Gerberga (1045/65–1115), also spelled Gerberge or Gerburge, was the

Countess of Provence The County of Provence was a largely autonomous medieval state that eventually became incorporated into the Kingdom of France in 1481. For four centuries Provence was ruled by List of rulers of Provence, a series of counts that were vassals of the ...

for more than a decade, until 1112.

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 ...

is a region located in the southeastern part of modern-day

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

that did not become part of France until 1481 (well after Gerberga's time). Countess Gerberga was a daughter of Geoffrey I of Provence and his wife Etiennette of Marseille. She became Countess of Provence upon the death of her brother, Bertrand II, in 1093. She and her husband, Gilbert I of Gévaudan, were considered virtuous.Fouque, Claude.
Fastes de la Provence ancienne et moderne: Contenant l'histoire politique, civile, héroi'que et religieuse de ses principales villes
', Volume 1 , p. 346 (Barile et Boulouch, 1838). He participated in

the Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and at times directed by the Papacy during the Middle Ages. The most prominent of these were the campaigns to the Holy Land aimed at reclaiming Jerusalem and its surrounding t ...

, donating many relics from the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

to churches in Provence. Gilbert later died in 1108. Gerberga then took control of the government, and is said to have ruled wisely.Clement, Francois.
L' Art De Vérifier Les Dates Des Faits Historiques, Des Chartes, Des Chroniques, Et Autres Anciens Monumens, Depuis La Naissance De Notre-Seigneur
', p. 436 (Jombert, 1784). In 1112, her eldest daughter Douce was married to

Raymond Berengar III of Barcelona Ramon Berenguer III ''the Great'' (11 November 1082 – 23 January or 19 July 1131) was the count of Barcelona, Girona, and Ausona from 1086 (jointly with Berenguer Ramon II and solely from 1097), Besalú from 1111, Cerdanya from 1117, and count ...

at which point Provence was ceded to him. Her second daughter,

Stephanie Stephanie is a female name that comes from the Greek name Στέφανος (Stephanos) meaning "crown, wreath, garland". The male form is Stephen. Forms of Stephanie in other languages include the German "Stefanie", the Italian, Czech, Pol ...

, would lay claim to the county and thus precipitate the

Baussenque Wars The Baussenque Wars (from French ''Guerres Baussenques'', meaning "wars of Baux") were a series of armed conflicts (1144–1162) between the House of Barcelona, then ruling in Provence, and the House of Baux. They are held up in Provence as th ...

in 1144.

References

Sources

* * {{s-end 1060s births 1115 deaths Counts of Provence 11th-century countesses regnant 12th-century countesses regnant 11th-century nobility from the Holy Roman Empire 11th-century women 11th-century French people 12th-century nobility from the Holy Roman Empire 12th-century women