Douce I (also Dulcia or Dolça, called "of Rouergue" or "of Gévaudan") ( – 1127) was the daughter of
Gilbert I of Gévaudan and
Gerberga of Provence and wife of
Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona. In 1112, she inherited the
county of Provence through her mother. She married Ramon Berenguer at
Arles
Arles ( , , ; ; Classical ) is a coastal city and Communes of France, commune in the South of France, a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture in the Bouches-du-Rhône Departments of France, department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Reg ...
on 3 February that year.
Life
In 1113, Douce ceded her rights in
Provence
Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...
,
Gévaudan, and the
viscounty of
Millau
Millau (; ) is a commune in Occitania, France. Located at the confluence of the Tarn and Dourbie rivers, the town is a subprefecture of the Aveyron department.
Millau is known for its Viaduct, glove industry and several nearby natural ...
to her husband. According to a once prevailing opinion, "Provençal troubadours ... entered
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...
at the time" and even the
Catalan language
Catalan () is a Western Romance languages, Western Romance language and is the official language of Andorra, and the official language of three autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous communities in eastern Spain: Catalonia, the Balearic I ...
was imported from Provence. According to
nationalist historians it was the beginning of ''l'engrandiment occitànic'' (the Occitan aggrandisement): a great scheme to unite various lands on both sides of the
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees are a mountain range straddling the border of France and Spain. They extend nearly from their union with the Cantabrian Mountains to Cap de Creus on the Mediterranean coast, reaching a maximum elevation of at the peak of Aneto. ...
.
[Thomas N. Bisson (1984), "The Rise of Catalonia: Identity, Power, and Ideology in a Twelfth-Century Society," ''Annales: Economies, Sociétés, Civilisations'', xxxix, translated in ''Medieval France and her Pyrenean Neighbours: Studies in Early Institutional History'' (London: Hambledon, 1989), 179.]
In reality the marriage gave the
House of Barcelona
The House of Barcelona was a medieval dynasty that ruled the County of Barcelona continuously from 878 and the Crown of Aragon from 1137 (as kings from 1162) until 1410. They descend from the Bellonids, the descendants of Wilfred the Hairy. Th ...
extensive interests in
Occitania
Occitania is the historical region in Southern Europe where the Occitan language was historically spoken and where it is sometimes used as a second language. This cultural area roughly encompasses much of the southern third of France (except ...
and put it in conflict with the
Counts of Toulouse
The count of Toulouse (, ) was the ruler of county of Toulouse, Toulouse during the 8th to 13th centuries. Originating as vassals of the kingdom of the Franks, Frankish kings,
the hereditary counts ruled the city of Toulouse and its surrounding ...
, with whom a partition of Provence was signed in 1125, shortly before Douce's death. Her death inaugurated a period of instability in Provence. A cadet branch of the House of Barcelona was set up to rule, but a disputed succession opened up the
Baussenque Wars (1144–1162), which terminated in her heirs' victory.
Her children with
Ramon Berenguer were:
*Almodis, married Ponce de Cervera
*
Berenguela (1116–1149), married
Alfonso VII of Castile
Alphons (Latinized ''Alphonsus'', ''Adelphonsus'', or ''Adefonsus'') is a male given name recorded from the 8th century (Alfonso I of Asturias, r. 739–757) in the Christian successor states of the Visigothic Kingdom in the Iberian Peninsula. I ...
*
Ramon Berenguer (1113–1162),
Count of Barcelona
The count of Barcelona (, , , ) was the ruler of the County of Barcelona and also, by extension and according with the Usages of Barcelona, Usages and Catalan constitutions, of the Principality of Catalonia as Prince#Prince as generic for ruler, p ...
*
Berenguer Ramon (c. 1115–1144),
Count of Provence
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star.
Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
*Bernard, died young
References
{{s-end
1090s births
1127 deaths
Counts of Provence
Provence, Countess of, Douce I
Christians of the 1113–1115 Balearic Islands expedition
Year of birth uncertain
12th-century countesses regnant
11th-century women
11th-century nobility from the Holy Roman Empire
12th-century women
12th-century nobility from the Holy Roman Empire
Countesses of Barcelona
12th-century Catalan people