Theobald II of Navarre
Encyclopedia
Theobald II (French
: Thibaud or Thibault, Spanish
: Teobaldo), called the Young, was Count of Champagne
and Brie
(as Theobald V) and King of Navarre from 1253 until his death.
He was the eldest son of Theobald I and his third wife, Margaret of Bourbon, Queen of Navarre
. He succeeded to his father's titles on his father's death when he was only fourteen years of age. His mother acted as regent
with James I of Aragon
until 1256, when Theobald came of age. On 27 November, he affirmed the Fueros of Navarre
, which limited his power by putting him under the counsel of a tutor from among the aristocracy. He could not make judgements without a council of twelve (a jury) of noblemen. Theobald was not content, however, to be so restricted in royal prerogative before his twenty-first birthday. He received the rites of unction and coronation
from Pope Alexander IV
in 1257 and 1259 respectively and tried to justify his divine right to rule, a concept foreign until that point in traditional Navarrese politics (though see the reign of Sancho III
).
In order to counter the tendency to decentralisation and feudalisation of the noblesse, the king turned to the bourgeoisie. He exacted extraordinary taxes and imposts from them, but they supported him nevertheless because he granted them rights, prestige, and political clout. He extended the fueros of Pamplona
to Lanz and Estella to Tiebas and Torralba Del Río
. He founded Espinal
in 1269.
In other affairs, Theobald continued the policies of his father. He improved the royal administration, of incomes and expenditures, and administered the first census. The count of 1266 indicated the presence of 150,000 inhabitants. Approximately 6.75% of royal revenues were spent on a bureaucracy, 33.84% on the military, and 59.6% to the maintenance of the monarch and his household and duties.
Theobald found support in Louis IX of France
, who supported his fellow kings against their vassals with consistency. Theobald married Isabella Louis's daughter, on 6 April 1255. Theobald acted as an advisor of Louis and Louis as an arbiter in Navarre's internal problems. When the daughter, Berengaria, of Alfonso X of Castile
was betrothed to Louis, eldest son and heir of King Louis, Castile ceded the use of the ports of Fuenterrabía and San Sebastián
to Navarre on 1 January 1256.
In July 1270, Theobald embarked with his father-in-law on the Eighth Crusade
to Tunis
. Louis died of dysentery at the siege. Theobald died childless at Trapani
in Sicily
while returning that same year. He was succeeded by his younger brother Henry III of Champagne
. His wife Isabella returned home to France
, were she died a few months later.
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...
: Thibaud or Thibault, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
: Teobaldo), called the Young, was Count of Champagne
Count of Champagne
The Counts of Champagne ruled the region of Champagne from 950 to 1316. Champagne evolved from the county of Troyes in the late eleventh century and Hugh I was the first to officially use the title "Count of Champagne". When Louis became King of France in 1314, upon the death of his father Philip...
and Brie
Brie
Brie is a historic region of France most famous for its dairy products, especially Brie cheese. It was once divided into two sections ruled by different feudal lords: the western Brie française, corresponding roughly to the modern department of Seine-et-Marne in the Île-de-France region; the...
(as Theobald V) and King of Navarre from 1253 until his death.
He was the eldest son of Theobald I and his third wife, Margaret of Bourbon, Queen of Navarre
Margaret of Bourbon, Queen of Navarre
Margaret of Bourbon was the wife of Theobald I of Navarre, she became Countess of Champagne and Queen of Navarre. Margaret was the daughter of Archambaud VIII of Bourbon and his first wife, Guigone of Forez.- Marriage :...
. He succeeded to his father's titles on his father's death when he was only fourteen years of age. His mother acted as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
with James I of Aragon
James I of Aragon
James I the Conqueror was the King of Aragon, Count of Barcelona, and Lord of Montpellier from 1213 to 1276...
until 1256, when Theobald came of age. On 27 November, he affirmed the Fueros of Navarre
Fueros of Navarre
The Fueros of Navarre were the medieval laws of the Kingdom of Navarre. They were a sort of constitution which defined the position of the king, the nobility, and the judicial procedures...
, which limited his power by putting him under the counsel of a tutor from among the aristocracy. He could not make judgements without a council of twelve (a jury) of noblemen. Theobald was not content, however, to be so restricted in royal prerogative before his twenty-first birthday. He received the rites of unction and coronation
Coronation
A coronation is a ceremony marking the formal investiture of a monarch and/or their consort with regal power, usually involving the placement of a crown upon their head and the presentation of other items of regalia...
from Pope Alexander IV
Pope Alexander IV
Pope Alexander IV was Pope from 1254 until his death.Born as Rinaldo di Jenne, in Jenne , he was, on his mother's side, a member of the de' Conti di Segni family, the counts of Segni, like Pope Innocent III and Pope Gregory IX...
in 1257 and 1259 respectively and tried to justify his divine right to rule, a concept foreign until that point in traditional Navarrese politics (though see the reign of Sancho III
Sancho III of Navarre
Sancho III Garcés , called the Great , succeeded as a minor to the Kingdom of Navarre in 1004, and through conquest and political maneuvering increased his power, until at the time of his death in 1035 he controlled the majority of Christian Iberia, bearing the title of rex Hispaniarum...
).
In order to counter the tendency to decentralisation and feudalisation of the noblesse, the king turned to the bourgeoisie. He exacted extraordinary taxes and imposts from them, but they supported him nevertheless because he granted them rights, prestige, and political clout. He extended the fueros of Pamplona
Pamplona
Pamplona is the historial capital city of Navarre, in Spain, and of the former kingdom of Navarre.The city is famous worldwide for the San Fermín festival, from July 6 to 14, in which the running of the bulls is one of the main attractions...
to Lanz and Estella to Tiebas and Torralba Del Río
Torralba Del Río
Torralba del Río is a town and municipality in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain.The Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Codés is located within the Torralba del Río municipal term in the Codés Range.-External links:*...
. He founded Espinal
Espinal
Espinal is a town and municipality in the Tolima department of Colombia. The population of the municipality was 63,859 as of the 1993 census.The town is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Espinal....
in 1269.
In other affairs, Theobald continued the policies of his father. He improved the royal administration, of incomes and expenditures, and administered the first census. The count of 1266 indicated the presence of 150,000 inhabitants. Approximately 6.75% of royal revenues were spent on a bureaucracy, 33.84% on the military, and 59.6% to the maintenance of the monarch and his household and duties.
Theobald found support in Louis IX of France
Louis IX of France
Louis IX , commonly Saint Louis, was King of France from 1226 until his death. He was also styled Louis II, Count of Artois from 1226 to 1237. Born at Poissy, near Paris, he was an eighth-generation descendant of Hugh Capet, and thus a member of the House of Capet, and the son of Louis VIII and...
, who supported his fellow kings against their vassals with consistency. Theobald married Isabella Louis's daughter, on 6 April 1255. Theobald acted as an advisor of Louis and Louis as an arbiter in Navarre's internal problems. When the daughter, Berengaria, of Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X of Castile
Alfonso X was a Castilian monarch who ruled as the King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1252 until his death...
was betrothed to Louis, eldest son and heir of King Louis, Castile ceded the use of the ports of Fuenterrabía and San Sebastián
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
to Navarre on 1 January 1256.
In July 1270, Theobald embarked with his father-in-law on the Eighth Crusade
Eighth Crusade
The Eighth Crusade was a crusade launched by Louis IX, King of France, in 1270. The Eighth Crusade is sometimes counted as the Seventh, if the Fifth and Sixth Crusades of Frederick II are counted as a single crusade...
to Tunis
Tunis
Tunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
. Louis died of dysentery at the siege. Theobald died childless at Trapani
Trapani
Trapani is a city and comune on the west coast of Sicily in Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Trapani. Founded by Elymians, the city is still an important fishing port and the main gateway to the nearby Egadi Islands.-History:...
in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
while returning that same year. He was succeeded by his younger brother Henry III of Champagne
Henry I of Navarre
Henry I the Fat was the Count of Champagne and Brie and King of Navarre from 1270...
. His wife Isabella returned home to 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...
, were she died a few months later.
See also
- CiampoloCiampoloCiampolo is the accepted name of a character in Dante's Divine Comedy.Ciampolo appears in Canto XXII of the Inferno, where he is a grafter in the fifth ditch of the eighth circle...
, a soul found by Dante in the Inferno who defrauded Theobald.