Charles of Blois-Châtillon (131929 September 1364), nicknamed "the Saint", was the legalist Duke of Brittany from 1341 until his death, via his marriage to

Joan, Duchess of Brittany Joan of Penthièvre ( French: Jeanne de Penthièvre; c. 1319 – 10 September 1384) reigned as Duchess of Brittany together with her husband, Charles of Blois, between 1341 and 1364. Her ducal claims were contested by the House of Montfort, ...

and Countess of Penthièvre, holding the title against the claims of John of Montfort. The cause of his possible canonization was the subject of a good deal of political maneuvering on the part of his cousin,

Charles V of France Charles V (21 January 1338 – 16 September 1380), called the Wise (french: le Sage; la, Sapiens), was King of France from 1364 to his death in 1380. His reign marked an early high point for France during the Hundred Years' War, with his armi ...

, who endorsed it, and his rival, Montfort, who opposed it. The cause fell dormant after

Pope Gregory XI Pope Gregory XI ( la, Gregorius, born Pierre Roger de Beaufort; c. 1329 – 27 March 1378) was head of the Catholic Church from 30 December 1370 to his death in March 1378. He was the seventh and last Avignon pope and the most recent French pop ...

left

Avignon Avignon (, ; ; oc, Avinhon, label= Provençal or , ; la, Avenio) is the prefecture of the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of Southeastern France. Located on the left bank of the river Rhône, the commune ha ...

in 1376, but was revived in 1894. Charles of Blois was

beatified Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their n ...

in 1904.

Biography

Charles was born in

Blois Blois ( ; ) is a commune and the capital city of Loir-et-Cher department, in Centre-Val de Loire, France, on the banks of the lower Loire river between Orléans and Tours. With 45,898 inhabitants by 2019, Blois is the most populated city of the d ...

, the son of Guy de Châtillon,

count of Blois Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York ...

, by Margaret of Valois, a sister of King Philip VI of France. A devout

ascetic Asceticism (; from the el, ἄσκησις, áskesis, exercise', 'training) is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Ascetics may withdraw from the world for their p ...

from an early age, he showed interest in religious books but was forbidden from reading them by his father, as they did not seem appropriate to his position as a knight. As he grew older, Charles took piety to the extreme of mortifying his own flesh. It is said that he placed pebbles in his shoes, slept on straw instead of a bed, confessed every night in fear of sleeping in a state of sin, and wore a

cilice A cilice , also known as a sackcloth, was originally a garment or undergarment made of coarse cloth or animal hair (a hairshirt) worn close to the skin. It is used by members of various Christian traditions (including the Catholic Th ...

under his armor in battle. He was nevertheless an accomplished military leader, who inspired loyalty by his religious fervour.

Marriage

On 4 June 1337 in Paris, he married Joan the Lame, heiress and niece of

John III, Duke of Brittany John III ''the Good'' (in Breton ''Yann III'', in French ''Jean III''; 8 March 128630 April 1341) was Duke of Brittany, from 1312 to his death and 5th Earl of Richmond from 1334 to his death. He was the son of Arthur II, Duke of Brittany, an ...

Breton War of Succession

Together, Charles and his wife, Joan of Penthièvre, fought the House of Montfort in the

Breton War of Succession The War of the Breton Succession (, ) was a conflict between the Counts of Blois and the Montforts of Brittany for control of the Sovereign Duchy of Brittany, then a fief of the Kingdom of France. It was fought between 1341 and 12 April 1 ...

(1341–1364), with the support of the crown of France. Despite his piety, Charles did not hesitate in ordering the massacre of 1,400 civilians after the siege of

Quimper Quimper (, ; br, Kemper ; la, Civitas Aquilonia or ) is a commune and prefecture of the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. Administration Quimper is the prefecture (capital) of the Finistère department. Geography Th ...

as well as the massacre of thousands after the siege of Guerande. After initial successes, Charles was taken prisoner by the English in 1347. His official captor was Thomas Dagworth. He stayed nine years as prisoner in the Kingdom of England. During that time, he used to visit English graveyards, where he prayed and recited

Psalm 130 Psalm 130 is the 130th psalm of the Book of Psalms, one of the penitential psalms and one of 15 psalms that begin with the words "A song of ascents" (Shir Hama'alot). The first verse is a call to God in deep sorrow, from "out of the depths" or "o ...

, much to the chagrin of his own squire. When Charles asked the squire to take part in the prayer, the younger man refused, saying that the men who were buried at the English graveyards had killed his parents and friends and burned their houses. Charles was released against a ransom of about half a million écus in 1356. Upon returning to France, he decided to travel barefoot in winter from

La Roche-Derrien La Roche-Derrien (; br, Ar Roc'h-Derrien) is a former commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department of Brittany in northwestern France. On 1 January 2019, it was merged into the new commune La Roche-Jaudy.Tréguier Cathedral out of devotion to Saint

Ivo of Kermartin Ivo of Kermartin, T.O.S.F. (17 October 1253 – 19 May 1303), also known Yvo, Yves, or Ives (and in Breton as Erwan, Iwan, Youenn or Eozenn, depending on the region, and known as Yves Hélory (also ''Helori'' or ''Heloury'') in French), was a ...

. When the common people heard of his plan, they placed straw and blankets on the street, but Charles promptly took another way. His feet became so sore that he could not walk for 15 weeks. He then resumed the war against the Montforts. Charles was eventually killed in combat during the

Battle of Auray The Battle of Auray took place on 29 September 1364 at the Breton-French town of Auray. This battle was the decisive confrontation of the Breton War of Succession, a part of the Hundred Years' War. In the battle, which began as a siege, a Br ...

in 1364, which with the second treaty of Guerande in 1381 determined the end of the

as a victory for the Montforts.

Family

By his marriage to Joan the Lame, Countess of Penthièvre, he had five children: *

John I, Count of Penthièvre John I (5 February 1345 – 16 January 1404), was Count of Penthièvre and Viscount of Limoges from 1364 to 1404, and the Penthièvre claimant to the Duchy of Brittany. Biography John was born in Jurgon-les-Lacs in Brittany while his parents ...

(1340–1404)Hereford Brooke George, ''Genealogical Tables Illustrative of Modern History'', (Oxford Clarendon Press, 1875), table XXVI and Viscount of Limoges. * Guy * Henry (d. 1400) *

Marie of Blois, Duchess of Anjou Marie of Blois (1345-1404) was a daughter of Joan of Penthièvre, Duchess of Brittany and Charles of Blois, Duke of Brittany. Through her marriage to Louis I, Duke of Anjou, she became Duchess of Anjou, Countess of Maine, Duchess of Touraine, ...

(1345–1404), Lady of Guise, married in 1360 to

Louis I, Duke of Anjou Louis I, Duke of Anjou (23 July 1339 – 20 September 1384) was a French prince, the second son of John II of France and Bonne of Bohemia. His career was markedly unsuccessful. Born at the Château de Vincennes, Louis was the first of the Angev ...

* Margaret of Blois, Countess of Angoulême, married in 1351 to Charles de la Cerda (d. 1354), the

Count of Angoulême Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York ...

and Constable of France. According to Froissart's Chronicles, Charles also had an illegitimate child, John of Blois, who died in the Battle of Auray. However, considering Charles' extreme piety, historian Johan Huizinga regarded it unlikely that Charles actually had a child born outside marriage and that Jean Froissart was probably mistaken in identifying John as Charles' son.

Veneration

Charles was buried at Guingamp, where the Franciscans actively promoted his unapproved cult as saint and martyr. Such variety of ''ex votos'' bedecked his tomb, that in 1368 Duke John IV of Brittany persuaded

Pope Urban V Pope Urban V ( la, Urbanus V; 1310 – 19 December 1370), born Guillaume de Grimoard, was the head of the Catholic Church from 28 September 1362 until his death in December 1370 and was also a member of the Order of Saint Benedict. He was the on ...

to issue a bull directing the Breton bishops to stop this. But the bishops failed to enforce it. Nonetheless, his family successfully lobbied for his canonization as a Saint of the Roman Catholic church for his devotion to religion. Bending to pressure from

, Pope Urban authorized a commission to study the matter. Urban died December 1370 to be succeeded by

. The commission held its first meeting in Angers in September 1371, and forwarded its report to Avignon the following January. Gregory appointed three cardinals to review the matter. The Pope returned to Italy in September 1376, arriving in Rome in November 1377; he died the following March. Gregory was succeeded in Avignon by

Clement VII Pope Clement VII ( la, Clemens VII; it, Clemente VII; born Giulio de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the ...

, but the documents were probably in Rome with

Pope Urban VI Pope Urban VI ( la, Urbanus VI; it, Urbano VI; c. 1318 – 15 October 1389), born Bartolomeo Prignano (), was head of the Catholic Church from 8 April 1378 to his death in October 1389. He was the most recent pope to be elected from outside the ...

. There appears to be no record of further activity regarding Charles' cause for canonization at this time. In 1454, Charles' grandson urged his relatives to continue to advocate for his recognition. The process was re-opened in 1894, and on 14 December 1904, Charles de Châtillon was beatified as ''Blessed Charles of Blois''. His feast Day is 30 September. File:Perrot - Bue ar Zent pajenn692.jpg, Image of S.Charles de Châtillon in the book Vie des Saints", Yann-Vari Perrot, publishing in 1912 (page 692) File:Charles comte de Blois.jpg, The Saint Charles de Châtillon de Blois, battles gallery, Versailles castle, France File:Plounéour-Trez (29) Église Saint-Pierre Vitrail 14.JPG, The Saint Charles de Châtillon in the glass window of the Church Saint-Pierre in Plounéour-Trez, France File:Église Saint-Malo de Dinan 2446.JPG, The Saint Charles de Châtillon in the glass window of the Church Saint-Malo in

Dinan Dinan (; ) is a walled Breton town and a commune in the Côtes-d'Armor department in northwestern France. On 1 January 2018, the former commune of Léhon was merged into Dinan. Geography Its geographical setting is exceptional. Instead o ...

, France Bulat-Pestivien (22) Église Notre-Dame Statue 01.JPG, Statue of Blessed Knight Charles Châtillon de Blois in the Church of Notre-Dame de Bulat-Pestivien (Bretagne) File:Siège d'Hennebont.jpg, The Knight Charles de Blois-Châtillon, with his army, in the attack of

Siege of Hennebont A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...

in 1342, an epic battle during the war of succession of Brittany File:Charles de Blois is taken prisoner.jpg, "The Knight Charles de Châtillon is taken prisoner". Jean Froissart, Chroniques (Vol. I), Koninklijke Bibliotheek in 1816 File:Battle of Auray.jpg, Battle of Auray, 1364 File:Guerre de Succession de Bretagne 1341-1364.png, "War of Breton Succession" (1341–1364), Jean Froissart, Paris, 9th century File:Rennes (35) Basilique Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle Vitrail 1.jpg, Battle of Auray in the glass window of the Church of Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle, Rennes File:Battle of Auray 2.jpg, Battle of Auray 1364, "Chroniques" File:133 Bataille d'Auray.JPG, Battle of Auray, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris File:Premier siége de Vannes (1342).png, First Siege of Vannes in 1342 by Charles de Blois-Châtillon File:Battle of La Roche-Derrien.jpg, Charles de Blois-Châtillon, was taken prisoner after the battle of Roche Derrien in 1347

References

Sources

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External links

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Treccani.it, l'Enciclopedia italiana House of de Châtillon (-sur-Marne), Champagne (Soissonnais),Bourgogne, Ponthieu & Ternois, Genealogy and HeraldryHouse of de Nanteuil Le-Haudouin, Genealogy and Heraldry
{{DEFAULTSORT:Charles, Duke Of Brittany Brittany, Charles, Duke of Brittany, Charles, Duke of 14th-century dukes of Brittany 14th-century peers of France People of the Hundred Years' War Brittany, Charles, Duke of House of Châtillon Medieval Breton saints Breton beatified people