Almodis de la Marche
Encyclopedia
Almodis de la Marche was the daughter of Bernard I, Count of Marche
and wife Amélie. She married Hugh V of Lusignan
around 1038 and they had two sons and one daughter:
Almodis and Hugh of Lusignan
divorced due to consanguinity
, and Hugh arranged for her to marry Count Pons of Toulouse
in 1040. Together they produced several children, including:
She was still Pons' wife in April 1053, but shortly thereafter Almodis was abducted by Ramon Berenguer I, Count of Barcelona
. He kidnapped her from Narbonne with the aid of a fleet sent north by his ally, the Muslim emir of Tortosa
. They married immediately (despite the fact both of her previous husbands were still alive) and they appear with their twin sons in a charter the next year. Pope Victor II excommunicated Almodis and Ramon for this illegal marriage until 1056. Together they produced four children:
Almodis maintained contact with her former husbands and many children, and in 1066/1067 she traveled to Toulouse for her daughter's wedding. A few years before, in 1060, Hugh V of Lusignan
had revolted against his lord, Duke William VIII of Aquitaine
, in support of Almodis' son William IV of Toulouse
. Her sons supported one another in military campaigns; Hugh VI of Lusignan
, Raymond IV of Toulouse
, and Berenguer Ramon
all took the Cross.
Her third husband Ramon had a son from a previous marriage, Pedro Ramon, who was his heir. Pedro apparently resented Almodis' influence and was concerned she was trying to replace him with her own two sons. He murdered her in October 1071. Pedro was disinherited and exiled for his crime, and fled the country. When his father died in 1076, Barcelona was split between Berenguer Ramon and Ramon Berenguer, Almodis' sons. The family history of murder did not end with Pedro Ramon, as Berenguer Ramon earned his nickname "The Fratricide
" when he killed his own twin brother.
County of Marche
The County of Marche was a medieval French county, approximately corresponding to the modern département of Creuse.Marche first appeared as a separate fief about the middle of the 10th century, when William III, Duke of Aquitaine, gave it to one of his vassals named Boso, who took the title of...
and wife Amélie. She married Hugh V of Lusignan
Hugh V of Lusignan
Hugh V , called the Fair or the Pious, was the fifth Lord of Lusignan and Lord of Couhé. He succeeded his father, Hugh IV, sometime around 1026....
around 1038 and they had two sons and one daughter:
- Hugh VI of LusignanHugh VI of LusignanHugh VI , called the Devil, was the Lord of Lusignan and Count of La Marche , the son and successor of Hugh V of Lusignan and Almodis de la Marche. He participated in the Crusade of 1101....
(c. 1039-1101) - Jordan de Lusignan
- Mélisende de Lusignan (b. bef. 1055), married before 1074 to Simon I "l'Archevêque", Vidame de Parthenay
Almodis and Hugh of Lusignan
Lusignan
The Lusignan family originated in Poitou near Lusignan in western France in the early 10th century. By the end of the 11th century, they had risen to become the most prominent petty lords in the region from their castle at Lusignan...
divorced due to consanguinity
Consanguinity
Consanguinity refers to the property of being from the same kinship as another person. In that respect, consanguinity is the quality of being descended from the same ancestor as another person...
, and Hugh arranged for her to marry Count Pons of Toulouse
Pons of Toulouse
Pons William was the Count of Toulouse from 1037. He was the eldest son and successor of William III Taillefer and Emma of Provence. He thus inherited the title marchio Provincæ. He is known to have owned many allods and he relied on Roman, Salic, and Gothic law.Already in 1030, he possessed a...
in 1040. Together they produced several children, including:
- William IV of ToulouseWilliam IV of ToulouseWilliam IV of Toulouse was Count of Toulouse, Margrave of Provence, and Duke of Narbonne from 1061 to 1094. He succeeded his father Pons of Toulouse upon his death in 1061. His mother was Almodis de la Marche, but she was kidnapped by and subsequently married to Ramon Berenguer I, Count of...
- Raymond IV of ToulouseRaymond IV of ToulouseRaymond 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...
- Hugh, Abbot of Saint-GillesSaint-GillesSaint-Gilles is the name of several places, most of them named after Saint Giles.-Belgium:* Saint-Gilles is the French name for a municipality in the bilingual Brussels-Capital Region...
- Almodis of Toulouse, married Count Pierre of Melgueil
She was still Pons' wife in April 1053, but shortly thereafter Almodis was abducted by Ramon Berenguer I, Count of Barcelona
Ramon Berenguer I, Count of Barcelona
Ramon Berenguer I the Old was Count of Barcelona in 1035–1076. He promulgated the earliest versions of a written code of Catalan law, the Usages of Barcelona....
. He kidnapped her from Narbonne with the aid of a fleet sent north by his ally, the Muslim emir of Tortosa
Tortosa
-External links:* *** * * *...
. They married immediately (despite the fact both of her previous husbands were still alive) and they appear with their twin sons in a charter the next year. Pope Victor II excommunicated Almodis and Ramon for this illegal marriage until 1056. Together they produced four children:
- Berenguer Ramon II, Count of BarcelonaBerenguer Ramon II, Count of BarcelonaBerenguer Ramon II the Fratricide was Count of Barcelona from 1076 to 1097. He was the son of Ramon Berenguer I, and initially ruled jointly with his twin brother Ramon Berenguer II....
- Ramon Berenguer II, Count of BarcelonaRamon Berenguer II, Count of BarcelonaRamon Berenguer II the Towhead or Cap de estopes was Count of Barcelona from 1076 until his death...
- Agnes of Barcelona, married Count Guigues II of Albon
- Sancha of Barcelona, married Count Guillermo Ramon I of Cerdagne
Almodis maintained contact with her former husbands and many children, and in 1066/1067 she traveled to Toulouse for her daughter's wedding. A few years before, in 1060, Hugh V of Lusignan
Hugh V of Lusignan
Hugh V , called the Fair or the Pious, was the fifth Lord of Lusignan and Lord of Couhé. He succeeded his father, Hugh IV, sometime around 1026....
had revolted against his lord, Duke William VIII of Aquitaine
William VIII of Aquitaine
William VIII , born Guy-Geoffrey , was duke of Gascony , and then duke of Aquitaine and count of Poitiers between 1058 and 1086, succeeding his brother William VII ....
, in support of Almodis' son William IV of Toulouse
William IV of Toulouse
William IV of Toulouse was Count of Toulouse, Margrave of Provence, and Duke of Narbonne from 1061 to 1094. He succeeded his father Pons of Toulouse upon his death in 1061. His mother was Almodis de la Marche, but she was kidnapped by and subsequently married to Ramon Berenguer I, Count of...
. Her sons supported one another in military campaigns; Hugh VI of Lusignan
Hugh VI of Lusignan
Hugh VI , called the Devil, was the Lord of Lusignan and Count of La Marche , the son and successor of Hugh V of Lusignan and Almodis de la Marche. He participated in the Crusade of 1101....
, 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...
, and Berenguer Ramon
Berenguer Ramon II, Count of Barcelona
Berenguer Ramon II the Fratricide was Count of Barcelona from 1076 to 1097. He was the son of Ramon Berenguer I, and initially ruled jointly with his twin brother Ramon Berenguer II....
all took the Cross.
Fratricide
Fratricide is the act of a person killing his or her brother....
" when he killed his own twin brother.
Sources
- Chronicles of the abbey of St. Maixent (pub. 1886 by A. Richard)
- Reilly, B. F. The Conquest of Christian and Muslim Spain, 1992