Alain II of Brittany

Alain II of Brittany , known as Barbetorte or Al louarn (the fox), (910 - Nantes, 952), grandson by his mother of Alain Ier Large the, was count of Poher then duke of Brittany starting from 936.

Biography

Initially taken refuge with his father Mathuedoï, count of Poher, in the king Athelstan of England, it unloads into 936 on the continent, on the initiative of the Jean abbot of Landévennec and with the exiled assistance of a troop the Breton ones and of English, with Dol, the camp of Péran close to Saint-Brieuc, and Plourivo, takes again with the Normands the Loire, the majority of the Breton places in 937 and is made elect “ Brittonum dux ” in 938. The release is completed the 939 by the victory of Trans over the Norman ones, with the assistance of the count de Rennes Juhel Bérenger and of the count of Mans Herbert. This date will become the national festival of the Breton ones.

It gives up the Cotentin, the Avranchin and the Mayenne. As for the County of Nantes, it is under the domination angevine of Foulque Ier of Anjou which takes possession in of it 909 until in 919 with the occupation Vikings (but the title of the county of Nantes is always asserted officially by Foulque of Anjou until in 938). Through marriages and alliances, counts of Anjou, then the dynasty Plantagenêt will maintain their suzerainty on the Nantes county, juqu' in 1203.

Alain Barbetorte ties useful alliances with the Carolingien Louis IV of Overseas, which he knew at the time of their exile in England, like with Thibaud the Cheater, count de Blois, of Turns and of Chartres.

He ties in 942 a narrow alliance with Guillaume Tête of Packing duke of Aquitaine which enables him to obtain in the south of the Loire the pagi of Mauges, Tiffauges and Herbauges.

In 944 according to the Chronicle of Flodoard it is devoted to a fratricidal war with Juhel Bérenger of Rennes that the Scandinavians make profitable pout to plunder Brittany again.

Did the reconciliation in front of the common danger have to intervene very quickly because in a donation in favor of the Abbaye of Landévennec (towards 945 - 950) one sees the count Iudhael signing just after Alain dux Britonum surrounded by Iuthouen the archbishop of Dol, of the Hesdren bishops of Nantes, Blendivet of Vannes and Salvator of Aleth, of a count Houuel (?) and of the Iestin Viscounts, ancestor of the lords de Retz and Diles (of Cornwall).

Its union with a sister of the count of Blois watch that Alain Barbetorte wished to consolidate his role in the policy of the kingdom of Francia Occidentalis. Its untimely death put however a term at its projects and its work of restoration of the Breton power.

Marriages and descents

In 925 Alain Barbetorte Marie with Roscille of Anjou (born towards 906, deceased towards 948, girl of Foulque I {{er}} count of Anjou and Roscille de Loches, rams of Villandry).

They have a child: Gerberge of Nantes. (Gerberge will marry with Juhel Bérenger, count de Rennes and will have a son: Conan count de Rennes killed on June 29th 992 with the Battle of Conquereuil.

In 948 Alain barbetorte wife with Blois, Roscille of Blois (sister of Thibaud Ier of Blois and girl of Gello Ier, count de Blois and of Richilde de Gothie).

They have a child: Drogon of Nantes, also called Dreux, (born in 950, future count de Nantes, died in 958).

Alain Barbetorte also has a mistress: Judith NR. (deceased between 948 and 952).

Of this relation extramatrimoniale, they will have two illegitimate children: Hoël future count de Nantes, born towards 930 and Guérech duke of Brittany, born towards 933. These two illegitimate wire will be enough old to subscribe an act with him towards 945. Bastard brothers of the Drogon young person, it is the latter which will become in first count de Nantes.

Alain barbetorte is buried in collegial Notre Dame with Nantes, city which it had chosen for his capital and of which it had encouraged the rebuilding after the destruction due to the Norman ones.

Sources

the century of the Vikings in Brittany , Jean-Christophe Cassard, the Universal ones, Editions Jean-Paul Gisserot, 1996
Birth of Brittany. Historical geography and social structures of southernmost Brittany (Nantes and Vannetais) of the end of VIIIe at the end of XIIe century , Christmas-Yves Thunder Presses of the University of Angers Angers (1994).
History of Brittany Arthur of Borderie, Volume II pages 405 to 418 the first duke of Brittany Alain Barbetorte (938-952) .

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