Aliénor of Aquitaine

Aliénor of Aquitaine (known as also Éléonore de Guyenne ), born in 1122 or 1124 and dead on March 31st or on April 1st 1204, with Poitiers - and not with the Abbey of Fontevraud - duchess of Aquitaine, occupies a place pivot in the relations between kingdoms of France and England at the 12th century: she marries successively the king of France Louis VII, then future king d' Angleterre, Henri II, reversing the report/ratio of the forces while bringing her dowry to then to the other of the two kings. By holding a sumptuous court in its Aquitanian field, it supports the poetic expression of the Troubadour S. At the end of its life, it plays an important political role in the Occident.

The heiress of Aquitaine

Aliénor of Aquitaine is the oldest daughter of Guillaume X, duke of Aquitaine, itself wire of Guillaume IX the Troubadour, and of Aénor de Châtellerault, girl of Aymeric I {{er}} of Châtellerault, one of vassal of Guillaume X.
Aliénor, " other Aénor" in Language of oc, is thus named in reference to his/her Aénor mother. The first name becomes Eléanor in Langue of oil.

It receives a looked after education, that of a noble woman of its time, at the court of Aquitaine, one of is refined 12th century, that which saw being born the Courtly love (the fine amor ), between the various residences of the dukes of Aquitaine: Poitiers, Bordeaux, the Castle of Belin where it would have been born, is still in a female monastery. She learns how to read and write the Latin , the Musique and the literature of the time, but also to ride a horse and to drive out.

She becomes the heiress of the Aquitanian field with died of her brother Guillaume Aigret, in 1130. At the time of its fourteenth birthday (1136), the lords of Aquitaine swear fidelity to him. His/her father dies in 38 years (1137), the Good Friday at the time of a pilgrimage towards Saint-Jacob de Compostelle. She then marries the heir to the king de France Louis VI, the future Louis VII. Two versions on the conclusion of these weddings are possible: either, fearing that his/her daughter or removed (and married) by one of her vassal or her neighbors, the duke Guillaume had proposed to king de France, before dying, to link their heirs. That is to say the king makes play the feudal supervision that the Suzerain holds on the orphan heiress of one of her vassal, and the Marie with her son (see Mariage obliques). The field of king de France increases these grounds between the Loire and the Pyrenees; but the duchy of Aquitaine is not attached to the Couronne, Aliénor remains duchess, and the possible oldest son of the couple will be titrated king de France and duke of Aquitaine , fusion between the two fields taking place only one generation later.

The weddings take place the July 25th 1137 with Bordeaux between the future king of France Louis VII. Like habit, the festivities of marriage last several days, with the palate of Ombrière near Bordeaux, and are repeated throughout the voyage towards Paris. The wedding night takes place to the castle of Taillebourg, the husbands are crowned dukes of Aquitaine to the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre of Poitiers (replaced today by a Gothic cathedral) on August 8th. They learn death from Louis VI during the voyage.

The queen of France

Aliénor is crowned queen of France with Christmas 1137 with Bourges (her husband had already been crowned the alive one of its father, at the nine years age, but it is recouronné). Very beautiful, of free spirit and enjoué, Aliénor displeases at the court of France, colder and reserved; she is criticized for her control and her indecent behaviors, just like her following and just like another queen of France come from the South one century earlier, Constance of Arles. Its luxurious tastes (of the workshops of Tapisserie are created, it buys many jewels and dresses) astonish. The troubadours who it makes come always do not like: Marcabru is returned court to have expressed its love for the queen.

Certain historians allot these criticisms to the influence which it would have on the king. This one is difficult to show according to Labande. The young couple (they have both less than twenty years) makes several ill-considered decisions:

  • after the constitution of Poitiers in commune, the city is taken without bloodshed per Louis VII, who requires that the middle-class men deliver their children as an hostage; the Suger abbot intervenes to make him give up;
  • after this intervention of Suger in the field of the young queen, this one draws aside it from the council;
  • Louis VII subjects Guillaume of Lezay, which had refused the homage to Poitiers;
  • in a forwarding without a future in 1141, it tries to conquer Toulouse, on which Aliénor estimated to have rights (of his/her grandmother Philippa of Toulouse); to thank it, Aliénor offers a vase to him cut in a block of Cristal, assembled on a foot of Or and decorated precious stones and of Perle S; it is still today visible with the Louvre, and had been given to his grandfather by the king of Saragossa Imad Al-Dawla;
  • it pushes the king to be made dissolve the marriage of Raoul de Vermandois, so that his/her sister Pétronille of Aquitaine, in love, can marry it, which caused a conflict with the Champagne count, Thibaut IV of Blois, brother of the forsaken wife.

During this conflict, the town of Vitry-en-Perthois is taken, and the church in which its inhabitants had taken refuge is burnt. The prohibited is thrown on the kingdom, and couples it still does not have a child (Aliénor made a miscarriage in 1138). To make raise this interdict, like obtaining Sky a birth, it pushes Louis VII to take part in the Second crusade and accompanies it, as it was usual, the crusade being a pilgrimage.

Two girls were born from this marriage:

  • Marie (1145 - March 11th 1198), which marries in 1164 Henri I {{er}} of Champagne, count de Troyes, known as “the Liberal”, and becomes regent of the Comté of Champagne of 1190 with 1197,
  • Alix (1150 - 1195), which marries Thibaud V of Blois says “the Good” (1129 - 1191), count de Blois 1152 - 1191.

During all this period, the analysis of the charters shows a rather weak implication of Aliénor in the government: it is there to legitimate the acts.

The II {{E}} crusade

It invites the troubadour Jaufré Rudel to follow it at the time of the Second crusade, and takes along a whole continuation, with many carriages. Imitated by the wives of the others cross, the French crusade is found encumbered of an enormous convoy which slows down it. The discovery of the the East, with its records and its mysteries, Aliénor fascine and rejects Louis.

The causes of discord between the two husbands are added to the difficulties of the voyage:

  • the Battle of the mount Cadmos, where the imprudence of one of its vassal misses causing the loss of the crusade;
  • failures of Byzantine (which hides to them initially that the Germans were beaten, then do not provide them the promised ships);
  • meeting again with his/her uncle Raymond of Poitiers, which accommodates the crusaders but does not receive any help of their share;
  • the calamitous failure of the crusade;

All that causes, with the supposed inaccuracy of its share (see low), a rupture between the two husbands. They make the return separately, in boat until in Italy. The nave of Aliénor is taken in a naval battle between Roger II of Sicily and the emperor Manuel Comnène: it falls to the hands from the Byzantines, before being at once delivered by the Norman ones of Sicily. It approaches with Palermo, then joined Louis VII in Calabria, where he unloaded on July 29th. After a stop due to a disease of Aliénor, they go up then towards the France. The pope Eugene III with the Abbey of the Mount-Cassin, then Suger (by interposed letters), succeed in reconciling them. A girl is born the following year besides. However, the dissension re-appears with the autumn 1151. Beginning 1152, the couple raises the royal garrisons present in the field aquitanic. Lastly, the marriage is cancelled the March 21st 1152 by the Synode of Beaugency for reason for consanguinity with 4th and 5th degrees (with strictly being spoken the divorce does not exist at the time).

The incident of Antioche and the “black legend” of the Aliénor queen

The events of Antioche, brought back to the importance of an incident by Jean Flowered, for almost nine centuries have caused an abundant literature: this inaccuracy of Aliénor (of which all the historians are not convinced) in the long term has not only serious consequences on the political history, but its treatment by the chroniclers learns some to us much on mentalities from the time, and this episode since became a stake for the historians, always discussed.

In way, the crusade stops ten days with Antioche: it is accommodated there by Raymond of Poitiers, the uncle d' Aliénor, prince d' Antioche. It is certain that Aliénor and Raymond of Poitiers get along with wonder and spend much time together. Suspicions are born on nature from their relations and an argument bursts between Louis VII and Aliénor, which then recalls to her husband their degree of consanguinity, and which it could thus ask the cancellation of their marriage. From night, Louis VII leaves Antioche, forcing Aliénor to follow it.

Several chroniclers evoke the business, while writing that it is better not in speaking, sign which it is known of all and likely to attack the reputation of contemporaries.

Among the chroniclers best placed, Eudes de Deuil chooses to stop its account right before the arrival with Antioche. Jean Flori interprets this silence like a desire not to harm to the king. A letter of Suger in Louis VII evokes it also serious disorders in the couple. Guillaume de Tyr gives him a political explanation: Raymond of Poitiers would have tried to handle the crusade to direct it towards the seat of Alep and Césarée, and would have handled Aliénor so that it influences the king. This political treason of Aliénor thus doubles matrimonial treason. Aliénor is for him, a “handled headstock”, without will, which is one in the two principal ways of which it was represented (with the figure of the nymphomaniac). The historians today completely gave up the charges of nymphomania and those which are dependant for him.

As for the inaccuracy of the queen, it is not unthinkable in itself at the 12th century: among the examples available, nearest is that of Marguerite, wife of Henri the Young person and mistress of Guillaume the Marshal. The context of the crusade still worsens the sensitivity to what touches sexuality: Jean Flori note that, in background, the Sexuality during the crusade, even legal, was already judged in an unfavourable way: even without evoking Aliénor, several contemporaries allot the failure of the second crusade to the faults morals of the crusaders. The same explanation is given for the failure of that of 1101 (that of Guillaume the Troubadour).

On this incident, an inaccuracy which appears acquired to the contemporaries, and even well before the death of Aliénor, the chroniclers embroider rather quickly: Hélinand de Froidmond, in its Chronic universal , like Aubri of Three-Fountains, affirms that it acted more as a whore that as a queen . The goal is political here: to emphasize the virtuous dynasty capétienne and to justify their supremacy on immoral a Plantagenêt chalk-lining. Before even the end of the Middle Ages, the event is enlarged and transformed: one identifies the lover with Raoul de Faye, a buckwheat, even Saladin (child at the time). The episode of the mistress of Henri II, Rosemonde, adding again itself (rumor of poisoning on order of Aliénor), certain chroniclers lend to him a connection with the bishop of Poitiers Gilbert of Porrée (born towards 1076), with the Connétable of Aquitaine Saldebreuil, etc

For Flowered Jean, it could occur two things:

  • is Aliénor actually had incestueuses relations with his/her uncle, and then wanted to remain with him, at the point not to fear to separate from her husband;
  • is the crusaders were mistaken in their appreciation in the feeling which linked Raymond of Poitiers and Aliénor of Aquitaine, which gives Aliénor very bold daring to evoke the dissolution of the marriage.
In both cases, the paramount element is this evocation of a possibility of cancellation of the marriage on the initiative of the wife, and who has inevitably being premeditated. By doing this, it is it which decides rupture of the marriage, unthinkable thing in the male mental universe of then: it is practically it which repudiates her husband.

He appears with final difficult to slice with regard to the reality of adultery, like Jean Flori avoids doing it:

One can (…) to think that the suspicions of Louis VII were justified, like made the majority of the chroniclers as soon as the incident was told, or on the contrary to estimate that the very natural intimacy of the uncle and his niece was wrongly considered to be guilty by the too austere knights and prelates of the North which required of a queen a more strict behavior, at the point of suspecter its virtue and advising with the king, aggravated these rumors, involving it with him without delaying. In this case, like points out it Jean de Salisbury, the accent must be carried on the request for rupture formulated by the queen for reason for consanguinity.

Moreover, the reality of adultery imports little (…). What is very important (…) it is the fact (…) that the contemporaries of Aliénor really believed that it was a luxurieuse queen and (worse still!) a queen not hesitating to take the initiative of a rupture

The Queen of England

Marriage with Henri II of England

--> It returns immediately to Poitiers and lack to be removed twice on the way by the noble ones which covet the hand of the wealthy heiress of France: the count Thibaud V of Blois and Geoffroi Plantagenêt. It exchanges some mails with Henri of Anjou, future king d' Angleterre, outline at the Court a few weeks earlier and, on May 18th, 1152, six weeks after the cancellation of its first marriage, it marries it. This one is eleven years its junior and has the same degree of relationship as Louis VII with it. In the thirteen years which follow, it gives him five wire and three girls:

  • Guillaume Plantagenêt (August 17th 1153 - 1156),

  • Henry known as Henri the Young person (February 28th 1155 - June 11th 1183), which marries Marguerite, girl of Louis VII the Young person, king de France;
  • Mathilde (August 1156 - 1189), which marries Henri the Lion (? - 1195) duke of Saxony and of Bavaria in 1168;
  • Richard (September 8th, 1157 - 1199), which becomes king d' Angleterre under the name of Richard '' Lion-hearted '', which marries Bérengère de Navarre. He dies without legitimate descent;
  • Geoffroy II of Brittany (September 23rd 1158 -1186), count de Bretagne by his marriage in 1181 with Constancy of Richemont (1161-1201), girl and heiress of the duke of Brittany Conan IV died in 1171;
  • Aliénor (September 1161 - 1214), which in 1177 marries Alphonse VIII of Castille (1155-1214), marriage of which is resulting Blanche of Castille;
  • Jeanne (October 1165 - 1199), which marries Guillaume II king de Sicile then Raymond V count de Toulouse. Widow one second time (1194), it becomes abbess with Fontevraud;
  • Jean (December 27th 1166 - 1216), known as Jean without Ground, king d' Angleterre (1199 - 1216) which marries Isabelle of Angouleme, mother of Henri III.

During the first two years of this marriage, Aliénor affirms its authority. But quickly, it is Henri II who makes the decisions; five pregnancies the first seven years hold it perhaps remotely. In any case, it follows it during its voyages when it needs it, represents it when it cannot move (in London end 1158 and in 1160), if not it is more often held in the Plantagenêt fields than in his. After 1154, all its acts either are preceded by a decision of king d' Angleterre, or confirmed by him thereafter. In spite of its reputation of light woman, forged a posteriori by chroniclers, Aliénor is exceeded by the inaccuracies of her husband. Thus, its first Guillaume wire and bastard of Henri were born at a few months from variation; Henri had many of other bastard throughout their marriage.

The agreements of Montmirail and the difficulty in maintaining its domination on such a vast and heterogeneous unit push Henri II with a dynastic reform. In 1170, Richard is proclaimed Duc of Aquitaine and Aliénor controls its duchy on its behalf. It is established in Poitiers and creates there the Cour of love , whose some rules were written by André the Chaplain (or Andreas Capellanus ) (see low). Just like with Louis VII, it only acts very little politically.

Aliénor is horrified by the assassination at Thomas Becket in his Cathédrale at Canterbury.

The patron

The historians a long time allotted to Aliénor of Aquitaine a big role of patron, in particular near the Troubadour S, having been trained the grandfather and his/her father following the example of. This vision was radically called into question recently by K. Mr. Broadhurst: indeed, by looking in detail the works before considered as ordered or which had with the patronage of Aliénor, very little comprise a mention of this order. Moreover, while being based on the fact that the only troubadour present in the charters at the same place that Aliénor is Arnaut-Guilhem de Marsan, coseignor of Marsan (Landes) at the time of a Plaid held with Bordeaux, the existence even of these poetic courses is called into question. Arnaut-Guilhem de Marsan was the author of famous (with the Middle Ages) a Ensenhamen of the escuder , a guide which explained how to behave as a good knight.

He also affirms that these Cours of love is inventions of André the Chaplain who perhaps worked towards political ends while wanting to discredit Aliénor. He was indeed a clerk of the king de France Philippe Auguste and its irony with regard to Aliénor obvious, just as he is forever attended his court.

However, a minimal evaluation can allot the ordering of a translation of Monmouth to Wace, which it enriches and makes of it its Roman of Crude , which is probably dedicated to him; it is an important work of 15  000 worms, which has at least due to receive an encouragement or a princely incentive. One can join to this attribution has minimum the Histoire of the dukes of Normandy , by Benoît of Holy-Moor. On another side, without one being able to allot the origin of works to royal orders, in their honor, or with an aim they were certainly made up of liking a certain number, or had to be worth with their author a generous reward. Lastly, the prestige of the couple is such as it is present in the contemporary literature: in the years 1150, an anonymous trouvere, originating in the Angoumois, remade the epic of Girart of Roussillon , by slipping several allusions to Aliénor of Aquitaine. Later, in 1155, the Norman Benoit of Holy-Moor does not name it, but not made its praise in its Roman of Troy , manner of dedication; in the same way, he twice sings the praises of the royal couple in the Vie of saint Edouard . The troubadour Bernard de Ventadour, whom it accommodates at his court in 1153, him dedication one of its songs by calling it “the duchess of Normandy”. When it reigns in Poitiers, it opens a court well-read woman, there accessible inter alia her daughter Marie de Champagne (protective of Chrétien of Troyes). In the same way, Barking and Philippe de Thaon dedicate to him of works.

In 1162, with its request, work of a new cathedral in Poitiers starts.

It thus appears that the Plantagenêt court protects the artists, and that the time knows an important literary flowering, which penetrates very little at the Court of France. In spite of that, Henri II probably holds a big role in the patronage of the artists: he commissions in the years the 1160 drafting of the Roman of Rou , jointly in Aliénor.

The Revolt of 1173-1174 and fifteen years of captivity

In 1173, it weaves the plot which raises its sons Richard, Geoffroy and Henri the Young person against their father, Henri II. This revolt is supported by Louis VII, the king of Scotland Guillaume I {{er}}, as well as the most powerful English barons. Aliénor hopes to take again the capacity to him but, at the time of a voyage, it is captured and Richard ends up rejoining his father.

Aliénor is imprisoned during almost fifteen years, initially with Chinon, then with Salisbury, and in various other castles of England.

In 1183, Henri the Young person, involved in debt and to which his father refuses Normandy, revolts again. He tightens a Guet-apens with his father with Limoges, supported by his Geoffroy brother and the king of France Philippe Auguste. But it fails, and must undergo a seat in Limoges, then to flee. He wanders then in Aquitaine, and dies finally of Dysenterie. He asks his father, before dying, to release his mother. In the same way, in 1184, Henri the Lion and his wife Mathilde of England intercede at Henri II, and the captivity of Aliénor softens. At Easter 1185, it makes it come on the continent at the time of the new revolt of Richard (Lion-hearted) in order to bring back it to docility.

Its action of government

It is during the time 1167 - 1173 that it starts to make decisions which have all their force, without needing a confirmation of Henri II. But there still, she does not exert only and fully the capacity, only because the king voluntarily withdraws himself. Its activity is of course suspended for the period 1173 - 1189, before beginning again as of its release. During this period of monastic retirement intersected with exits in the world, its autonomy of government of anything is not limited. Without making an independent queen of it, Jean Flori recognizes that it tried to exert the power, which is already exceptional for the time; that it did it in a way joint and limited with Louis VII; and in a discontinuous and incomplete way with Henri II. To have been a woman limited her possibilities of exercise of the capacity to the crisis periods. The principal fact is that it shows an inexhaustible energy to maintain whole the Plantagenêt field.

Taking as a starting point the maritime conventions in the Eastern Mediterranean, Aliénor provides the foundations of a Maritime law with the Rôles of Oléron in 1160, which is still at the base of the Loi of admiralty. It also makes from the trade agreements with Constantinople and the ports of the Holy Lands.

It modernizes the town of Poitiers: Charter of commune, construction of markets, a new enclosure, enlarging of its palate, etc

The widow

After the death of Henri II, the July 6th 1189, it is released by the order of the new king, Richard Lion-hearted. She traverses England then, releases the prisoners of Henri II there and makes lend oath of fidelity to the new king. She controls there on her behalf until the beginning of 1191. Whereas Richard Lion-hearted left for the Third crusade, it leaves to seek Bérangère de Navarre and leads it, in full winter, through the Alps and Italy, until Messine, where Richard is on the point of installing for the Holy Land. It joined it on March 30th, and he marries Bérangère with Limassol on May 16th.

It precipitately turns over to England to prevent Jean without Ground from betraying his brother. She reaches only a time that point: in March 1193, it yields Normandy to Philippe Auguste: at once, it besieges it with all the English barons (of which Guillaume the Marshal) in Windsor.

On the way of the return, Richard is captured in Austria. Made indignant by the news, and the absence of reaction of the pope (who protects the crusaders normally), Aliénor writes nevertheless with this one to require of him of the assistance and to fustigate its inertia, manages to gather the enormous ransom which it brings itself to Mainz to Henri VI, wire of Frederic Barberousse (winter 1193-1194).

It is withdrawn then in Fontevraud. The wound of Richard Lion-hearted to the seat of Châlus the car of its retirement. He dies on April 6th, and it takes party for Jean immediately, his last wire: at 77 years, she traverses all the west of France, rejoins Anjou which had decided for the count of Brittany, and makes lend oath to Jean in her Aquitanian fields. In July, it pays homage to king de France with Turns, then meets her Jean son without Ground in Rouen. Lastly, in January 1200, it is in Castille to go to seek a wife for the Dolphin of France: it chooses Blanche of Castille, future mother of Saint Louis.

Last years

Aliénor withdraws in 1200 with the Abbaye of Fontevraud. Patient, it brings back nevertheless for in February 1201 the powerful Viscount Aimery VII of Thouars to obedience, whereas he had revolted.

In July 1202, Philippe Auguste declares Jean without Ground félon, and seizes its fields. One of its armies, from Tours, is ordered by the grandson of Aliénor, Arthur of Brittany, and threatens Fontevraud. She flees the abbey to take refuge in Poitiers, but cannot reach that point and shelters with Mirebeau, is besieged there by the count of Brittany from July 15th to August 1st, before being delivered by his/her Jean son.

It is withdrawn again in Fontevraud with the autumn, and dies in Poitiers, at the 82 years age, the March 31st 1204, a few weeks after the catch of Castle-Strapping man by Philippe Auguste. It is buried in Fontevraud and one can always see his superb and celebrates Gisant which close with those to its second husband Henri II Plantagenêt, to its second wire arrived at the adulthood Richard Lion-hearted and to Isabelle of Angouleme, the woman of Jean without Ground.

See too

Articles of Wikipédia

  • House of Poitou

  • List of the counts de Poitiers
  • List of the queens of France
  • Poitou
  • Courtly love
  • Ermengarde de Narbonne, another woman who controlled a principality with the Middle Ages, and even in a way more complete than Aliénor
  • Lilith

External bonds

  • Any knowledge on Aliénor of Aquitaine
  • Généalogie of Aliénor of Aquitaine
  • PORTRAIT of Aliénor of Aquitaine (1122-1204) He was once… a beautiful princess sung by the troubadours
  • the queen of the troubadours

University bibliography

  • Alison Weir, Aliénor of Aquitaine, queen of heart and anger , translated from English by Aline Weill with the editions SILOE, Laval - Nantes, 2005, 525 p., ISBN 2-84231-318-6. (Original Title Eleanor off Aquitanian. By the Wrath off God, Queen off England .)

Works of fiction

Cinema

Novels

Sources

Like introduction to the subject, always quoted for its serious:

Among the recent and complete works:

  • Flowered Jean. Aliénor of Aquitaine. The unsubdued queen , Payot, Paris, 2004.

One can still consult, in particular for the approval of reading:

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