The counts of Nantes were originally the
Frankish
Frankish may refer to:
* Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture
** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages
* Francia, a post-Roman state in France and Germany
* East Francia, the successor state to Francia in Germany ...
rulers of the
Nantais
Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabitan ...
under the
Carolingians and eventually a capital city of the
Duchy of Brittany
The Duchy of Brittany ( br, Dugelezh Breizh, ; french: Duché de Bretagne) was a medieval feudal state that existed between approximately 939 and 1547. Its territory covered the northwestern peninsula of Europe, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to ...
. Their county served as a
march
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March ...
against the
Bretons
The Bretons (; br, Bretoned or ''Vretoned,'' ) are a Celtic ethnic group native to Brittany. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brittonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain, particularly Cornwall and Devon, mo ...
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 (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin king ...
to attack the Breton duke. In the treaty ending their conflicts, the Breton duke awarded the county to Henry II.
Frankish counts
*---- – 778
Roland, 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's ...
of the
Breton March
The Marches of Neustria (french: Marches de Neustrie; br, Marz Neustria; Norman: ''Maurches de Neûtrie'') were two marches created in 861 by the Carolingian king of West Francia Charles the Bald. They were ruled by officials appointed by the Mo ...
- subject of the
''Chanson de Roland''
*786 – 818
Guy, 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's ...
of the
Breton March
The Marches of Neustria (french: Marches de Neustrie; br, Marz Neustria; Norman: ''Maurches de Neûtrie'') were two marches created in 861 by the Carolingian king of West Francia Charles the Bald. They were ruled by officials appointed by the Mo ...
, successor to Roland
*818 – 831
Lambert I - exiled by Louis the Pious and replaced by Ricwin.
*831 – 841
Ricwin -a ''comes'' of
Charlemange, and ''fidelis'' of
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious (german: Ludwig der Fromme; french: Louis le Pieux; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aqui ...
, he opposed
Nominoe
Nominoe or Nomenoe (french: Nominoë; br, Nevenoe; c. 800, 7 March 851) was the first Duke of Brittany from 846 to his death. He is the Breton ''pater patriae'' and to Breton nationalists he is known as ' ("father of the country").
...
in the founding of
Redon Abbey
*841 – 843
Renaud
Renaud Pierre Manuel Séchan (), known as Renaud (), born 11 May 1952, is a French singer, songwriter and actor. His characteristically 'broken' voice makes for a very distinctive vocal style. Several of his songs are popular classics in F ...
*843 – 846
Lambert II
*846 – 849
Amaury, imposed by
Charles the Bald
Charles the Bald (french: Charles le Chauve; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as Charles II, 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 ...
in opposition to Lambert II
*849 – 851
Lambert II (restored)
*852 – 860
Salomon
*861 – 866
Robert the Strong
Robert the Strong (french: Robert le Fort; c. 830 – 866) was the father of two kings of West Francia: Odo (or Eudes) and Robert I of France. His family is named after him and called the Robertians. In 853, he was named '' missus dominicus'' ...
, also
Count of Anjou
The Count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou, first granted by Charles the Bald in the 9th century to Robert the Strong. Ingelger and his son, Fulk the Red, were viscounts until Fulk assumed the title of Count of Anjou. The Robertians ...
*866 – --- Hugh of the Breton March
*--- – --- Henry of the Breton March
*--- – ---
Odo
Odo or ODO may refer to:
People
* Odo, a given name; includes a list of people and fictional characters with the name
* Franklin Odo (born 1939), Japanese-American historian
* Seikichi Odo (1927–2002), Japanese karateka
* Yuya Odo (born 1990), J ...
, the future Odo, King of West Francia, as the Marquis of Neustria
*886 – 896
Berengar II of Neustria
Berengar II (died 896) was the Count of Bayeux and Rennes and Margrave of the Northern or Norman March from 886 until his death a decade later.
In 874, Brittany's internal politics were thrown into turmoil when King Salomon was murdered by a r ...
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 '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
, the future Robert I of France as the Marquis of Neustria
Kingdom of Brittany
Alan I, King of Brittany
Alan I (french: Alain; 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 Br ...
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
Alan I, King of Brittany
Alan I (french: Alain; 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 Br ...
, 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 Matthew I may refer to:
*Matthew I Csák
Matthew (I) from the kindred Csák ( hu, Csák nembeli (I.) Máté; sk, Matúš Čák I; ? – 1245/1249) was a powerful Hungarian baron of king Béla IV, the first known member of the Trencsén branch o ...
, Burdic's son
*1051 – 1063 :
Judith, Matthew's aunt and Budic's sister, (with her husband
Alain Canhiart Alain Canhiart (died 1058) was the count of Cornouaille from 1020 to 1058. He was the son of Benoît de Cornouaille and the father of Hoël II, Duke of Brittany. His family name, ''Canhiart'', is understood to be derived from the old Breton Kann Y ...
)
*1054 – 1084 :
Hoël II, their son, married to
Hawise, Duchess of Brittany Hawise of Rennes ( br, Hawiz Breizh; french: Havoise de Bretagne) ( 1024-1037 – 19 August 1072) was sovereign Duchess of Brittany from 1066 until her death.
She was the second child and heiress of Alan III, Duke of Brittany, by his wife, Bertha ...
*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
Henry II of England
Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin king ...
, 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
Constance may refer to:
Places
*Konstanz, Germany, sometimes written as Constance in English
*Constance Bay, Ottawa, Canada
* Constance, Kentucky
* Constance, Minnesota
* Constance (Portugal)
* Mount Constance, Washington State
People
* Consta ...
,
[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 common male given name of Brittonic languages, Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. An ...
, 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
{{reflist
Nantes