The County of Fézensac was an 8th-century creation on the north-eastern fringes of the

Duchy 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 ...

following Charlemagne's policy of feudalisation and Frankish colonisation. The move was aimed at offsetting and undermining the authority of the duke of Gascony Lupo II after the setback suffered by the Franks at the

Battle of Roncevaux The Battle of Roncevaux Pass ( French and English spelling, ''Roncesvalles'' in Spanish, ''Orreaga'' in Basque) in 778 saw a large force of Basques ambush a part of Charlemagne's army in Roncevaux Pass, a high mountain pass in the Pyrenees on t ...

in 778 and failure to restrain the Basques. That advance clearly displeased the Basques, with these policies sparking a stir on the banks of the Garonne (Count of Toulouse

Chorso Torson (known variously as ''Tercin'', ''Torso'', ''Chorso'', and ''Chorson'') was the first count (or duke) of Toulouse (778 – 789 or 790). He is called ''Chorso dux Tholosanus'' by the so-called "Astronomer" in his ''Vita Hludovici'' ("L ...

defeated by Odalric "Wasco"). The county was appointed to a count called Burgund, who judging by his name was not a Basque. Burgund died in about 801 and was replaced by a certain Liutard, who was alien to the territory. The new appointment and his fresh military arrangements were met with the hostility of important local officials, who staged a rebellion, burning alive supporters of the new count. Ultimately, the rebellion was quelled and the instigators punished. However, in 864 we hear of

Arnold Arnold may refer to: People * Arnold (given name), a masculine given name * Arnold (surname), a German and English surname Places Australia * Arnold, Victoria, a small town in the Australian state of Victoria Canada * Arnold, Nova Scotia U ...

, Sancho Sanchez's nephew and a native from the area, holding the title of count of Fezensac. Later in 926, after the death of García II, the Fézensac was given as an

appanage An appanage, or apanage (; french: apanage ), is the grant of an estate, title, office or other thing of value to a younger child of a sovereign, who would otherwise have no inheritance under the system of primogeniture. It was common in much o ...

to García's second-eldest son

William William is a male Male (symbol: ♂) is the sex of an organism that produces the gamete (sex cell) known as sperm, which fuses with the larger female gamete, or ovum, in the process of fertilization. A male organism cannot reproduce sex ...

. It included the cities of

Vic Vic (; es, Vic or Pancracio Celdrán (2004). Diccionario de topónimos españoles y sus gentilicios (5ª edición). Madrid: Espasa Calpe. p. 843. ISBN 978-84-670-3054-9. «Vic o Vich (viquense, vigitano, vigatán, ausense, ausetano, ausonense) ...

and

Auch Auch (; oc, label= Gascon, Aush ) is a commune in southwestern France. Located in the region of Occitanie, it is the capital of the Gers department. Auch is the historical capital of Gascony. Geography Localization Hydrography The R ...

, its capital, as well as the territory of

Armagnac Armagnac (, ) is a distinctive kind of brandy produced in the Armagnac region in Gascony, southwest France. It is distilled from wine usually made from a blend of grapes including Baco 22A, Colombard, Folle blanche and Ugni blanc, traditiona ...

Carolingian count

* Liutard, count of Fezensac then count of Paris (816).

House of Gascony

926-960 : William Garcés († 960). 960-985 : Odo Falta († 985), son of the previous. 985-1020: Bernard Manciat Tinéa († 1020), son of the previous. 1020-1032 : Aymeric I († 1032), son of the previous. 1032-1064 : William Astanove I, († 1064), son of the previous. 1064-1103 : Aymeric II, († 1103), son of the previous. 1103-1140 : Astanove II († 1140), his sons died before him. His daughter Anicelle inherited the county of Fezensac that passed to the

house of Armagnac The House of Armagnac is a French noble house established in 961 by Bernard I, Count of Armagnac. It achieved its greatest importance in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. The House of Armagnac, at the end of the thirteenth century, was not ...

. Note : In 1777, the Montesquiou family was recognized as descending from the first counts of Fezensac and

Louis XVI Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was e ...

allowed them to change their name to "de Montesquiou-Fezensac".''Almanach de Gotha'', 1907, p. 329.
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House of Armagnac

1140-1160 : Géraud III of Armagnac († 1160), count of Armagnac and of Fézensac, husband of Anicelle of Fézensac, countess of Fézensac, daughter of Astanove II, count of Fezensac. 1160-1193 : Bernard IV of Armagnac († 1193), count of Armagnac and of Fézensac, son of the previous, : married to Etiennette of la Barthe. 1193-1215 : Géraud IV d'Armagnac († 1215), count of Armagnac and of Fézensac, son of the previous.

House of Lomagne

1215-1219 : Géraud V d'Armagnac († 1219), count of Armagnac and of Fézensac, son of Bernard of Lomagne, viscount of Fésenzaguet (son of Odon of Lomagne and Mascarose of Armagnac, daughter of Géraud III). 1219-1241 : Peter Gérard of Armagnac († 1241), son of the previous. 1241-1243 : Bernard V of Armagnac († 1243), brother of the previous, : married to Agnes. 1243-1255 : Arnaud Odon of Armagnac († 1256), viscount of Lomagne, nephew of Odon of Lomagne, : married to Mascarose I of Armagnac († 1245), daughter of Géraud V. 1255-1256 : Eschivat IV of Chabanais, count of Armagnac and Fézensac and count of Bigorre († 1283), : married in 1255 to Mascarose II of Armagnac († 1256), daughter of Arnaud Odon and Mascarose I of Armagnac. 1256-1285 :

Gerald VI, Count of Armagnac Gerald VI, (1235–1285), was Viscount Fezensaguet from 1240 to 1285, then Count of Armagnac and Fezensac from 1256 to 1285. He was the son of Roger d'Armagnac, Viscount of Fezensaguet, and Pincelle d'Albret. Life In 1249 he contested the posses ...

, comte of Armagnac, († 1285), nephew of Géraud V, son of Roger of Lomagne, viscount of Fésenzaguet, : married in 1260 to Mathe of Béarn. 1285-1319 : Bernard of Armagnac, count of Armagnac, († 1319), son of the previous. :married to à Isabelle of lbret († 1 décembre 1294) :married in en 1298 to Cécile of Rodez (1275 † 1313) 1313-1373 :

Jean I of Armagnac John I of Armagnac (French: Jean d’Armagnac; 1311 – 16 May 1373), son of Bernard VI and Cecilia Rodez, was Count of Armagnac from 1319 to 1373. In addition to Armagnac he controlled territory in Quercy, Rouergue and Gévaudan. He was the cou ...

(1311 † 1373), comte of Armagnac and Rodez, son of the previous. :married in 1327 to Béatrice of Clermont († 1364), countess of Charolais 1373-1384 : Jean II of Armagnac († 1384), comte of Armagnac and Rodez, son of the previous. :married in 1359 to Jeanne of Périgord. 1384-1391 :

Jean III of Armagnac John III of Armagnac (1359 – July 25, 1391) was a Count of Armagnac, of Fézensac and Rodez from 1384 to 1391. He was the son of John II of Armagnac, and Joan of Périgord. In 1390, John claimed the Kingdom of Majorca, but was overcome by the ...

(† 1391), comte of Armagnac and Rodez, son of the previous. :married in 1378 to Marguerite countess of Comminges. 1391-1418 :

Bernard VII of Armagnac Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac (1360 – 12 June 1418) was Count of Armagnac and Constable of France. He was the son of John II, Count of Armagnac, and Jeanne de Périgord. He succeeded in Armagnac at the death of his brother, John III, in ...

(1360 † 1418), comte of Armagnac and Rodez, constable of France, brother of the previous. :married to Bonne of Berry (1365 † 1435). 1418-1450 :

Jean IV of Armagnac John IV (15 October 1396 – 5 November 1450) was a Count of Armagnac, Fézensac, and Rodez from 1418 to 1450. He was involved in the intrigues related to the Hundred Years' War and in conflicts against the King of France. Biography Born 15 Oc ...

(1396 † 1450), count of Armagnac and Rodez, son of the previous. :married in 1407 to Blanche of Bretagne (1395 † 1419), and after in 1419 to Isabelle of Évreux (1395 † 1450) 1450-1473 :

Jean V of Armagnac John V of Armagnac ( Fr.: ''Jean V, comte d'Armagnac'') (1420 – 6 March 1473), the penultimate Count of Armagnac of the older branch. He was the son of John IV of Armagnac and Isabella of Navarre. Life Styled Viscount de Lomagne while his fath ...

(1420 † 1473), count of Armagnac and Rodez, viscount of Lomagne, son of the previous and Isabelle of Évreux. :married in 1469 to Jeanne of Foix. 1473-1497 :

Charles I of Armagnac Charles d'Armagnac, born 1425, died June 3, 1497, in Castelnau-de-Montmiral at the age of 72 years, was Count of Armagnac and Rodez from 1473 to 1497. He was the son of John IV, Count of Armagnac and Rodez, and Isabella d'Évreux. His older brother, ...

(1425 † 1497), count of Armagnac and Rodez, brother of the previous. :married in 1468 to Catherine of Foix († 1510)

House of Alençon

1497-1525 : Charles IV of Alençon (1489 † 1525), great-nephew of the previous, his grandfather Jean II duke of Alençon married Marie of Armagnac, daughter of Jean IV. :married in 1509 to Marguerite of France (1492-1549), sister of François I of France.

House of Albret

1527-1555 : Henry II of Navarre (1503 † 1555), king of Navarre, count of Foix, count of Bigorre, count of Périgord, count of Armagnac and Rodez, :married in 1527 to Marguerite of France (1492 † 1549) 1555-1572 : Jeanne of Albret (1528 † 1572), daughter of the previous, queen of Navarre, ... : married in 1548 to Antoine of Bourbon (1518 † 1562), duke of Vendôme. 1572-1589 :

Henry IV of France Henry IV (french: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry or Henry the Great, was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarch ...

(1553 † 1610), king of France and Navarre, son of the previous.

House of Guise

In 1645, the county of Fezensac is given with the county of Armagnac to Henri of Lorraine-Guise (1601 † 1666), count of Harcourt

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:County Of Fezensac Fezensac Fézensac family