House of Baux

The House of Baux is a French noble family from the south of France. It was one of the richest and most powerful families of Medieval Provence, known as the 'Race d’Aiglon'. They were independent Lords as castellan of Les Baux and Arles and wielded very considerable authority at local level. They held important fiefs and vast lands, including the principality of Orange.[1]

In Provençal, the word “Baux” ("li Baou" in provencal) means escarpment/cliff, and refers to the natural fortress on which the family built their castle, the Château des Baux and the village that surrounded it. The word is also seen in Bau-maniere, Bau-baisse, Bau-mirane, Bau-Cous-temple. In provencal to be from les Baux, des Baux, was "de Baucio". The natural defense provided by the escarpment, the raised and protected mountain valley that allowed them to have a protected food supply, and the natural ridge of the Alpilles that allowed them to control all the approaches to the citadel of Les Baux and the surrounding countryside, including the passage up and down the Rhone, and the approaches from the Mediterranean, made that the fortress impervious to the military technology of the time.

Les Baux-de-Provence seen from the side, showing the natural fortress created by the escarpment. Without gunpowder, it was impregnable.

The family of des Baux exists today in Naples in the person of several noble families ("del Balzo") descended from younger sons who followed Charles of Anjou south.[2] After the death of Alix des Baux, the last sovereign of Baux, the chateaux and town were seized by King Rene, who gave it to his 2nd wife, Queen Jeanne of Laval. When Provence was united with the crown, almost 150 yrs of royal governors followed, including the lords, later counts and princes de Manville. Les Baux became a centre for Protestantism. Its unsuccessful revolt against the crown led Cardinal Richelieu in 1632 to order that the castle and its walls should be demolished. This was accomplished with the aid of artillery.

Lords of Baux
Original coat of arms of the House of Baux (Lords of Baux). Some authors, and local tradition, with a hagiographic aim, fancifully claimed that the family was descended from Balthazar, one of the three Magi (the 16-rayed star symbolizing the star of Bethlehem). Some, that they descended from the first kings of Armenia, the star signifying that they directly knew Jesus. The motto of the family was ‘Au Hasard Baltasar', as well as 'Jamais Vassal’ and ‘Semper Ardentius’

The earliest definite ancestor was one Pons (Poncius) (name could designate a trader from Greece) "Iuvenis" (the younger, meaning there was an older?). Pons The Younger was mentioned in 3 legal acts:[3]

  • 1st in the act of donation of 14 May 971 donating Montmajour to Boson & his wife Folcoare,
  • 2nd in 975 in the act of donation of land to St Etienne d'Arles, now called St. Trophime (Arch. du chap. d'Arles, liv. autent. f. 22)
  • 3rd with his wife Profecte in an act of donation in 981

The family descent then is:

  • Pons (971-?), father of
  • Hugh I (?-1059), father of
  • William I Hugh (1050–1110), father of
  • Raymond I (1110–1150), father of
  • Hugh II (1150–1167)
  • Bertrand I (1167–1181) also the first Baux prince of Orange, brother of Hugh II
  • Hugh III, lord of Baux, viscount of Marseille (1181–1240), eldest son of Bertrand I
  • Barral I of Baux (1240–1268), son of Hugh III, father of
  • Bertrand III (1268–1305), 9th Lord of Baux, father of
  • Raymond II (1305–1322), 10th Lord of Baux, father of
  • Hugh IV (1322–1351), father of
  • Robert (1351–1353)
  • Raymond III (1353–1372), brother of
  • John I (1372–1375)
  • Alice I (1372–1426), sister of

This branch of the House of Baux was declared extinct in 1426. The domains were inherited by Counts of Provence.

See also: Lords of Baux

Lords of Berre, Meyragues, Puyricard and Marignane
  • Bertrand II des Baux, second oldest son of Bertrand I des Baux, lord of Berre, Meyragues and Puyricard, and Marignane (1181–1201)
  • ...

From this branch originated the family branches of the Seigneurs de Berre, Lords of Meyrargues and Puyricard, who became extinct in 1349, and lords of Marignane, acquired by House of Valois-Anjou, as well as the Dukes of Andria.

Princes of Orange
When a branch of the lords of Baux married the heiress of the princes of Orange, they quartered their arms with those of the princes of Orange.
See also: Prince of Orange

In 1417, the House of Ivrea or House of Châlon-Arlay succeeded as princes of Orange.

A brother of William I started the branch of the Lords of Courbezon (House of Baux-Courbezon), which became extinct in 1393. Another brother started the line of Lords of Suze, Solerieux and Barri (House of Baux-Suze-Solerieux-Barri), which became extinct and reverted afterwards to the counts of Orange.

Family Genealogy

The ancestors of the Lords of Baux

The ancestors of the Lords of Baux:[4]

Leibulf de Provence (vers 750-835)
  x Odda ?
  |
  | → Leibulf des Baux (middle of the 9th century).[5]
        x ??
        |
        | →  Pons d’Arles (end of the 9th century)
              x Blismodis de Mâcon
              |
              | → Humbert, Bishop of Vaison-la-Romaine (890-933)
                   |
              | → Ison d’Arles (890-942),
                    x Princess ? of Benevento
                    |
                    | →  Lambert Ursus seigneurs de Reillanne
                    |     x Galburge de Bénévent
                    |     |
                    |     | →  Seigneurs de Reillanne
                    |
                    | →  Pons de Marseille (910-979), 
                         x   Judith de Bretagne,[lower-alpha 1] daughter d'Alain II de Bretagne
                         |
                         | → Honoratus de Marseille (930-978), Bishop of Marseille
                         |
                         | →  William of Marseille (935-1004)
                         |    x Bellilde, daughter d’Arlulf de Marseille
                         |    |
                         |    | →  Vicomtes de Marseille
                         |                                 
                         x  Belletrude[lower-alpha 2]
                         |
                         | →  (hyp) Pons de Fos (vers 945-1025)
                               x Profecta de Marignane
                               |
                               | →  Seigneurs de Fos
                               |
                               | →  (hyp) Hugues des Baux (981-1060) 
                                   x Inauris de Cavaillon (?)
                                   |
                                   | → Guillaume Hugues de Baux (1060–1095)
                                        x Vierne
                                        |
                                        | → Raymond-Raimbaud des Baux (1095–1150)
                                             x Étiennette de Gévaudan 
                                             |
                                             | → Bertrand des Baux 
                                                  x Thiburge II d'Orange

Simplified Family Tree of the Lords of Baux

The family tree of the lords of Baux (per the references cited in the adjacent footnote, rather than footnote each person, as they are from all these sources): [6]

Pons the Younger
"Iuventus"
945-1025
Hugh
981-1060
Lord of Baux
Geoffrey I of Provence, 1013-1062, Count of Provence
William Hugo
c. 1026 - c. 1105
Lord of Baux
William Bertrand
1051-1094
Count of Provence		Gerberga
1094-1118
Countess of Provence		Gilbert
Viscount of Gévaudan
Count of Arles
d.ca. 1110
Raymond I
1095-1150
Lord of Baux
Stephanie
d. c. 1160
The younger daughter.
This marriage was
the start of the
Baussenque Wars over the
succession to Provence		Dulcia
Countess of Provence
c. 1090–1127		Ramon Berenguer III
"the Great"
Count of Barcelona
c. 1082–1131
Hugh II
1150-1170

Iudicarus of Arborea
Sardinia
Vcte. des Baux
to 1384		Bertrand I
Lord of Baux
1130-1181
Count & from 1163
Prince of Orange
Tiburge d'Orange
died 1189
daughter & heiress of
Raimbaud II d'Orange
Count of Orange
Counts of
Provence

Hugh III
1173- 1240
Lord of Baux
Vcte of Marseille
Barrale
Viscountess of Marseille
died 1234
Bertrand II
died 1201
co-Prince of Orange
William I
?-1218
Prince of Orange
Barral I
1217-1270
Lord of Baux
Vcte of Marseille
Raymond II
d.1236
Vcte of Marseille
Raymond I
1202-1282
co-Prince of Orange
William II
1218-1239
co-Prince of Orange
Bertrand II
1244-1305
Lord of Baux
Vcte of Marseille
1st Count d'Avellino
(Naples) 1278
Bertrand III
Sg Meyrargues
et Puyricard
+1266
Line of
Sg de Meyrargues
et de Puyricard
ended 1352 in
the male line.
Gilbert
Sg de Marignane
Line of
sg de Marignane
line continues to
present in Provence
William[lower-alpha 1]
Sg de Berre
+1265/1266
dukes d'Andria(Naples)
from whom "del Balzo"
dukes of Capriglianode
dukes of Presenzano
Raymond
Vcte of Berre
No descendants
Bertrand IV
died 1314
4th-Prince of Orange
Eléonore
de Genève
William IV
d. 1281
co-Prince of Orange
William III
died 1256/7
co-Prince of Orange
Sg Courthézon
Raymond II
died 1256/7
co-Prince of Orange
sg Courthézon
et Suze, Séguret
Sérignan, Camaret
Raymond I
1268-1321
Lord of Baux
Vcte of Marseille
Count d'Avellino (Naples)
Sénéchal de Provence 1315
Régent de Naples
in 1295
Hugh
assassinated
Milan 1302
Sg de Loriol
Sénéchal of Piémont
Vicaire Général Lombardy
no descendants
Barral II
1301-1331
Sg de Loreto
Agoult
d.1346/7
Sg. de Caromb, Brantes
Le Barroux, St Léger
Sénéchal Beaucaire
and Nimes 1340
Toulouse/Albi 1342
Cap. gén. en Languedoc
Raymond IV
died 1340
5th Prince of Orange
Bertrand III[lower-alpha 2]
died 1305
co-Prince of Orange
Sg Courthézon
Raymond III[lower-alpha 3]
d.ca.1339
co-Prince of Orange
2nd sg de Suze, & Bari
Hugh II
1311-1351
Lord of Baux
Vcte of Marseille
Count d'Avellino (Naples)
Sénéchal de Provence 1343
Grand Admiral of Naples
Bertrand
d. 1355
Seig of Caromb
Dragobert
1327/8-1340
sg de Villefranche
Raymond
1328-1381
Sg of Caromb
Amiel
d. 1375
Sg of Caromb
Raymond V
died 1393
6th Prince of Orange
Jeanne
de Genève[7]
Bertrand
d.1380
Sg. of Gigondas
Suze, Condorcet
Guiges
d.1390
Guillaume
d.1390
Sg of Camaret
Travaillan, Condorcet
Antoine
d. 1374
Sg of Aubagne
Robert
d.1354
Lord of Baux
Vcte of Marseille
Count d'Avellino
Raymond II
1331-1372
Lord of Baux
Vcte of Marseille
Count d'Avellino
Francis
d. 1390
Sg of Aubagne
John III
of Châlon
lord of Arlay
died 1418
Mary
died 1417
7th Princess of Orange
William
d. 1427
Sg. of St-Roman
de Malegarde
John
1372-1375
posthumous child		Alix
[lower-alpha 4] 1367-1426
last sovereign
of the indep.
state of Baux
Countess d'Avellino
Châlon & Nassau
Princes of Orange

[8]

See also

Notes
  1. Line of the dukes d'Andria and Nardo, counts of Squillace, princes of Tarento (in Naples) and Achaïa (Greece). Elder branch ended in 1530 in the male line. A younger branch survives in Naples as the "del Balzo" in multiple branches, as dukes of Capriglianode, another as counts del Balzo (died out 1932) and another as the dukes of Presenzano.del Balzo di Presenzano, Gioacchino. "GENEALOGY Maison del Balzo/des Baux, with bibliography cited there". Retrieved 2012-08-28.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Sg Courthézon, gave his rights to the principality to Raymond IV for this lordship. One male line died out c.1372, the other two lead to the counts d'Alessano, and counts d'Alessano, including the Orsini des Baux, died out by 1550.del Balzo di Presenzano, Gioacchino. "GENEALOGY Maison del Balzo/des Baux, with bibliography cited there". Retrieved 2012-08-28.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  3. Gave his rights to his brother. Male line died out c. 1409. del Balzo di Presenzano, Gioacchino. "GENEALOGY Maison del Balzo/des Baux". Retrieved 2012-08-28.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link) del Balzo di Presenzano, Gioacchino. "GENEALOGY Maison del Balzo/des Baux, with bibliography cited there". Retrieved 2012-08-28.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  4. She was married to Odon de Villars and Conrad IV de Furstemberg. Her uncle, on her mother's side, Raymond de Turenne used the fortress of Baux to wage war on the counts of Provence. On her death, the lordship of Baux was seized by King Rene, the count of Provence and given to his wife, Jeanne of Laval, thus ending its independence.fr:Alix des Baux*Paulet, l'Abbe L. (1986). Les Baux et Castillon: Histoire des communes des Baux, de Paradou, de Maussane, et de Mouries. Place de l'Eglise, 13200 Raphele-les-Arles: Marcel Petit.CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  1. Grew 1947, p. 5(specifically & on to pg 16).
  2. del Balzo, Gioacchino. "GENEALOGY Maison del Balzo/des Baux". Retrieved 21 April 2011.
    • Paulet, l'Abbe L. (1986). Les Baux et Castillon: Histoire des communes des Baux, de Paradou, de Maussane, et de Mouries. Place de l'Eglise, 13200 Raphele-les-Arles: Marcel Petit.CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  4. Genealogy works:
    • Georges de Manteyer, La Provence du premier au douzième siècle, études d'histoire et de géographie... (1908),
    • Juigné de Lassigny, Généalogie des vicomtes de Marseille...,
    • Fernand Cortez, Les grands officiers royaux de Provence au moyen-âge listes chronologiques...,
    • Papon, de Louis Moréri, du marquis de Forbin, Monographie de la terre et du château de Saint-Marcel, près Marseille: du Xe au XIXe siècle... ("Monograph of the land and the castle of Saint-Marcel, near Marseille, from the tenth to the nineteenth century ..."), Marseille, 1888
    • J. Berge, Origines rectifiées des maisons féodales Comtes de Provence, Princes d'Orange ..., France-Riviera, 1952
    • Poly, Jean-Pierre, La Provence et la société féodale (879-1166), Paris: Bordas, 1976,
    • Jacques Saillot, Le Sang de Charlemagne...
    Sources also on the Vicomtes de Marseille:
    • Édouard Baratier, Ernest Hildesheimer et Georges Duby, Atlas historique...
    • and the table of Henry de Gérin-Ricard, Actes concernant les vicomtes de Marseille et leurs descendants...
    • Cook, Theodore Andrea, Sir, 1867-1928 (1905). Twenty-five great houses of France; the story of the noblest French chateaux. London: Offices of "Country Life" [etc.] p. 127. The first Count of Les Baux, whose name alone we know, was Leibulf, whose son Pons, or Poncius, owned large lands in Argence Old ProvenceCS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
    • Grew, Marion Ethel (1947). The House of Orange. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
    • Rowen, Herbert H. (1988). The princes of Orange: the stadholders in the Dutch Republic. Cambridge University Press.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
    • de Pontbriant, A. (1891). Histoire de la principaute d'Orange: suivre de lettres inedites des princes d'Orange, des rois de France, du Cte de Grignan, etc. Avignon: Seguin freres.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
    • Paulet, l'Abbe L. (1986). Les Baux et Castillon: Histoire des communes des Baux, de Paradou, de Maussane, et de Mouries. Place de l'Eglise, 13200 Raphele-les-Arles: Marcel Petit.CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
    • Schwennicke, Detlev (1989). Europäiche Stammtafeln, Stammtafeln der Europäichen Staaten, Neue Folge, Volume III, Part 4, Das feudale Frankreich und sein Einfluß auf die Welt des Mittelalters. Marburg: Verlag J.A. Stargardt. pp. 745, 748, 751, & 752.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
    Genealogy works:
    • Gioacchino del Balzo di Presenzano, http://www.delbalzo.net/genealogia2.htm GENEALOGY Maison del Balzo/des Baux extensive bibliography
    • G.Noblemaire, Histoire de la Maison des Baux, Parigi: 1912 and 1975
    • J.Dunbabin, Charles I of Anjou, London/New York: 1998
    • E.Leonard,Les Angevins de Naples, Paris: 1954
    • Almanach of Gotha, 1888-1943
    • F. Mazel,La Noblesse et l’Eglise en ProvenceFin X – debut XIV siecle, L’Exemple des familles d’Agoult-Simiane, des Baux et de Marseilles, CTHS – Paris: 2002
    • H.Aliquot et R.Merceron,Armorial d’Avignon et Du Comtat Venaissin, Avignon:1987
    • Cambridge Medieval History, Volumes I – IX, Cambridge: 1911
    • Cambridge Medieval History, Vol II, III, IV, Revised Edition 1996 -2003
    • Cambridge Modern History, Volumes I-XII, Cambridge: 1962-63
  7. Grew 1947, p. 16.
    • Paulet, l'Abbe L. (1986). Les Baux et Castillon: Histoire des communes des Baux, de Paradou, de Maussane, et de Mouries. Place de l'Eglise, 13200 Raphele-les-Arles: Marcel Petit.CS1 maint: location (link) CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Bibliography
  • Grew, Marion Ethel (1947). The House of Orange. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.