Gerberga, Countess of Provence
Gerberga | |
|---|---|
| Countess of Provence | |
| Born | c. 1060 |
| Died | 1115 |
| Noble family | House of Provence |
| Spouse(s) | Gilbert I of Gévaudan |
| Issue | Douce I, Countess of Provence |
| Father | Geoffrey I of Provence |
| Mother | Etiennette |
Gerberga (1045/65–1115), also spelled Gerberge or Gerburge, was the Countess of Provence for more than a decade, until 1112. Provence is a region located in the southeastern part of modern-day France 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.[1] However, Gerberga did not succeed him immediately, but rather became countess decades after his death, during which time other relatives filled that position. It is unclear exactly when she became countess; sources indicate it was no earlier than 1093 and no later than 1100.
She and her husband, Gilbert I of Gévaudan, were considered virtuous.[2] He participated in the Crusades, donating many relics from the Middle East to churches in Provence.[3] Gilbert later died in 1108. Gerberga then took control of the government, and is said to have ruled wisely.[4] In 1112, her eldest daughter Douce was married to Raymond Berengar III of Barcelona at which point Provence was ceded to him.[5] Her second daughter, Stephanie, would lay claim to the county and thus precipitate the Baussenque Wars in 1144.
References
- ^ de Manteyer 1908, p. 298.
- ^ 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).
- ^ Cook, Theodore. Old Provence, p. 205 (Interlink Books, 1905).
- ^ 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).
- ^ Cheyette 1999, p. 154-155.
Sources
- Cheyette, Fredric L. (1999). "Women, Poets, and Politics in Occitania". In Evergates, Theodore (ed.). Aristocratic Women in Medieval France. University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 138-.
- de Manteyer, Georges (1908). La Provence du premier au douzième siècle (in French). Vol. 2. Librairie Alphonse Picard et Fils.