Hugh of Tours
Encyclopedia
Hugh (c. 780 – 20 October 837) 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.
Hugh had many possessions in Alsace
, including the Sens
. He also held the convent of St-Julien-d'Auxerre. He appeared in 811 as an envoy or ambasciator to Constantinople
with Haido, Bishop of Basel, and Aio
, Duke of Friuli
, to renew the Pax Nicephori
. In 821, he allied himself by marriage to the royal family; his daughter Ermengard
married Louis' son Lothair
. In 824, he took part in an expedition in Brittany
and, in 826, he accompanied the Empress Judith to the baptism of Harald Klak
in Ingelheim. His other daughter, Adelaide
, married Conrad I, Count of Auxerre
(died 862). She is sometimes said to have taken as her second husband Robert the Strong
. She was dead by 886, when Walahfrid Strabo included her epitaph
in a poem of his.
In 827, Hugh, along with Matfrid of Orléans
, was commissioned by Louis to recruit an army with his son Pepin I of Aquitaine
and repel the invasion of the Marca Hispanica
by the Moslem general Abu Marwan. Hugh and Matfrid delayed until the threat had passed. For this he was given the nickname Timidus or the Timid. Barcelona
being the greatest military accomplishment of Louis' career, the Spanish March meant much to him and Hugh and Matfrid found themselves greatly disfavoured at court. They were deposed in February of the next year.
He remained very influential as the father-in-law of Lothair. He joined Matfrid in inciting Lothair to rebellion and had all his lands confiscated in Gaul
. He remained highly influential in Italy
, where Lothair created him "duke of Locate
" (dux de Locate).
Count of Tours
The counts of Tours were the medieval feudal suzerains ruling over the region of Touraine in France with their capital at Tours. The first known count of Tours was the famous Hugh of the Etichonen family. After three generations, the county passed to the equally famous Robert the Strong, father of...
and Sens during the reigns of 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...
and 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...
, until his disgrace in February 828. He was probably a son of Count Haicho of the House of the Etichonen.
Hugh had many possessions in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
, including the Sens
Sens
Sens is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.Sens is a sub-prefecture of the department. It is crossed by the Yonne and the Vanne, which empties into the Yonne here.-History:...
. He also held the convent of St-Julien-d'Auxerre. He appeared in 811 as an envoy or ambasciator to Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
with Haido, Bishop of Basel, and Aio
Aio of Friuli
Aio or Haio was the probable Duke of Friuli between the death of Eric and the appointment of Cadolah . He may have been preceded by another possible duke, Hunfrid, who died circa 808...
, Duke of Friuli
Duke of Friuli
The dukes and margraves of Friuli were the rulers of the Duchy and March of Friuli in the Middle Ages.The dates given below, when contentious, are discussed in the articles of the respective dukes.-Lombard dukes:* 568–c.584 Grasulf I...
, to renew the Pax Nicephori
Pax Nicephori
Pax Nicephori is a term used to refer to both a 803 peace treaty allegedly concluded between the Frankish ruler Charlemagne and Nikephoros I, emperor of Byzantium, and the outcome of negotiations that took place between the same parties, but were concluded by different emperors, between 811 and 814...
. In 821, he allied himself by marriage to the royal family; his daughter Ermengard
Ermengarde of Tours
Ermengarde of Tours was the wife of Emperor Lothair I of the Franks. Her father was Hugh of Tours, a member of the Etichonen family, which claimed descent from the Merovingian Kings...
married Louis' son Lothair
Lothair 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...
. In 824, he took part in an expedition in Brittany
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...
and, in 826, he accompanied the Empress Judith to the baptism of Harald Klak
Harald Klak
Harald 'Klak' Halfdansson was a king in Jutland around 812–814 and again from 819–827.-Family:...
in Ingelheim. His other daughter, Adelaide
Adelaide of Tours
Adelaide of Tours was a daughter of Hugh of Tours and his wife Bava.She married first Conrad I, Count of Auxerre with whom she had two children, Hugh and Conrad the Younger....
, married Conrad I, Count of Auxerre
Conrad I, Count of Auxerre
Conrad I the Elder was the count of several counties, most notably the Aargau and Auxerre, around Lake Constance, as well as Paris from 859 to 862/4. He was also the lay abbot of Saint-Germaine in Auxerre. Conrad's father was Welf....
(died 862). She is sometimes said to have taken as her second husband 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...
. She was dead by 886, when Walahfrid Strabo included her epitaph
Epitaph
An epitaph is a short text honoring a deceased person, strictly speaking that is inscribed on their tombstone or plaque, but also used figuratively. Some are specified by the dead person beforehand, others chosen by those responsible for the burial...
in a poem of his.
In 827, Hugh, along with 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:...
, was commissioned by Louis to recruit an army with his son Pepin I of Aquitaine
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....
and repel the invasion of the Marca Hispanica
Marca Hispanica
The Marca Hispanica , also known as Spanish March or March of Barcelona was a buffer zone beyond the province of Septimania, created by Charlemagne in 795 as a defensive barrier between the Umayyad Moors of Al-Andalus and the Frankish Kingdom....
by the Moslem general Abu Marwan. Hugh and Matfrid delayed until the threat had passed. For this he was given the nickname Timidus or the Timid. Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
being the greatest military accomplishment of Louis' career, the Spanish March meant much to him and Hugh and Matfrid found themselves greatly disfavoured at court. They were deposed in February of the next year.
He remained very influential as the father-in-law of Lothair. He joined Matfrid in inciting Lothair to rebellion and had all his lands confiscated in Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
. He remained highly influential in 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...
, where Lothair created him "duke of Locate
Locate di Triulzi
Locate di Triulzi is a comune in the Province of Milan in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 14 km southeast of Milan...
" (dux de Locate).