdanya, which had been detached from Toulouse by the usurper Aznar I Galíndez
Aznar I Galíndez
Aznar Galíndez I was the Count of Aragon and Conflent from 809 and Cerdanya and Urgell from 820. Aznar has been confused with Aznar Sánchez, Duke of Gascony, and some authorities have even considered the two like-named contemporaries to be one and the same person.Aznar succeeded Aureolus as count...
. Sunifred
Sunifred I, Count of Barcelona
Sunifred was the count of many Catalan and Septimanian counties; including Ausona, Besalú, Girona, Narbonne, Agde, Béziers, Lodève, Melgueil, Cerdanya, Urgell, Conflent, and Nîmes; and Count of Barcelona from 844 to 848....
, brother of Oliba of Carcasonne, was assigned to expel him.
Bernard returned to his domain, where the Goth population that had supported Bera and then Berengar, still opposed him. Ten complaints were presented against him at the Assembly of Quierzy-sur-Oise
Quierzy-sur-Oise
Quierzy is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France, straddling the Oise River between Noyon and Chauny.-History:...
in September 838. From 841, he was often absent participating in the struggles of the Empire, and the counties were administered by their respective 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:...
s.
Reign of Charles the Bald
Bernard avoided participating in the Battle of Fontenay-en-Puisaye (25 June 841), where Charles the Bald and Louis the GermanLouis the German
Louis the German , also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian, was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Frankish Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye.He received the appellation 'Germanicus' shortly after his death in recognition of the fact...
defeated their brother Lothair, who retreated to the south with his army. Bernard remained outside the battle awaiting its result, upon which he sent his son William to offer homage to Charles the Bald and to promise him that his father would obtain the submission of Pepin II
Pepin II of Aquitaine
Pepin II, called the Younger , was King of Aquitaine from 838 as the successor upon the death of his father, Pepin I. Pepin II was eldest son of Pepin I and Ingeltrude, daughter of Theodobert, count of Madrie...
, the rebellious son of Pepin, who was claiming to rule Aquitaine. It seems that Bernard had no intention of keeping this last promise.
During Charles the Bald's campaign in Aquitaine (842), he decided to punish Bernard, dispossessing him of the county of Toulouse in favor of Acfred (July). Bernard, however, refused to accept the decision and revolted, openly allying himself to Pepin II and expelling Acfred from Toulouse (843). Charles responded by sending the dux
Dux
Dux is Latin for leader and later for Duke and its variant forms ....
Guerin of Provence
Guerin of Provence
Guerin, 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...
, who in 842 directed the campaign in Aquitaine, against Septimania. Various other events — renewed 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...
invasions and Breton raids — compelled an end to the internal civil struggles afflicting the Empire and, in August 843, 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...
was signed between the three brothers, Charles, Louis, and Lothair. Septimania and Gothia were left in the hands of Charles the Bald. The county of Uzès, where Bernat still possessed estates was assigned to Lothair. Furthermore, the county of Autun, which had long been lost to Bernard, and to which his son was renewed a claim, was given to Guerin.
In 844, Charles the Bald returned to Aquitaine with the objective of forcing Pepin II to submit and conquering Toulouse. Bernard of Septimania was captured, either by the royal forces during the assault on Toulouse or, according to French historian Pierre Andoque, the year before by the Guerin in Uzès. Andoque maintains that in 844 he was merely brought before Charles during his campaign through Aquitaine. One way or the other, in May 844 Bernard was presented to Charles, who ordered his execution.
The following month, Pepin II and Bernard's son William dealt a severe blow to Charles in the Angoumois
Angoumois
Angoumois was a county and province of France, nearly corresponding today to the Charente département. Its capital was Angoulême....
on 14 June. Bernard's honores were given to Sunifred, who had been tasked previously with subduing Aznar in the Aragon
Aragon
Aragon 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...
.
Bernard married Dhuoda
Dhuoda
Dhuoda was the author of the Liber Manualis, a handbook written for her son. Her date of birth and death are unknown but it is circa 803-843.-Life:...
, (Dhuoda Sanchez) possible daughter of Sancho I of Gascony
Sancho I of Gascony
Sancho I López or Lupus Sancho was a Duke of Gascony between the years 801 and 812....
, (Sancho Loupez) on 29 June 824 in Aachen. By her he had two sons, the aforementioend William and another named Bernard Plantapilosa
Bernard Plantapilosa
Bernard Plantapilosa , or Plantevelue, son of Bernard of Septimania and Dhuoda, was the Count of Auvergne from 872 to his death. The Emperor Charles the Fat granted him the title of Margrave of Aquitaine in 885....
.
Sources
- Lewis, Archibald R. The Development of Southern French and Catalan Society, 718–1050. University of Texas Press: Austin, 1965.
- Thomassy, R. "Critique des deux chartes de foundation de l'abbaye de Saint-Guillem-du-Désert," Bibliothèque de l'Ecole des ChartesBibliothèque de l'École des ChartesThe Bibliothèque de l'École des Chartes is a journal dedicated to the study and use of medieval manuscripts. It was founded in 1839 and continues to provide bi-annual issues with articles and abstracts in French, English, and German. Starting in 1995, one issue each year is devoted to a...
, Series 1, Volume II (Paris, 1840–1844). - Hummer, Hans J. Politics and Power in Early Medieval Europe: Alsace and the Frankish Realm 600 – 1000. Cambridge University Press: 2005.
- FlodoardFlodoard-Biography:He was born at Épernay, and educated at Reims in the cathedral school which had been established by Archbishop Fulcon .As canon of Reims, and favourite of the archbishops Herivaeus and Seulfus -Biography:He was born at Épernay, and educated at Reims in the cathedral school which had...
. Historia Remensis Ecclesiæ. III, XXVI, MGHMonumenta Germaniae HistoricaThe Monumenta Germaniae Historica is a comprehensive series of carefully edited and published sources for the study of German history from the end of the Roman Empire to 1500.The society sponsoring the series was established by the Prussian reformer Heinrich Friedrich Karl Freiherr vom...
SS XXXVI. - Thegan of TrierThegan of TrierThegan of Trier was a Frankish Roman Catholic prelate and the author of Gesta Hludowici imperatoris which is a principal source for the life of the Holy Roman Emperor Louis the Pious, the son and successor of Charlemagne.-Biography:Very little is known of Thegan's life; he appears to have come...
. Gesta Hludowici. 36, MGHMonumenta Germaniae HistoricaThe Monumenta Germaniae Historica is a comprehensive series of carefully edited and published sources for the study of German history from the end of the Roman Empire to 1500.The society sponsoring the series was established by the Prussian reformer Heinrich Friedrich Karl Freiherr vom...
SS II, p. 597. - Annales XantensesAnnales XantensesThe Annales Xantenses or Annals of Xanten are a series of annals written, probably at Lorsch for the period 832 to 852 and at Cologne for the period until 873. The Lorsch author is probably Gerward, a royal chaplain, but the continuator is unknown...
. MGHMonumenta Germaniae HistoricaThe Monumenta Germaniae Historica is a comprehensive series of carefully edited and published sources for the study of German history from the end of the Roman Empire to 1500.The society sponsoring the series was established by the Prussian reformer Heinrich Friedrich Karl Freiherr vom...
SS II, p. 227. - Annales FuldensesAnnales FuldensesThe Annales Fuldenses or Annals of Fulda are East Frankish chronicles that cover independently the period from the last years of Louis the Pious to shortly after the end of effective Carolingian rule in East Francia with the accession of the child-king, Louis III, in 900...
(Gesta quorundam regum Francorum), ed. G.H. Pertz, Annales et chronica aevi Carolini. MGHMonumenta Germaniae HistoricaThe Monumenta Germaniae Historica is a comprehensive series of carefully edited and published sources for the study of German history from the end of the Roman Empire to 1500.The society sponsoring the series was established by the Prussian reformer Heinrich Friedrich Karl Freiherr vom...
Scriptores 1. Hanover, 1826. 337-415.