Matfrid (died 836) was the Frankish

count of Orléans 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: ...

in the reign of Emperor Louis the Pious. He is usually thought to have been the first of the lineage known to historians as the Matfridings (German ''Matfridinger'' or ''Matfriede''). Matfrid was Count of Orléans from around 818. He accompanied the Emperor on his expedition to Brittany in 824, and served at Louis's court. However, in 825, he supported Lothar, eldest son of Emperor Louis, in his revolt against the Emperor. Restored to favour, he led a Frankish army on the

Marca Hispanica The Hispanic March or Spanish March ( es, Marca Hispánica, ca, Marca Hispànica, Aragonese and oc, Marca Hispanica, eu, Hispaniako Marka, french: Marche d'Espagne), was a military buffer zone beyond the former province of Septimania, esta ...

, the Spanish frontier, in 827, jointly with his sister's husband Hugh, Count of Tours and Louis's son Pippin, King of Aquitaine. Matfrid, Hugh, and Pippin failed to meet the invasion by

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, and the following year at

Aachen Aachen ( ; ; Aachen dialect: ''Oche'' ; French and traditional English: Aix-la-Chapelle; or ''Aquisgranum''; nl, Aken ; Polish: Akwizgran) is, with around 249,000 inhabitants, the 13th-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the 28th- ...

an Imperial assembly stripped Matfrid and Hugh of their titles. Thereafter, although Matfrid supported the rebellions of Emperor Louis's sons on every occasion, he was repeatedly restored to his lands, title, and imperial favour. Matfrid, once more serving Lothar, died in Italy in 836 during a

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Jonas of Orléans Jonas (c. 760–843) was Bishop of Orléans and played a major political role during the reign of Emperor Louis the Pious. Jonas was born in Aquitaine. Probably a cleric by the 780s, he served at the court of Louis the Pious, who ruled as King ...

addressed his "

mirror of princes Mirrors for princes ( la, specula principum) or mirrors of princes, are an educational literary genre, in a loose sense of the word, of political writings during the Early Middle Ages, the High Middle Ages, the late middle ages and the Renaissance. ...

" work ''De Institutione laicali'' to Matfrid. A second Matfrid, presumed to be the son of the first, was active in Lotharingia during the reigns of Lothar and his son Lothar II, a frequent witness to their charters in the period from 843 to 860. The third Matfrid, presumed son of the second, was active in the period 867 to 878. Later cognatic members of the Matfriding clan included

Godfrey I, Duke of Lower Lorraine Godfrey I (born 940/945; died 964) was the count of Hainault from 958 and margrave or vice-duke of Lower Lorraine from 959, when that duchy was divided by Duke Bruno, who remained duke until his death in 964. Life Godfrey was the son of Godfr ...

References

* * Godman, Peter, and Collins, Roger, editors. ''Charlemagne's Heir: New perspectives on the reign of Louis the Pious.'' Oxford University Press, 1990. * Jeep, John M., ed. ''Medieval Germany: an encyclopedia'', sv "Matfridings". Routledge, 2001. * Riché, Pierre. ''Dictionnaire des Francs: Les Carolingiens,'' sv "Matfrid". Bartillat, 1997. {{Authority control Matfriding dynasty Counts of Orléans Nobility of the Carolingian Empire 836 deaths Year of birth unknown