Centule V (or ''Centulle''; died 1090), called the Young, was the
Viscount of Béarn
A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status.
In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...
from 1058 to his death. Centule increased the autonomy of the viscounts of Béarn and distanced them from the
dukes of Aquitaine
The Duke of Aquitaine ( oc, Duc d'Aquitània, french: Duc d'Aquitaine, ) was the ruler of the medieval region of Aquitaine (not to be confused with modern-day Aquitaine) under the supremacy of Frankish, English, and later French kings.
As succ ...
, to whom they owed theoretical vassalage. Centule was also
Count of Bigorre ''jure uxoris'' as Centule I.
Centule was the eldest son of
Gaston III and the important Gascon lady Adalais (sister of the
duke of Gascony
The Duchy of Gascony or Duchy of Vasconia ( eu, Baskoniako dukerria; oc, ducat de Gasconha; french: duché de Gascogne, duché de Vasconie) was a duchy located in present-day southwestern France and northeastern Spain, an area encompassing the m ...
and the
viscount of Lomagne), and was successor of his paternal grandfather
Centule IV. Centule was almost a sovereign prince. He minted his own money in his capital of
Morlaas. He received the viscounty of
Acqs and the countries of Orthe and
Salies from the duke of Aquitaine, who freed him from nominal ties of vassalage. He was the only person with the right to call on the knights of Béarn, who owed fealty to none but him. He granted the deserted city of
Oloron
Oloron-Sainte-Marie (; oc, Auloron e Senta Maria; eu, Oloroe-Donamaria) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine (before 2015: Aquitaine), southwestern France.
History
The town was founded by the ...
a charter repopulating it. Centuries later, this
fuero
(), (), () or () is a Spanish legal term and concept. The word comes from Latin , an open space used as a market, tribunal and meeting place. The same Latin root is the origin of the French terms and , and the Portuguese terms and ; all ...
, called the ''For de Oloron'', would be incorporated into the other
Fors de Bearn.
Centule was a great participant in the
Gregorian reform
The Gregorian Reforms were a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the circle he formed in the papal curia, c. 1050–80, which dealt with the moral integrity and independence of the clergy. The reforms are considered to be na ...
and he maintained excellent relations with the
Holy See
The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of R ...
. He made many donations to the church and initiated the construction of the church of
Santa Fe de Morlaas, the first
romanesque edifice in Béarn.
Pope Gregory VII referred to him as an ''amator justitiae'', lover of justice; ''defensor pauperum'', defender of the poor; and ''propagator pacis'', propagator of the peace. Towards 1060, Centule married a relative of his, probably a cousin, possibly a daughter of
Bernard II of Gascony, named Gisela (Gisla), with whom he had two children, his heir
Gaston IV and a daughter named Osquinette. The pope, however, exhorted him to break the marriage on grounds of consanguinity, which he obediently did (1074), founding, in penitence, a priory at Morlaas dependent on the
Abbey of Cluny
Cluny Abbey (; , formerly also ''Cluni'' or ''Clugny''; ) is a former Benedictine monastery in Cluny, Saône-et-Loire, France. It was dedicated to Saint Peter.
The abbey was constructed in the Romanesque architectural style, with three churche ...
.
Centule married for a second time in 1077 to
Beatrice I of Bigorre
Beatrice I (French: ''Béatrix Ire de Bigorre''; c. 1064 – after 14 October 1095) was a sovereign Countess of Bigorre from 1080 until 1095.
Life
Her mother was called Étiennette, whilst her father was Bernard II of Bigorre. She also had a hal ...
. With her he had other children:
Bernard
Bernard ('' Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It is also a surname.
The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''bern'' "bear" and ''hard'' "bra ...
and
Centule, both future counts of Bigorre. Centule married his eldest son to
Talesa, a natural daughter of
Sancho V of Navarre, and Gaston received the neighbouring viscounty of
Montaner
Montaner (; oc, Montanèr) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in south-western France.
See also
*Communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department
The following is a list of the 546 communes of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques ...
as a dowry, thus uniting it to the dominion of Béarn. It can be seen that, through strategic marriages, Centule expanded his control to include his western neighbours Bigorre and Montaner and solidified an alliance with his royal neighbour to the south, the
Crown of Aragon
The Crown of Aragon ( , ) an, Corona d'Aragón ; ca, Corona d'Aragó, , , ; es, Corona de Aragón ; la, Corona Aragonum . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of ...
. However, he had to war with his neighbours to the east. In 1082, he launched an attack on
Dax
Dax or DAX may refer to:
Business and organizations
* DAX, stock market index of the top 40 German companies
** DAX 100, an expanded index of 100 stocks, superseded by the HDAX
** TecDAX, stock index of the top 30 German technology firms
* Dax ...
, but was severely defeated.
In 1079, Centule participated in the attempt to take
Zaragoza
Zaragoza, also known in English as Saragossa,''Encyclopædia Britannica'"Zaragoza (conventional Saragossa)" is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain. It lies by the Ebro river and its tributari ...
that was repelled by
El Cid Campeador, then in the service of the
Moors
The term Moor, derived from the ancient Mauri, is an exonym first used by Christian Europeans to designate the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb, the Iberian Peninsula, Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages.
Moors are not a distinct or ...
.
In 1090, he travelled anew into Aragon at the head of Bearnese troops to assist in an assault on
Huesca
Huesca (; an, Uesca) is a city in north-eastern Spain, within the autonomous community of Aragon. It is also the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and of the comarca of Hoya de Huesca. In 2009 it had a population of 52,059, almo ...
under the guidance of Sancho, but he was assassinated in the
Tena Valley
The Tena Valley is a valley located at the southern side of the Pyrenees, in the Alto Gállego comarca, province of Huesca, and is crossed by the Gállego river from north to south. Its main town is Sallent de Gállego.
The valley is surrounded ...
. Gaston succeeded him and continued in his policies of aggrandisement and friendly church-state relations.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Centule 05 Of Bearn
1090 deaths
Viscounts of Béarn
Year of birth unknown