Raymond II, sometimes numbered Raymond I (c. 904 – 961) was the

count of Rouergue This is a list of the counts of Rouergue. * Sigisbert c. 790 – c. 810 or 820 * Fulcoald c. 810 or 820 – c. 836 or 849 * Raymond I c. 836 or 849 – 864 * Fredelo c. 836 or 849 – 852 (associated with Raymond) * Bernard the ...

and

Quercy Quercy (; oc, Carcin , locally ) is a former province of France located in the country's southwest, bounded on the north by Limousin, on the west by Périgord and Agenais, on the south by Gascony and Languedoc, and on the east by Rouergue and Au ...

from 937 to his death. He was the son of

Ermengol of Rouergue Ermengol (or Ermengaud) (870-937) was a son of Odo of Toulouse and Garsindis. His father gave him the County of Rouergue and Quercy in 906 and he governed it to his death. His brother was Raymond II of Toulouse and together they governed the vast p ...

and Adelaide. Under Raymond, Rouergue achieved a suzerainty over neighbouring counties and he successfully titled himself Margrave (''marchio'') of Septimania. Raymond's lordship extended over

Albi Albi (; oc, Albi ) is a commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department, on the river Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called ''Albigensians'' (french: Albigeois, Albigeoise(s), oc, albig� ...

and

Nîmes Nîmes ( , ; oc, Nimes ; Latin: ''Nemausus'') is the prefecture of the Gard department in the Occitanie region of Southern France. Located between the Mediterranean Sea and Cévennes, the commune of Nîmes has an estimated population of 148,5 ...

and, at least around 960, as far north as the

Limousin Limousin (; oc, Lemosin ) is a former administrative region of southwest-central France. On 1 January 2016, it became part of the new administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It comprised three departments: Corrèze, Creuse, and Haute-Vienn ...

. Raymond was the head of his family, which also ruled

Toulouse Toulouse ( , ; oc, Tolosa ) is the prefecture of the French department of Haute-Garonne and of the larger region of Occitania. The city is on the banks of the River Garonne, from the Mediterranean Sea, from the Atlantic Ocean and from Par ...

. Even in his time, his family appeared to be declining. He willed a Gascon fief to Duke Sancho V and allowed it to become

allod In the law of the Middle Ages and early Modern Period and especially within the Holy Roman Empire, an allod (Old Low Franconian ''allōd'' ‘fully owned estate’, from ''all'' ‘full, entire’ and ''ōd'' ‘estate’, Medieval Latin ''allodium ...

ial after his death. Nonetheless, his power was such that he could command lands as far north as

Auvergne Auvergne (; ; oc, label=Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Auverg ...

and was the most powerful lord of

Aquitaine Aquitaine ( , , ; oc, Aquitània ; eu, Akitania; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''Aguiéne''), archaic Guyenne or Guienne ( oc, Guiana), is a historical region of southwestern France and a former administrative region of the country. Since 1 January ...

, even holding a "vicar's court" in the Limousin. His will of 961 is preserved. In it, not only does he reference the aforementioned lands in Auvergne and Gascony, but he mentions seventeen castles and a ''rocheta''. Some castles were given to his wife and heirs and some to the churches of Albi and

Cahors Cahors (; oc, Caors ) is a commune in the western part of Southern France. It is the smallest prefecture among the 13 departments that constitute the Occitanie Region. The main city of the Lot department and the historical center of the Quer ...

and to various abbeys. He died later that year. According to the ''

Liber miraculorum Sancte Fidis ''Liber miraculorum sancte Fidis'', literally the "Book of the Miracles of Saint Faith", is an Hagiography, account of the miracles attributed to Saint Faith, the patron of the Abbey Church of Saint Foy, Abbey of Conques in the County of Rouergue ...

'' (Book of the Miracles of Saint Faith), he was murdered while on a pilgrimage to

Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, in northwestern Spain. The city has its origin in the shrine of Saint James the Great, now the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, as the destination of the Way of St ...

.Pamela Sheingorn (ed.), ''The Book of Sainte Foy'' (University of Pennsylvania Press, 1995), 291. Raymond married Bertha, daughter of

Boso of Tuscany Boso ( it, Bosone; died after 940?) was a Burgundian nobleman who spent much of his career in Italy, where he became Margrave of Tuscany about 932. He ruled semi-autonomously and was a benefactor of the churches of his region. He lost his office in ...

. He was succeeded by his son Raymond III.

Notes

Sources

* Lewis, Archibald R. ''The Development of Southern French and Catalan Society, 718-1050''

{{DEFAULTSORT:Raymond 02 Of Rouergue 900s births 961 deaths Year of birth uncertain 10th-century French people House of Rouergue