Floris III (1141 – August 1, 1190) was the
count of Holland from 1157 to 1190. He was a son of
Dirk VI and
Sophia of Rheineck, heiress of
Bentheim.
Career
Floris III was a loyal
vassal
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...
to Emperor
Frederick Barbarossa. He accompanied the emperor on two expeditions to
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
in 1158 and 1176–1178. Frederick thanked him by making Floris part of the imperial nobility. The emperor gave Floris the
toll
Toll may refer to:
Transportation
* Toll (fee) a fee charged for the use of a road or waterway
** Road pricing, the modern practice of charging for road use
** Road toll (historic), the historic practice of charging for road use
** Shadow toll, ...
right of
Geervliet
Geervliet is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Nissewaard, and lies about 6 km northwest of Spijkenisse on the Brielse Meer. It received city rights in 1381.
Geervliet was a separate munici ...
, the most important toll station in Holland at that time. This was actually the legalisation of an existing situation, because the counts of Holland had charged tolls illegally since the start of the 11th century.
Many farmers came to Holland to turn the swamps into agricultural lands. Dikes and dams were built and the border between Holland and the bishopric of Utrecht had to be determined. There was a dispute between Floris and the bishop of Utrecht about a new dam in the Rhine at
Zwammerdam
Zwammerdam is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland along Oude Rijn river. It is a part of the municipality of Alphen aan den Rijn, and lies about 6 km southeast of Alphen aan de Rijn. The name derives from a dam built in the Rhin ...
in 1165, which had to be settled by emperor Frederick. The brother of Floris, Baldwin, became bishop of Utrecht in 1178.
War broke out between
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...
and Holland. Count
Philip I of Flanders wanted to have
Zeeland
, nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge")
, anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem")
, image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg
, map_alt =
, m ...
back. Floris was captured in
Bruges
Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the country by population.
The area of the whole city a ...
and had to accept Flemish overlordship in Zeeland as ransom in 1167. During his reign Floris III had troubles with
West Friesland and a war with Philip concerning their respective rights in West
Zeeland
, nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge")
, anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem")
, image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg
, map_alt =
, m ...
, in which he was beaten. In 1170 a great flood caused immense devastation in the north and helped to form the
Zuider Zee
The Zuiderzee or Zuider Zee (; old spelling ''Zuyderzee'' or ''Zuyder Zee'') was a shallow bay of the North Sea in the northwest of the Netherlands, extending about 100 km (60 miles) inland and at most 50 km (30 miles) wide, with an ov ...
.
In 1189 Floris accompanied Frederick Barbarossa upon the
Third Crusade
The Third Crusade (1189–1192) was an attempt by three European monarchs of Western Christianity (Philip II of France, Richard I of England and Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor) to reconquer the Holy Land following the capture of Jerusalem by ...
, of which he was a distinguished leader. He died in 1190 at
Antioch
Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ ...
of pestilence and was buried there. He was succeeded by his son
Dirk VII
Dirk VII (died 4 November 1203, in Dordrecht) was the count of Holland from 1190 to 1203. He was the elder son of Floris III and Ada of Huntingdon.
Life
Due to a civil war in the Holy Roman Empire, Emperor Henry VI had to find ways to make fri ...
.
Family and children
In 1162, Floris married
Ada
Ada may refer to:
Places
Africa
* Ada Foah, a town in Ghana
* Ada (Ghana parliament constituency)
* Ada, Osun, a town in Nigeria
Asia
* Ada, Urmia, a village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Ada, Karaman, a village in Karaman Province, ...
, sister of King
William the Lion
William the Lion, sometimes styled William I and also known by the nickname Garbh, "the Rough"''Uilleam Garbh''; e.g. Annals of Ulster, s.a. 1214.6; Annals of Loch Cé, s.a. 1213.10. ( 1142 – 4 December 1214), reigned as King of Scots from 11 ...
of Scotland. The county of Holland adopted from him the rampant lion in the
coat of arms
A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...
and the name of William. Their children were:
#
Ada
Ada may refer to:
Places
Africa
* Ada Foah, a town in Ghana
* Ada (Ghana parliament constituency)
* Ada, Osun, a town in Nigeria
Asia
* Ada, Urmia, a village in West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
* Ada, Karaman, a village in Karaman Province, ...
(died after 1205), married 1176 Margrave
Otto I of Brandenburg
Otto I (c. 1128 – July 8, 1184) was the second Margrave of Brandenburg, from 1170 until his death.
Life
Otto I was born into the House of Ascania as the eldest son of Albert I ("Albert the Bear"), who founded the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1 ...
and later his son
Otto II of Brandenburg
Otto II (after 1147 – July 4, 1205), called ''The Generous'' (german: der Freigiebige), was the third Margrave of Brandenburg from 1184 until his death.
Life
Otto II was born into the House of Ascania as the eldest son of Otto I and Judith, ...
# Margaret (died after 1203), married 1182 Count
Dietrich IV of Cleves
#
Dirk VII of Holland
Dirk VII (died 4 November 1203, in Dordrecht) was the count of Holland from 1190 to 1203. He was the elder son of Floris III and Ada of Huntingdon.
Life
Due to a civil war in the Holy Roman Empire, Emperor Henry VI had to find ways to make fri ...
#
William I of Holland
William I (c. 1167 – 4 February 1222) was count of Holland from 1203 to 1222. He was the younger son of Floris III and Ada of Huntingdon.
Early life
William was born in The Hague, but raised in Scotland. He participated in the Third Cru ...
#
Floris (died 1210),
bishop of Glasgow
The Archbishop of Glasgow is an archiepiscopal title that takes its name after the city of Glasgow in Scotland. The position and title were abolished by the Church of Scotland in 1689; and, in the Scottish Episcopal Church, it is now part of th ...
# Baldwin (died 1204)
# Robert
# Beatrix
# Elisabeth
# Hedwig
# Agnes (died 1228), abbess at
Rijnsburg Abbey
Rijnsburg Abbey ( nl, Abdij van Rijnsburg) was a Benedictine nunnery in Rijnsburg, Netherlands, active between 1133 until 1574.
History
It was founded by Petronilla of Lorraine
Petronilla of Lorraine ( 1082 – 23 May 1144) was Countess of Holl ...
{{Authority control
1141 births
1190 deaths
Counts of Holland
House of Dunkeld
Christians of the Third Crusade
12th-century people of the Holy Roman Empire