The counts of Nantes were originally the Frankish rulers of the Nantais under the

Carolingians The Carolingian dynasty ( ; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charles Martel and his grandson Charlemagne, descendants of the Arnulfing and Pippinid ...

and eventually a capital city of the

Duchy of Brittany The Duchy of Brittany (, ; ) was a medieval feudal state that existed between approximately 939 and 1547. Its territory covered the northwestern peninsula of France, bordered by the Bay of Biscay to the west, and the English Channel to the north. ...

. Their county served as a

march March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 2 ...

against the

Bretons The Bretons (; or , ) are an ethnic group native to Brittany, north-western France. Originally, the demonym designated groups of Common Brittonic, Brittonic speakers who emigrated from Dumnonia, southwestern Great Britain, particularly Cornwal ...

of the Vannetais. Carolingian rulers would sometimes attack Brittany through the region of the Vannetais, making Nantes a strategic asset. In the mid-ninth century, the county finally fell to the Bretons and the title became a subsidiary title of the Breton rulers. The control of the title by the Breton dukes figured prominently in the history of the duchy. The County of Nantes was given to Hoel, a disinherited son of a duke. He lost the countship due to a popular uprising. That uprising presented an opportunity for King

Henry II of England Henry II () was King of England The monarchy of the United Kingdom, commonly referred to as the British monarchy, is the form of government used by the United Kingdom by which a hereditary monarch reigns as the head of state, with the ...

to attack the Breton duke. In the treaty ending their conflicts, the Breton duke awarded the county to Henry II.

Frankish counts

*---- – 778

Roland Roland (; ; or ''Rotholandus''; or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the Matter of France. The historical Roland was mil ...

, as

prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect' ...

of the Breton March - subject of the ''Chanson de Roland'' *786 – 818 Guy, as

of the Breton March, successor to Roland *818 – 831 Lambert I - exiled by Louis the Pious and replaced by Ricwin. *831 – 841 Ricwin -a ''comes'' of

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( ; 2 April 748 – 28 January 814) was List of Frankish kings, King of the Franks from 768, List of kings of the Lombards, King of the Lombards from 774, and Holy Roman Emperor, Emperor of what is now known as the Carolingian ...

, and ''fidelis'' of

Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (; ; ; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and Holy Roman Emperor, co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aquitaine from 781. As the only ...

, he opposed

Nominoe Nominoe or Nomenoe (; ; 763, 7 March 851) was the first Duke of Brittany from 846 to his death. He is the Bretons, Breton ''pater patriae'' and to Breton nationalism, Breton nationalists he is known as ' ("father of the country"). Or ...

in the founding of

Redon Abbey Redon Abbey, or Abbey of Saint-Sauveur, Redon ("Abbey of the Holy Saviour"; ), in Redon in the present Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, France, is a former Benedictine abbey founded in 832 by Saint Conwoïon, at the point where the Oust flows into the ...

*841 – 843 Renaud *843 – 846 Lambert II *846 – 849 Amaury, imposed by

Charles the Bald Charles the Bald (; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as CharlesII, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), King of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a series of civil wars during t ...

in opposition to Lambert II *849 – 851 Lambert II (restored) *852 – 860 Salomon *861 – 866 Robert the Strong, also

Count of Anjou The Count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou, first granted by King Charles the Bald, Charles the Bald of West Francia in the 9th century to Robert the Strong. Ingelger and his son, Fulk the Red, were viscounts until Fulk assumed the t ...

*866 – --- Hugh of the Breton March *--- – --- Henry of the Breton March *--- – --- Odo, the future Odo, King of West Francia, as the Marquis of Neustria *886 – 896 Berengar II of Neustria as Margrave of the Breton March, later also Count of Rennes *896 – 911 *911 – ---

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, prais ...

, the future Robert I of France as the Marquis of Neustria

Kingdom of Brittany

Alan I, King of Brittany Alan I (; died 907), called the Great,F. McNair (2015), "Vikings and Bretons? The Language of Factional Politics in Late Carolingian Brittany", ''Viking and Medieval Scandinavia'' 11: 183–202. was the Count of Vannes and Duke of Brittany (''dux ...

ruled Nantes as King of Brittany until his death in 907.

Norse occupation from 914 to 938

*907 - c 914 - vacant

Rognvaldr also known as Ragenold

*914 - 919 - Rognvaldr as a leader of the Loire Raiding Fleet lands in Nantes; King Gourmaelon killed in battle, King Robert of Neustria continues conflict with invading Norse. * 919 - Robert cedes Nantes to Rognvaldr who renames it Namsborg, makes peace and agrees to convert to Christianity for being allowed to keep Brittany. * 924 - Rognvaldr ravages the lands between the Seine and the Loire and then Burgundy but is finally defeated at Chalmont. * 927 - The Franks launch another failed attempt to retake Nantes. * 930 - Rognvaldr reigns until his death.

Hakom Rognvaldrsson also known as Incon

* 930 - Hakon Rognvaldrsson, known to the Franks as Incon, Norse leader after the death of Rognvaldr, King Rudolph of the Franks defeats Incon at Estress that same year. * 931 - Breton peasant revolt broken and their leader Felecan killed. * 935 - Incon isolated after William 1 Longsword of Normandy reconciles with the Franks and exiled Bretons start returning from Britain. * 936 - 938 - Alan Barbetorte returns to Brittany from England and engages the Norse, Incon slain at recapture of Nantes in 937.

Later counts

*938 – 952 Alan I ''Barbetorte'', grandson of

, also Duke of Brittany *952 – 960 Drogo, his son *960 – 981 Hoël I, Alan Barbetorte's eldest illegitimate son *981 – c.988 Guerech, Hoël's brother *990 – 992 Conan I, Count of Nantes by conquest *992 – 1004 Judicaël; Hoël's illegitimate son *1004 – 1038 : Budic, Judicael's son *1038 – 1051 : Matthew I, Burdic's son *1051 – 1063 : Judith, Matthew's aunt and Budic's sister, (with her husband Alain Canhiart) *1054 – 1084 : Hoël II, their son, married to Hawise, Duchess of Brittany *1084 – 1103 : Matthew II, Hoël and Hawise's second son *1103 – 1119 Alan II, Matthew's elder brother, also Duke of Brittany *1119 – 1148 Conan II, Alan's son *1148– 1156 Hoël III, Conan's son *1156 – 1158 Geoffrey I FitzEmpress, younger brother of Henry II of England *1158 Conan III, Hoël III's nephew, seized the County and Nantes before returning it to Henry of England *1158 – 1185

, gained the county under his treaty with the Duke of Brittany *1185 – 1186 Geoffrey II, Henry II's fourth son, married to Conan's daughter Constance *1185 – 1201 Constance,Judith Everard et Michael Jones, ''The Charters of Duchess Constance of Brittany and Her Family (1171-1221)'', p 38 Conan's daughter and heiress, married to Henry II's son Geoffrey *1196 – 1203

Arthur Arthur is a masculine given name of uncertain etymology. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. A common spelling variant used in many Slavic, Romance, and Germanic languages is Artur. In Spanish and Ital ...

, their son The County of Nantes was merged permanently into the Ducal crown of Brittany, and subsequently the crown of France, through Constance's descendants.

Notes

References

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Nantes Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...