County of Vendôme

The county of Vendôme is the heir to the pagus vindocinensis which was a subdivision of the city of the Carnutes.

Composition

The county of Vendôme is consisted of the châtellenies of Lavardin, of Montoire - whose lords become counts de Vendôme in 1218 - of Trôo and Mondoubleau - annexed to the county in 1406. The seigniory of Beaugency is a freehold which will pass to the counts de Blois.

The county also comprised a Viscount of Vendôme.

An act of 1484, announces that the county of Vendôme concerned on this date the Duché Anjou.

History

The county is entrusted by the Robertiens to a family of their faithful, the Bouchardides. The county of Vendôme is however vassal bishop of Chartres. But the years which follow the death of Hugues Large the and the minority of the future Hugues Capet see assembling the power of several neighbors, the counts d' Anjou and of Blois. The count of Blois which seized Châteaudun and Chartres, takes it out of clipper, also Bouchard Ier Worthy the will approach the count d' Anjou.

In the middle of XIe century, awkwardnesses of Foulques Oison make that the county is occupied during 30 years by Geoffroy II Martel. The county will be returned only in 1060 with Foulques Oison with the suzerainty of Anjou. The hundred years which follow will be marked inside by ceaseless fights with the Abbaye of the Trinity and outside by wars against the lords of Amboise on the control of Mondoubleau.

Henri II Plantagenêt, count d' Anjou and duke of Normandy by heritage, wife in 1152 Aliénor of Aquitaine, which brings the Aquitaine and the Poitou to him. In 1154, he is king d' Angleterre and the war between the kings of France and England is not long in being declared. The count de Vendôme is one of the vassal of king d' Angleterre, but among those, its grounds are closest to Paris: Vendôme will be several times besieged. The overcome English, Jean III will return in 1218 homage to king de France.

When the king of France gives the Anjou in Apanage to one of his sons, it is with these counts capétiens that the count de Vendôme will lend homage. They will take part in their military campaigns, Naples, Sicily, Croisade in Egypt and in Tunis.

The House of Montoire being itself extinct in 1372, the county passed to the Bourbons, of the princes of blood. The baronnie of Mondoubleau was joined together in the county of Vendôme in 1484. It was set up in duchy-peerage in 1514. In 1562, Henri de Bourbon becomes duke of Vendôme. Protesting, vis-a-vis a strongly catholic duchy, it must accept the closing of the Protesting Temple, the nomination of a catholic governor and sees the town of Vendôme approaching the Ligue more and more. In 1589, become king, Henri IV must conquer Vendômois and several castles like Vendôme and Lavardin will be destroyed.

Vendômois will be given in prerogative in 1598, will return to the Crown in 1712, will be again in the prerogative of the Count de Provence of 1772 to 1789.

With the Revolution, it will be included in the Département of Loir-et-Cher.

Armorial bearings

of money to the chief of mouths, the lion of azure, armed, lampassé and crowned of gold, stitching on the whole

See too

List of the counts de Vendôme
Bouchardides
House of Nevers
House of Preuilly
House of historical Montoire
List of the French counties

Sources and bibliography