Gerard, Duke of Lorraine
Encyclopedia
Gerard IV, Duke of Alsace (ca. 1030 – April 14, 1070) was the count of Metz and Chatenois
from 1047/1048, when his brother Duke Adalbert
resigned them to him on becoming the Duke of Upper Lorraine. On Adalbert's death the next year, Gerard became duke and was so until his death. In contemporary documents, he is called Gerard of Alsace (after his familial homeland), Gerard of Chatenoy (after an ancestral castle near Neufchâteau
), or Gerard of Flanders (after his wife's homeland). His name is spelled Gérard in French
and Gerhard in German
.
He was the second son of Gerard de Bouzonville, count of Metz
, and Gisela, possibly a daughter of Thierry I, Duke of Upper Lorraine
. Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
, invested Adalbert with Lorraine in 1047 after confiscating it from Godfrey III
. Godfrey did not back down, however, and killed Adalbert in battle. Henry subsequently bestowed it on Gerard, but the deposed duke continued to stir. Godfrey had the support of a faction of the noblesse who did not want a strong hand at the ducal helm and Gerard was imprisoned. Gerard, however, had the support of the chiefest of his bishop
s, that of Toul
, Bruno of Eguisheim-Dagsburg (later the sainted Pope Leo IX
), who procured his liberation in 1049. The emperor gave him troops to assist him in his fight, for the rebels had the support of some elements in the church. Gerard himself remained, as his brother had, faithful to the end to the imperial dynasty and his descendants would remain so as well even into the Hohenstaufen
years.
His alliance with the church was regular but inconstant and he founded Moyenmoutier Abbey, Saint-Mihiel Abbey, and Remiremont Abbey
. The former was the abbey of Cardinal Humbert of Silva Candida
, who excommunicated the patriarch of Constantinople
, Michael I Cerularius
, in 1054, thus precipitating the Great Schism
, and the latter was his own final resting place.
On 18 June 1053, Gerard and Prince Rudolf of Benevento
led papal and Swabia
n troops into battle on behalf of Pope Leo. This was the Battle of Civitate
and it was a disastrous loss for the pope. His enemy, the Normans
, under Humphrey of Hauteville
and Richard of Aversa, defeated his allies and captured his person, taking him prisoner in Benevento. Gerard, however, returned to Lorraine.
Among his other construction projects, was that of the castle of Prény
, in the centre of the duchy, the beginnings of the capital city, Nancy. He died at Remiremont while trying to kill a revolt. Poisoning was suspected. The date of his death is either 14 April or 11 August.
He was married to Hedwige of Namur (or of Flanders), daughter of Albert II, Count of Namur, and Regelindis of Lower-Lorraine, daughter of Gothelo I, Duke of Lorraine
. This marriage helped patch up relations with the baronage. They had the following issue:
He was the patrilineal ancestor of the line of dukes which ruled Lorraine until 1737 and of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty that ruled Tuscany (1737-1859), the Holy Roman Empire (1745-1807), Austria-Hungary (1780-1918), the Duchy of Parma (1814-1847), Duchy of Modena (1815-1859), and Mexico (1864-1867).
Châtenois
Châtenois may refer to:* Châtenois, Bas-Rhin, a commune of the French region of Alsace* Châtenois, Haute-Saône, a commune of the French region of Franche-Comté* Châtenois, Jura, a commune of the French region of Franche-Comté...
from 1047/1048, when his brother Duke Adalbert
Adalbert, Duke of Lorraine
Adalbert was the Duke of Upper Lorraine from 1047 until his death. He was the first son of Gerard de Bouzonville , Count of Metz, and Gisela ....
resigned them to him on becoming the Duke of Upper Lorraine. On Adalbert's death the next year, Gerard became duke and was so until his death. In contemporary documents, he is called Gerard of Alsace (after his familial homeland), Gerard of Chatenoy (after an ancestral castle near Neufchâteau
Neufchâteau, Vosges
Neufchâteau is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.Inhabitants are called Néocastriens.-Geography:Positioned at the confluence of the Rivers Meuse and Mouzon, the little town dominates the Vosges Plain...
), or Gerard of Flanders (after his wife's homeland). His name is spelled Gérard in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and Gerhard in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
.
He was the second son of Gerard de Bouzonville, count of Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
, and Gisela, possibly a daughter of Thierry I, Duke of Upper Lorraine
Thierry I, Duke of Upper Lorraine
Theodoric I was the count of Bar and duke of Upper Lorraine from 978 to his death. He was the son and successor of Frederick I and Beatrice, daughter of Hugh the Great, count of Paris, and sister to the French king Hugh Capet.His mother was the regent until 987...
. Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry III , called the Black or the Pious, was a member of the Salian Dynasty of Holy Roman Emperors...
, invested Adalbert with Lorraine in 1047 after confiscating it from Godfrey III
Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine
Godfrey III , called the Bearded, was the eldest son of Gothelo I, duke of Upper and Lower Lorraine. By inheritance, he was count of Verdun and he became margrave of Antwerp as a vassal of the duke of Lower Lorraine...
. Godfrey did not back down, however, and killed Adalbert in battle. Henry subsequently bestowed it on Gerard, but the deposed duke continued to stir. Godfrey had the support of a faction of the noblesse who did not want a strong hand at the ducal helm and Gerard was imprisoned. Gerard, however, had the support of the chiefest of his 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...
s, that of Toul
Diocese of Toul
The Diocese of Toul was a Roman Catholic diocese seated at Toul in present-day France. It existed from 365 until 1824. From 1048 until 1552 , it was also a state of the Holy Roman Empire.- History :...
, Bruno of Eguisheim-Dagsburg (later the sainted Pope Leo IX
Pope Leo IX
Pope Saint Leo IX , born Bruno of Eguisheim-Dagsburg, was Pope from February 12, 1049 to his death. He was a German aristocrat and as well as being Pope was a powerful secular ruler of central Italy. He is regarded as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church, with the feast day of April 19...
), who procured his liberation in 1049. The emperor gave him troops to assist him in his fight, for the rebels had the support of some elements in the church. Gerard himself remained, as his brother had, faithful to the end to the imperial dynasty and his descendants would remain so as well even into the Hohenstaufen
Hohenstaufen
The House of Hohenstaufen was a dynasty of German kings in the High Middle Ages, lasting from 1138 to 1254. Three of these kings were also crowned Holy Roman Emperor. In 1194 the Hohenstaufens also became Kings of Sicily...
years.
His alliance with the church was regular but inconstant and he founded Moyenmoutier Abbey, Saint-Mihiel Abbey, and Remiremont Abbey
Remiremont Abbey
Remiremont Abbey was a Benedictine abbey near Remiremont, Vosges, France.-History:It was founded about 620 by Romaric, a lord at the court of Chlothar II, who, having been converted by Saint Ame, a monk of Luxeuil, took the habit at Luxeuil...
. The former was the abbey of Cardinal Humbert of Silva Candida
Humbert of Mourmoutiers
Humbert of Moyenmoutier was a French prelate, Roman Catholic cardinal and Benedictine oblate, given by his parents to the monastery of Moyenmoutier in Lorraine...
, who excommunicated the patriarch of Constantinople
Patriarch of Constantinople
The Ecumenical Patriarch is the Archbishop of Constantinople – New Rome – ranking as primus inter pares in the Eastern Orthodox communion, which is seen by followers as the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church....
, Michael I Cerularius
Michael I Cerularius
Michael I Cerularius , also known as Michael Keroularios or Patriarch Michael I, was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople from 1043 to 1059.-Biography:...
, in 1054, thus precipitating the Great Schism
East–West Schism
The East–West Schism of 1054, sometimes known as the Great Schism, formally divided the State church of the Roman Empire into Eastern and Western branches, which later became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church, respectively...
, and the latter was his own final resting place.
On 18 June 1053, Gerard and Prince Rudolf of Benevento
Rudolf of Benevento
Rudolf was the papal rector of the Duchy of Benevento under Pope Leo IX from 1053 to 1054....
led papal and Swabia
Swabia
Swabia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany.-Geography:Like many cultural regions of Europe, Swabia's borders are not clearly defined...
n troops into battle on behalf of Pope Leo. This was the Battle of Civitate
Battle of Civitate
The Battle of Civitate was fought on 18 June 1053 in Southern Italy, between the Normans, led by the Count of Apulia Humphrey of Hauteville, and a Swabian-Italian-Lombard army, organised by Pope Leo IX and led on the battlefield by Gerard, Duke of Lorraine, and Rudolf, Prince of Benevento...
and it was a disastrous loss for the pope. His enemy, the Normans
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
, under Humphrey of Hauteville
Humphrey of Hauteville
Humphrey of Hauteville , surnamed Abagelard, was the Count of Apulia and Calabria from 1051 to his death.Humphrey was probably the youngest son of Tancred of Hauteville by his first wife Muriel. Some sources make Geoffrey and Serlo his younger brothers...
and Richard of Aversa, defeated his allies and captured his person, taking him prisoner in Benevento. Gerard, however, returned to Lorraine.
Among his other construction projects, was that of the castle of Prény
Prény
Prény is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department*Parc naturel régional de Lorraine...
, in the centre of the duchy, the beginnings of the capital city, Nancy. He died at Remiremont while trying to kill a revolt. Poisoning was suspected. The date of his death is either 14 April or 11 August.
He was married to Hedwige of Namur (or of Flanders), daughter of Albert II, Count of Namur, and Regelindis of Lower-Lorraine, daughter of Gothelo I, Duke of Lorraine
Gothelo I, Duke of Lorraine
Gothelo , called the Great, was the duke of Lower Lorraine from 1023 and of Upper Lorraine from 1033. He was also the margrave of Antwerp from 1005 and count of Verdun. Gothelo was the youngest son of Godfrey I, Count of Verdun, and Matilda Billung, daughter of Herman, Duke of Saxony...
. This marriage helped patch up relations with the baronage. They had the following issue:
- Thierry IIThierry II, Duke of LorraineTheodoric II , called the Valiant, was the duke of Lorraine from 1070 to his death. He was the son and successor of Gerhard and Hedwige de Namur...
(c.1055-1115), successor in Lorraine - Gerard (1057-1108), count of VaudémontVaudémontVaudémont is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department...
- Beatrice, married Stephen I, Count of BurgundyStephen I, Count of BurgundyStephen I , Count Palatine of Burgundy, sharing his father's nickname "the Rash" , was Count of Burgundy and Count of Mâcon and Vienne....
, MâconMâconMâcon 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 VienneVienneVienne 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,... - Gisela, abbess of Remiremont
He was the patrilineal ancestor of the line of dukes which ruled Lorraine until 1737 and of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty that ruled Tuscany (1737-1859), the Holy Roman Empire (1745-1807), Austria-Hungary (1780-1918), the Duchy of Parma (1814-1847), Duchy of Modena (1815-1859), and Mexico (1864-1867).