House of Montmorency

The house of Montmorency counted among oldest and of the most prestigious feudal families of the French Noblesse. It draws its name from the town of Montmorency, in the current department of the Val-d'Oise.

It thus gave to the countries six Connétable S, twelve marshals and four admirals of France.

Origin

Montmorency are known as of the 10th century. It is then about a lady of the manor family of Île-de-France, whose control of the roads leading to Paris had to be patiently fought by kings of France anxious to extend the royal field.

In 997, the castle of Montmorency, located on a hillock dominating Paris, was entrusted by the king de France Robert II to Bouchard Bearded the, small baron installed at the origin on the island-Saint-Denis, and which drew from the incomes of the rights of toll that it made discharge to the boatmen sailing on the the Seine… and of its incursions déprédatrices on the grounds of the Abbaye of Saint-Denis.

The legend reports that its first ancestor, companion of Clovis, was the first frank warrior to be made baptize by Saint Rémy. In reference to this legend, the house of Montmorency adopted the currency “God helps with the first Christian baron” and asserted the title of “first Christian baron” or “first baron de France” (i.e. of Ile-de-France). This title, ever recognized by the royal capacity, symbolized the ambitions of Montmorency.

Principal representatives of the House of Montmorency

Many members of this family, divided into several branches, played a great part in the French history.

  • the tradition reports that in remembering the Bataille of Bouvines in 1214 where Mathieu II of Montmorency, Connétable of France, removed twelve signs with the imperial army led by the emperor Othon IV, the king of France Philippe-Auguste authorized it to add twelve alérions with its ecu. This important fact of weapons explains the weapons of Montmorency, which carry “of gold, with the cross of mouths, confined of sixteen alérions of azure”.

  • Anne de Montmorency, marshal then Constable of France (1537), was illustrated in the Guerres of Italy, and had a role directing at the beginning of the 16th century, sailing between royal favor and open rebellion. It was mortally wounded with the Bataille of Saint-Denis (1567).

  • Henri II of Montmorency, admiral and, governor Marshal of France of the Languedoc and viceroy of News-France, was carried out in 1632 for conspiracy against Richelieu. The grounds of the seigniory of Montmorency passed then to the Maison of Cop. The death of the duke of Montmorency, one of the most considerable lords of its time, was a sign of the assertion of the royal capacity on the nobility.

  • His/her cousin, the marshal of Luxembourg, was one of the most famous chiefs of army of the 17th century, so much so that it was called the " tapestry maker of Our-Dame" , enemy flags brought back by its troops decorating the nave with the cathedral of Paris.

Among the other illustrations of this house, one finds shovel-mixes sadly celebrates Gilles de Rais, companion of Jeanne d' Arc, Marshal of France (more known under the nickname of Bore-Blue), Mgr François of Montmorency-Laval, first bishop of the News-France and béatifié by Jean-Paul II, or Mathieu, Viscount of Montmorency, which it night of August 4th, 1789 made vote the abolition of the privileges.

Other branches

Of the three principal branches still existing at the 18th century ( Montmorency , Montmorency-Laval , Montmorency-Luxembourg ), none really survived the Revolution, and, for lack of male descendants, the house of Montmorency died out in 1878 in the person of AsLouis of Montmorency-Beaumont-Luxembourg, prince de Luxembourg, duke of Beaumont, par of France, the Montmorency last.

Related articles

  • List of the lords of Montmorency
  • List of the barons de Montmorency
  • List of the dukes of Montmorency
  • Armorial of Montmorency

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