Vermandois
Encyclopedia
Vermandois was a French
county, that appears in the Merovingian
period. In the tenth century, it was organised around two castellan domains: St Quentin
(Aisne
) and Péronne
(Somme
). Pepin I of Vermandois, the earliest of its hereditary counts, was descended in direct male line from the emperor Charlemagne
. More famous was his grandson Herbert II (902–943), a man absolutely devoid of scruples, who considerably increased the territorial power of the house of Vermandois, and kept the lawful king of France, the unlucky Charles the Simple
, prisoner for six years. Herbert II was son of Herbert I, lord of Péronne and St Quentin, who was killed in 902 by an assassin in the pay of Baldwin II
, Count of Flanders
. His successors, Albert I
, Herbert III
, Albert II, Otto
and Herbert IV
, were not as historically significant.
In 1077, the last count of the first house of Vermandois, Herbert IV
, received the county of Valois through his wife. His son Eudes (II) the Insane was disinheredited by the council of the Barons of France. He was lord of Saint-Simon through his wife, and the county was given to his sister Adela, whose first husband was Hugh the Great
, the brother of King Philip I of France
. Hugh was one of the leaders of the First Crusade
, and died in 1102 at Tarsus
in Cilicia
. The eldest son of Hugh and Adela was count Raoul I
(c. 1120-1152), who married Petronilla of Aquitaine
, sister of the queen, Eleanor
, and had by her three children: Raoul (Rudolph) II, the Leper (count from 1152-1167); Isabelle, who possessed from 1167 to 1183 the counties of Vermandois, Valois and Amiens
conjointly with her husband, Philip, Count of Flanders
; and Eleanor. By the terms of a treaty concluded in 1186 with the king, Philip Augustus, the count of Flanders kept the county of Vermandois until his death, in 1191. At this date, a new arrangement gave Eleanor (d. 1213) a life interest in the eastern part of Vermandois, together with the title of countess of St Quentin, and the king entered immediately into possession of Peronne and its dependencies.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
county, that appears in the Merovingian
Merovingian dynasty
The Merovingians were a Salian Frankish dynasty that came to rule the Franks in a region largely corresponding to ancient Gaul from the middle of the 5th century. Their politics involved frequent civil warfare among branches of the family...
period. In the tenth century, it was organised around two castellan domains: St Quentin
Saint-Quentin, Aisne
Saint-Quentin is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France. It has been identified as the Augusta Veromanduorum of antiquity. It is named after Saint Quentin, who is said to have been martyred here in the 3rd century....
(Aisne
Aisne
Aisne is a department in the northern part of France named after the Aisne River.- History :Aisne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Île-de-France, Picardie, and Champagne.Most of the old...
) and Péronne
Péronne, Somme
Péronne is a commune of the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.It is close to where the Battles of the Somme took place during World War I...
(Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
). Pepin I of Vermandois, the earliest of its hereditary counts, was descended in direct male line from the emperor Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
. More famous was his grandson Herbert II (902–943), a man absolutely devoid of scruples, who considerably increased the territorial power of the house of Vermandois, and kept the lawful king of France, the unlucky Charles the Simple
Charles the Simple
Charles III , called the Simple or the Straightforward , was the undisputed King of France from 898 until 922 and the King of Lotharingia from 911 until 919/23...
, prisoner for six years. Herbert II was son of Herbert I, lord of Péronne and St Quentin, who was killed in 902 by an assassin in the pay of Baldwin II
Baldwin II, Count of Flanders
Baldwin II , nicknamed Calvus was the second count of Flanders. He was also hereditary abbot of St. Bertin from 892 till his death. He was the son of Baldwin I of Flanders and Judith, a daughter of Charles the Bald...
, Count of Flanders
Count of Flanders
The Count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the position by the French revolutionaries in 1790....
. His successors, Albert I
Adalbert I, Count of Vermandois
Adalbert I of Vermandois , Count of Vermandois, was the son of Herbert II of Vermandois and Hildebrante of France.-Family:...
, Herbert III
Herbert III, Count of Vermandois
Herbert III of Vermandois , Count of Vermandois, was the son of Adalbert I of Vermandois and Gerberge of Lorraine.-Family:He married Ermengard of Bar .*Adalbert II of Vermandois *Landulf, Bishop of Noyon...
, Albert II, Otto
Otto, Count of Vermandois
Otto of Vermandois , Count of Vermandois, was the son of Herbert III, Count of Vermandois and Ermengarde of Bar-sur-Seine. He succeeded in 1021 as count of Vermandois. Otto donated property to Notre-Dame de Homblières by charter.-Family and children:He married Pavia...
and Herbert IV
Herbert IV, Count of Vermandois
Herbert IV of Vermandois , Count of Vermandois, was the son of Otto of Vermandois and Pavia .-Family and children:He married Adele of Valois, daughter of Raoul III of Valois and Adele de Bar-sur-Aube, and had:...
, were not as historically significant.
In 1077, the last count of the first house of Vermandois, Herbert IV
Herbert IV, Count of Vermandois
Herbert IV of Vermandois , Count of Vermandois, was the son of Otto of Vermandois and Pavia .-Family and children:He married Adele of Valois, daughter of Raoul III of Valois and Adele de Bar-sur-Aube, and had:...
, received the county of Valois through his wife. His son Eudes (II) the Insane was disinheredited by the council of the Barons of France. He was lord of Saint-Simon through his wife, and the county was given to his sister Adela, whose first husband was Hugh the Great
Hugh of Vermandois
Hugh I , called Magnus or the Great, was a younger son of Henry I of France and Anne of Kiev and younger brother of Philip I. He was in his own right Count of Vermandois, but an ineffectual leader and soldier, great only in his boasting...
, the brother of King Philip I of France
Philip I of France
Philip I , called the Amorous, was King of France from 1060 to his death. His reign, like that of most of the early Direct Capetians, was extraordinarily long for the time...
. Hugh was one of the leaders of 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...
, and died in 1102 at Tarsus
Tarsus (city)
Tarsus is a historic city in south-central Turkey, 20 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Turkey with a population of 2.75 million...
in Cilicia
Cilicia
In antiquity, Cilicia was the south coastal region of Asia Minor, south of the central Anatolian plateau. It existed as a political entity from Hittite times into the Byzantine empire...
. The eldest son of Hugh and Adela was count Raoul I
Raoul I, Count of Vermandois
Ralph I of Vermandois , Count of Vermandois. He was son of Hugh I, Count of Vermandois, and Adelaide, Countess of Vermandois and paternal grandson of Henry I of France and while his mother had been heiress to Herbert IV of Vermandois.His only paternal uncle was Philip I of France...
(c. 1120-1152), who married Petronilla of Aquitaine
Petronilla of Aquitaine
Petronilla of Aquitaine was the daughter of William X of Aquitaine and Aenor of Châtellerault. She was the sister of Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was Queen consort of England...
, sister of the queen, Eleanor
Eleanor of Aquitaine
Eleanor of Aquitaine was one of the wealthiest and most powerful women in Western Europe during the High Middle Ages. As well as being Duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, she was queen consort of France and of England...
, and had by her three children: Raoul (Rudolph) II, the Leper (count from 1152-1167); Isabelle, who possessed from 1167 to 1183 the counties of Vermandois, Valois and Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
conjointly with her husband, Philip, Count of Flanders
Philip, Count of Flanders
Philip of Alsace was count of Flanders from 1168 to 1191. He succeeded his father Thierry of Alsace.-Count of Flanders:...
; and Eleanor. By the terms of a treaty concluded in 1186 with the king, Philip Augustus, the count of Flanders kept the county of Vermandois until his death, in 1191. At this date, a new arrangement gave Eleanor (d. 1213) a life interest in the eastern part of Vermandois, together with the title of countess of St Quentin, and the king entered immediately into possession of Peronne and its dependencies.