ERMENGARDE OF NARBONNE
Emblematic
figure of Languedoc in the Middle-Age, Ermengarde wad born in 1127 or 1129,
Aimery II of Narbonne's daughter. She had only 4 or 5 years when her father died
in 1134.
Alphonse Jourdain, Count of Toulouse, became her tutor and managed Viscounty of
Narbonne. He will give it to Ermengarde in 1143. She was thus very young, 14 or
15 years, when she became Viscountess of Narbonne.
Whether it's not proved, it's
very probable
that Alfonse the 1st known as Jourdain, Count of Toulouse, married her or
had her under his thumb between 1143 and 1145. On the other hand her marriage
with Bernard II of Anduze in 1145 is well mentioned officially. This last
dies eight years later in 1153: she is 24 or 25 years old.
She would have been
married then,
or maintained relations,
with Raymond-Roger de Foix after his wife,
Philippa,
had withdrawn herself in a
Cathar house of Perfects. Raymond-Roger de Foix had two children: Roger-Bernard
II and Aimery. He could have got an illegitimate child, Loup de Foix, with
Ermengarde de Narbonne. But nothing can be confirmed, due to the doubtful
agreements of dates and mention of another Ermengarde, wife of Roger-Bernard II
of Foix.
The dates of birth of Ermengarde and Roger-Bernard II de Foix would encourage to
think that, if it's indeed about Ermengarde de Narbonne, she was the wife of
Roger-Bernard II for a time. As a 25 years old widow, who became the muse of
Troubadours and their Love Court as much as Alienor of Aquitaine, the sexual
pleasures didn't seem to be a foreign matter to her...
Nevertheless, Ermengarde don't forget
the duty of its rank: using her charms as well as the sword, knowing the ropes
of politic and to find supports, Ermengarde de Narbonne helped to hold the South
of France in favour of Louis VII against the attacks of the King Henry
II of England,
and defended its own grounds in several local conflicts. She was the chief of
the French royalists, southbound, against the English. She fought in many wars
to defend its field, she was the Troubadours' defender, the key of the the
church safety system against the Cathar heretics, as well as a famous referee
and judge in complex cases of feudal law.
Skilful negociator, she will also renovate an old Roman way of trade with
Catalonia, "Via Mercaderia" and will bring together the commercial rich
merchants of Genoa in 1166 around a treaty supported by the Church to develop
the trade towards the East and not to economically depend only on Aragon and
Catalonia.
It is obvious that her position,
favorable to King of France and Catholic Church could displease in the
Aragoneses and Catalans who had openly lined up by the side of the Counts of
Toulouse in their attempts to run with the hare and hunt with the hounds (the
King of France and the Church, against the Lords of the South, openly favorable
to Cathars, in opposition to Lords of North).
At the same time, the Church itself could not be satisfied with a power held by
a woman who called into question the very foundations of the social order by
supporting the troubadours, hawkers of a freedom of mind and manners too
advanced over their time.
Her nephew, Pierre de Lara
(related with the Counts de Barcelonne), forced
her to be abdicated in his favour. she
retired then in a monastery and
died
at the age of 67 or 68 years, in 1196 or 1197.
As from the abdication of Ermengarde, the family of Narbonne will bear the name
of Narbonne-Lara. Patronym which they will maintain, with the title of
Viscount of Narbonne, until the First Empire where the last descent of the
Narbonne-Lara is the Napoleon Bonaparte's General aide-de-camp.
A family "of Narbonne" is mentioned around the year 430, whose title is that of Senator. One finds "of Narbonne" about year 700 with the title of Lords of Narbonne. The "Viscounts of Narbonne" term seems to be employed between the end of the 9th and the beginning of 10th century. Viscounts of Narbonne, between the year 1000 and the Ermengarde's reign, contracted alliances by marriages of their children with the majority of the great French and also English families : Their descents appear in the genealogy of British kings.
___________________________________________________________________________
Read:
The Jacqueline Curdles'
book:
Ermengarde, Viscountess
of
Narbonne
University Paul Valéry, Montpellier,
Year of Publication: 1995
ISSN/ISBN: 2900041198
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