Bernat of Gothia, Count of Barcelona
Encyclopedia
Bernard II was the Count of Barcelona, Girona
and Margrave of Gothia and Septimania
from 865 to 878.
, count of Maine. He was the paternal cousin of Emeno, Count of Angoulême (839-863), who died fighting the Vikings. On his mother's side he was a nephew of Rorgon II of Maine and of the royal Chancellor
Gauzlin, Abbot
of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
.
in 864 and the death of the other rebels, king Charles the Bald
redistributed the Counties and Marches of Spain
and Languedoc
. In 864, Bernard was installed in the Counties of Auvergne and Autun
in central France
after Bernard Plantapilosa (son of Bernard of Septimania) was dispossessed of them for rebellion. At that time Auxerre
and Nevers
were given to Robert the Strong
who also received Autun in 865. In 865, Toulouse
, Limousin
, Pallars
, and Ribagorza were entrusted to Bernard, whose father Raymond
had been dispossessed by Humfrid three years before. Ermengol, count of Albi received Rouergue
, Oliba received Carcassonne
and probably Razès
.
The King however redistributed the Counties of Auvergne and Autun from Bernard of Gothia and gave him instead the more strategically important Counties of Barcelona, Ausona, Roussillon
, Narbonne
, Agde
, Béziers
, Melgueil
, and Nîmes
.
The young King
Charles the Child
, son Charles the Bald and thus grandson of Louis the Pious
, died 29 September 866 creating a crisi of succession in Aquitaine
. There were many vacancies to be filled in Aquitaine: Ranulph of Poitou, Landri of Saintonge
, Emeno of Périgord
and Angoulême, Bishop
Ralph of Bourges
, and Bernard of Auvergne were all either dead or had rebelled.
, and Saintogne, while other family members received their own newly-vacated lands: Wullfadus was named Bishop of Bourges, Effroi (who had been a rebel from 862 to 864, but was now loyal to the king) was made Count of Poitou (he however died very soon afterwards. The nominal independence of the Aquitainian kingdom was restored with the proclamation of Charles' son Louis the Stammerer
as King, although real power was retained by a Council of Nobles loyal to Charles. Upon the death of Effroi of Poitiers, the County was given to Bernard of Gothia. At this time, the County of Autun, whose Countship had been vacant since the death of Robert the Strong, was returned to Bernard Plantapilosa who had been reconciled to the king. Auvergne was given to Gari.
Towards 869, Saloman, count of Urgel, Cerdanya
, and Conflent
, died and within the year so had Otger, Count of Girona
and Besalú
. In 870, the King assigned Otger's counties to the County of Barcelona (and hence Bernard of Gothia). Saloman's titles were given to Wilfred the Hairy
, eldest son of Sunifred I. The County of Conflent was given to the second son of Sunifred, Miró the Old (the other three sons of Sunifred; Radulf, Sunifred, and Riculf however were not given any titles).
In 872, Charles the Bald gave the Government of Aquitaine to his son-in-law Boso
, Count of Lyon
and Vienne
, and showered him with titles and territories: the County of Berry
, Royal Chamberlain, and Magister Ostiariorum. However, Bernard of Gothia and Bernard of Plantapilosa were asked to assist in the government of the Empire. The County of Auvergne was also given to Plantapilosa.
Bernard of Toulouse, was compensated for not being given greater power, by being granted the lands of his enemy Oliba II in Carcassonne and Razès. Shortly after however Bernard was assassinated by a vassal of (Oliba's former ally) Bernard of Plantapilosa, in August 872. Oliba II was restored to his old possessions and Plantapilos was given Toulouse and Limousin, but Pallars and Ribagorza escaped his control.
and Italy
under the command of Boso and gave the County of Berry to Bernard of Gothia. A year later, Count Ekhard, who had many lands in Mâcon
and Chaunois, died and his domains were also added to those of Boso, who had Provence taken away but retained Italy and his own counties. Autun was given for the second time to Bernard. On October 8, 876 Bernard Plantapilosa was captured by Louis the Younger
, king of Saxony, at the Battle of Andernach
and was as a result not given any new lands.
Bishop Wullfadus died on April 1 876 and Frotario was named his successor by Charles. However Bernard opposed the elevation of the new bishop, who would have been a counterweight to the immense power and holdings which Bernard had attained. He did not take arms directly against the King, but sought to oppose the King's directions.
to fight alone.
Louis was crowned on December 8 877. Pope John VIII
invoked the Council of Troyes
to condemn the rebels for their actions against Bishop Frotario and for the taking of ecclesiastic property.
On September 11, 878, Louis dispossessed Bernard of his honours. Theodoric, his Chamberlain, was given Autun; Plantapilosa received Berry and Septimania; Wilfred the Hairy received Urgel, Cerdanya, Barcelona, Ausona, Gerona, and Besalú; and Miró the Old received Roussillon.
Bernard continued to resist in Autun until 879 after which he died.
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Count of Girona
The Counts of Girona were:*Rostany *Odilon *Bera *Rampo *Bernard I , first reign*Berengar *Bernard I , second reign*Sunifred I *Wilfred I *Odalric...
and Margrave of Gothia and 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...
from 865 to 878.
Origins
Bernard was the son of Bernard I, count of Poitou (814-844), and Bilichilde, daughter of Rorgon IRorgon I of Maine
Rorgon I or Rorico I was the first Count of Maine of the Rorgonid dynasty, which he founded. He was Count of Rennes from 819 and of Maine from 832 until his death....
, count of Maine. He was the paternal cousin of Emeno, Count of Angoulême (839-863), who died fighting the Vikings. On his mother's side he was a nephew of Rorgon II of Maine and of the royal Chancellor
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...
Gauzlin, Abbot
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Saint-Germain-des-Prés is an area of the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France, located around the church of the former Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés....
.
End of Rebellion
Bernard was loyal to Charles the Bald in the civil war that erupted in 851. After the flight of HumfridHumfrid
Humfrid was the Count of Barcelona, Girona, Empúries, Roussillon, and Narbonne from 858 to 864. He also bore the title Margrave of Gothia , as he held several frontier counties....
in 864 and the death of the other rebels, king Charles the Bald
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...
redistributed the Counties and Marches of 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...
and Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
. In 864, Bernard was installed in the Counties of Auvergne and 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:...
in central France
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...
after Bernard Plantapilosa (son of Bernard of Septimania) was dispossessed of them for rebellion. At that time Auxerre
Auxerre
Auxerre is a commune in the Bourgogne region in north-central France, between Paris and Dijon. It is the capital of the Yonne department.Auxerre's population today is about 45,000...
and Nevers
Nevers
Nevers is a commune in – and the administrative capital of – the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne region in central France...
were given to Robert the Strong
Robert the Strong
Robert IV the Strong , also known as Rutpert, was Margrave in Neustria. His family is named after him and called Robertians. He was first nominated by Charles the Bald missus dominicus in 853. Robert was the father of the kings Odo and Robert I of France. Robert was the great-grandfather of Hugh...
who also received Autun in 865. In 865, 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...
, Limousin
Limousin (province)
Limousin is one of the traditional provinces of France around the city of Limoges. Limousin lies in the foothills of the western edge of the Massif Central, with cold weather in the winter...
, Pallars
County of Pallars
The County of Pallars or Pallás was a de facto independent petty state, nominally within the Carolingian Empire and then West Francia during the ninth and tenth centuries, perhaps one of the Catalan counties, originally part of the Marca Hispanica in the ninth century...
, and Ribagorza were entrusted to Bernard, whose father Raymond
Raymond I of Toulouse
Raymond I was the Count of Limoges , Rouergue and Quercy , and Toulouse and Albi . He was the younger son of Fulcoald of Rouergue and Senegund, niece of William of Gellone through his sister Alda....
had been dispossessed by Humfrid three years before. Ermengol, count of Albi received Rouergue
Rouergue
Rouergue is a former province of France, bounded on the north by Auvergne, on the south and southwest by Languedoc, on the east by Gévaudan and on the west by Quercy...
, Oliba received Carcassonne
Carcassonne
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,...
and probably Razès
Razès
Razès is a historical area in southwestern France, in today's Aude département.Several communes of the département include Razès in their name:* Bellegarde-du-Razès* Belvèze-du-Razès* Fenouillet-du-Razès* Fonters-du-Razès...
.
The King however redistributed the Counties of Auvergne and Autun from Bernard of Gothia and gave him instead the more strategically important Counties of Barcelona, Ausona, Roussillon
County of Roussillon
The County of Roussillon was one of the Catalan counties in the Marca Hispanica during the Middle Ages. The rulers of the county were the Counts of Roussillon, whose interests lay both north and south of the Pyrenees.-Visigothic county:...
, Narbonne
Viscount of Narbonne
The Viscount of Narbonne was the secular ruler of Narbonne in the Middle Ages. Narbonne had been the capital of the Visigoth province of Septimania, until the eighth century, after which it became the Carolingian Viscounty of Narbonne. Narbonne was nominally subject to the Carolingian Counts of...
, 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, and 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 young King
Duke of Aquitaine
The Duke of Aquitaine ruled the historical region of Aquitaine under the supremacy of Frankish, English and later French kings....
Charles the Child
Charles the Child
Charles the Child was the King of Aquitaine from October 855 until his death in 866...
, son Charles the Bald and thus grandson of 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...
, died 29 September 866 creating a crisi of succession in Aquitaine
Aquitaine
Aquitaine , archaic Guyenne/Guienne , is one of the 27 regions of France, in the south-western part of metropolitan France, along the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with Spain. It comprises the 5 departments of Dordogne, :Lot et Garonne, :Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Landes...
. There were many vacancies to be filled in Aquitaine: Ranulph of Poitou, Landri of Saintonge
Saintonge
Saintonge is a small region on the Atlantic coast of France within the département Charente-Maritime, west and south of Charente in the administrative region of Poitou-Charentes....
, Emeno of Périgord
Périgord
The Périgord is a former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current Dordogne département, now forming the northern part of the Aquitaine région. It is divided into four regions, the Périgord Noir , the Périgord Blanc , the Périgord Vert and the Périgord Pourpre...
and Angoulême, Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Ralph of Bourges
Bourges
Bourges is a city in central France on the Yèvre river. It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital of the former province of Berry.-History:...
, and Bernard of Auvergne were all either dead or had rebelled.
Government Reforms
Wulgrin, a relative of Charles the Bald was given the Counties of Angoulême, Périgord, AgenAgen
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...
, and Saintogne, while other family members received their own newly-vacated lands: Wullfadus was named Bishop of Bourges, Effroi (who had been a rebel from 862 to 864, but was now loyal to the king) was made Count of Poitou (he however died very soon afterwards. The nominal independence of the Aquitainian kingdom was restored with the proclamation of Charles' son Louis the Stammerer
Louis the Stammerer
Louis the Stammerer was the King of Aquitaine and later King of West Francia. He was the eldest son of Charles the Bald and Ermentrude of Orléans. He succeeded his younger brother in Aquitaine in 866 and his father in West Francia in 877, though he was never crowned Emperor...
as King, although real power was retained by a Council of Nobles loyal to Charles. Upon the death of Effroi of Poitiers, the County was given to Bernard of Gothia. At this time, the County of Autun, whose Countship had been vacant since the death of Robert the Strong, was returned to Bernard Plantapilosa who had been reconciled to the king. Auvergne was given to Gari.
Towards 869, Saloman, count of Urgel, Cerdanya
Cerdanya
Cerdanya is a natural comarca and historical region of the eastern Pyrenees divided between France and Spain. Historically it has been one of the counties of Catalonia....
, and Conflent
Conflent
Conflent is a historical Catalan comarca of Northern Catalonia, now part of the French Département of Pyrénées-Orientales. In the Middle Ages it comprised the County of Conflent....
, died and within the year so had Otger, Count of Girona
Girona
Girona is a city in the northeast of Catalonia, Spain at the confluence of the rivers Ter, Onyar, Galligants and Güell, with an official population of 96,236 in January 2009. It is the capital of the province of the same name and of the comarca of the Gironès...
and Besalú
Besalú
Besalú is a town in the comarca of Garrotxa, in Catalonia, Spain.The town's importance was greater in the early Middle Ages, as capital of the county of Besalú, whose territory was roughly the same size as the current comarca of Garrotxa but sometime extended as far as Corbières, Aude, in France....
. In 870, the King assigned Otger's counties to the County of Barcelona (and hence Bernard of Gothia). Saloman's titles were given to Wilfred the Hairy
Wilfred the Hairy
Wilfred or Wifred, called the Hairy, was Count of Urgell , Cerdanya , Barcelona , Girona , Besalú , and Ausona ....
, eldest son of Sunifred I. The County of Conflent was given to the second son of Sunifred, Miró the Old (the other three sons of Sunifred; Radulf, Sunifred, and Riculf however were not given any titles).
In 872, Charles the Bald gave the Government of Aquitaine to his son-in-law Boso
Boso of Provence
Boso was a Frankish nobleman from the Bosonid-family, who was related to the Carolingian dynasty, who rose to become King of Provence ....
, Count of 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....
and Vienne
Vienne
Vienne is the northernmost département of the Poitou-Charentes region of France, named after the river Vienne.- Viennese history :Vienne is one of the original 83 departments, established on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Poitou,...
, and showered him with titles and territories: the County of Berry
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
, Royal Chamberlain, and Magister Ostiariorum. However, Bernard of Gothia and Bernard of Plantapilosa were asked to assist in the government of the Empire. The County of Auvergne was also given to Plantapilosa.
Bernard of Toulouse, was compensated for not being given greater power, by being granted the lands of his enemy Oliba II in Carcassonne and Razès. Shortly after however Bernard was assassinated by a vassal of (Oliba's former ally) Bernard of Plantapilosa, in August 872. Oliba II was restored to his old possessions and Plantapilos was given Toulouse and Limousin, but Pallars and Ribagorza escaped his control.
876 Reforms
In 876 Charles the Bald reformed his government in the south of the kingdom again. He placed ProvenceProvence
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 Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
under the command of Boso and gave the County of Berry to Bernard of Gothia. A year later, Count Ekhard, who had many lands in Mâcon
Mâcon
Mâcon is a small city in central France. It is prefecture of the Saône-et-Loire department, in the region of Bourgogne, and the capital of the Mâconnais district. Mâcon is home to over 35,000 residents, called Mâconnais.-Geography:...
and Chaunois, died and his domains were also added to those of Boso, who had Provence taken away but retained Italy and his own counties. Autun was given for the second time to Bernard. On October 8, 876 Bernard Plantapilosa was captured by Louis the Younger
Louis the Younger
Louis the Younger , sometimes Louis III, was the second eldest of the three sons of Louis the German and Emma. He succeeded his father as the King of Saxony on 28 August 876 and his elder brother Carloman as King of Bavaria from 880...
, king of Saxony, at the Battle of Andernach
Battle of Andernach
The Battle of Andernach, between the followers and the opponents of King Otto I of Germany, took place at 2 October 939 in Andernach on the Rhine river and ended with a decisive defeat of the rebels and the death of their leaders....
and was as a result not given any new lands.
Bishop Wullfadus died on April 1 876 and Frotario was named his successor by Charles. However Bernard opposed the elevation of the new bishop, who would have been a counterweight to the immense power and holdings which Bernard had attained. He did not take arms directly against the King, but sought to oppose the King's directions.
877 Rebellion
877 finally saw an open rebellion with Boso, Hugh the Abbot, Bernard Plantapilosa, and Bernard of Gothia all taking up arms against the King. King Charles however died on October 6 877 in the middle of the rebellion. The death of the king did not stop the conflict. They fought Charles' appointed successor, Louis formerly King of Aquitain were he had been their overlord. Hincmar, Archbishop of Rheims, subdued Boso, Plantapilosa, and Hugh, leaving Bernard, his brother Emeno, uncle Abbot Gauzlin of Saint Denis, and other uncle Count Gosfrid of MaineMaine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
to fight alone.
Louis was crowned on December 8 877. Pope John VIII
Pope John VIII
Pope John VIII was pope from December 13, 872 to December 16, 882. He is often considered one of the ablest pontiffs of the ninth century and the last bright spot on the papacy until Leo IX two centuries later....
invoked the Council of Troyes
Troyes
Troyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...
to condemn the rebels for their actions against Bishop Frotario and for the taking of ecclesiastic property.
On September 11, 878, Louis dispossessed Bernard of his honours. Theodoric, his Chamberlain, was given Autun; Plantapilosa received Berry and Septimania; Wilfred the Hairy received Urgel, Cerdanya, Barcelona, Ausona, Gerona, and Besalú; and Miró the Old received Roussillon.
Bernard continued to resist in Autun until 879 after which he died.
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