Fulk II of Anjou ( 905 – 960), called ("the Good"), was
Count of Anjou
The Count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou, first granted by King Charles the Bald, Charles the Bald of West Francia in the 9th century to Robert the Strong. Ingelger and his son, Fulk the Red, were viscounts until Fulk assumed the t ...
from 942 to his death.
[Refer to Bernard S. Bachrach, "Fulk Nerra: Neo-Roman Consul, 987-1040" (California, 1993) 261 and 262 for a useful genealogy of the Angevin ]comital
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: ...
line.
Life
Fulk II, born ,
[K.S.B. Keats-Rohan, ''Family Trees and the Root of Politics; A Prosopography of Britain and France from the Tenth to the Twelfth Century'' (The Boydell Press, Woodbridge, UK, 1997), p. 255] was a son of
Fulk the Red and his wife Roscilla de Loches, daughter of Warnerius,
Seigneur
A seigneur () or lord is an originally feudal title in France before the Revolution, in New France and British North America until 1854, and in the Channel Islands to this day. The seigneur owned a seigneurie, seigneury, or lordship—a form of ...
de
Villentrois.
[Detlev Schwennicke, '' Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten'', Neue Folge, Band III Teilband 1 (Verlag von J. A. Stargardt, Marburg, Germany, 1984), Tafel 116] He succeeded his father in 942 as the second
Count
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: ...
of
Anjou
Anjou may refer to:
Geography and titles France
*County of Anjou, a historical county in France and predecessor of the Duchy of Anjou
**Count of Anjou, title of nobility
*Duchy of Anjou, a historical duchy and later a province of France
** Du ...
, and remained in power until 960.
By this time, the
Angevins, Fulk II included, had become particularly adept at establishing
marriage alliances that furthered their goals. His father,
Fulk the Red, had arranged his marriage to Gerberga, daughter of Geoffrey of Nevers and Aba.
[The assumption of Bernard S. Bachrach, stating Gerberga was a daughter of Ratburnus I, ]Viscount
A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. The status and any domain held by a viscount is a viscounty.
In the case of French viscounts, the title is ...
of Vienne, is not consistent. Among other things, this alliance enabled Fulk to open the doors towards Aquitaine for his daughter,
Adelaide-Blanche, to marry a future king of France (Aba was likely a daughter of
William I, Duke of Aquitaine
William I (22 March 875 – 6 July 918), called the Pious, was the Count of Auvergne from 886 and Duke of Aquitaine from 893, succeeding the Poitou, Poitevin ruler Ebalus of Aquitaine, Ebalus Manser. He made numerous monastic foundations, most imp ...
, and Engelberga, thus of royal blood) and for his son Guy to become
Bishop of le Puy
The Diocese of Le Puy-en-Velay (Latin: ''Dioecesis Aniciensis''; French: ''Diocèse du Puy-en-Velay'' ) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in France. The diocese comprises the whole Department of Haute-Loire, in the Region of Auvergne-R ...
.
[Bernard S. Bachrach, ''Fulk Nerra the Neo-Roman Consul, 987-1040'' (University of California Press, 1993), p. 7]
After Gerberga's death , Fulk made another astute political marriage to the
widow
A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has Death, died and has usually not remarried. The male form, "widower", is first attested in the 14th century, by the 19th century supplanting "widow" with reference to men. The adjecti ...
of
Alan II, Duke of Brittany. Alan II had also been Count of Nantes and through this marriage Fulk gained influence in, and possibly control of,
Nantes
Nantes (, ; ; or ; ) is a city in the Loire-Atlantique department of France on the Loire, from the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast. The city is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, sixth largest in France, with a pop ...
. His second wife was also the sister of
Theobald I, Count of Blois, which permitted Fulk II to form an alliance with the
House of Blois
The House of Blois () was a noble family that arose in the West Francia, Kingdom of West Francia in the early 10th century, and whose prominent members were often named Theobald (''Thibaud'', ''Thibault'', ''Thibaut'' in French language, French). ...
.
He is said to have ordered the murder of
Drogo, Duke of Brittany, Alan II's son with the latter, according to the ''
Chronique de Nantes''.
Family
By his spouse Gerberge, Fulk II had several children:
*
Adelaide-Blanche of Anjou, married four or five times.
*
Geoffrey I, Count of Anjou, married
Adelaide of Vermandois.
* Bouchard, Count of Vendome.
* Guy of Anjou, Bishop of le Puy.
* Humbert d'Anjou, mentioned 957.
Fulk II had no known issue with his second wife.
Death
Fulk died in 960.
[Bernard S. Bachrach, ''Fulk Nerra the Neo-Roman Consul, 987-1040'' (University of California Press, 1993), p. 261] He was succeeded by his son
Geoffrey Greymantle.
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fulk 02 Anjou
House of Ingelger
Counts of Anjou
900s births
960 deaths
Year of birth uncertain
10th-century French nobility