Raimond-Roger Trencavel

Raimond-Roger Trencavel (1185 - November 10th 1209) is a member of the Maison Trencavel. It was Vicomte of Albi, Ambialet and Béziers (pledged with the count de Toulouse), and Viscount of Carcassonne and Razès (pledged with the count de Barcelone which was in same time king d' Aragon). It was one of the heroes and at the same time one of the first victims of the Albigensian Crusade.

Family

Raimond-Roger is the son of Roger II Trencavel and the nephew of Raymond VI of Toulouse. Orphan at the 5 years age, it had been placed under the supervision of Bertrand de Saissac, cathare notorious. He married Agnès of Montpellier. From their union was born a son: Raimond II Trencavel.

Beginning of the reign

Raimond-Roger lived with the Château comtal of Carcassonne which had been built by its ancestors at the 11th century. Although not being Cathare, Raimond-Roger had adopted the permissive and liberal attitude lords of Languedoc as regards religion. He was compromised the large vassal ones of the area. Tolerating, it counted on the Jewish community to manage Béziers, its second stronghold by order of importance.

The Albigensian Crusade

Following the assassination of its legate Pierre de Castelnau in 1208, the pope Innocent III starts the crusade against the Albigensians. It makes pronounce sentences of Excommunication towards the lords of the Languedoc (this concerns, amongst other things, Raimond-Roger and its uncle Raymond VI of Toulouse) considered to be too permissive towards the heretics and their ground in prey gives.

With the mid- 1209, the crusaders gather with Lyon and start to walk towards the South. In June, Raymond of Toulouse, seeing the danger approaching, made act of contrition in Valence and promises to fight against the heresy. Its excommunication is raised, it joint with crossed and its grounds become protected then.

These crusaders pass to Montpellier and move towards the grounds of Raimond-Roger. This last tries to follow the steps of his/her uncle but the papal legates refuse to receive it. The crusaders walk on Béziers of which they made the bag in juille.

Raimond-Roger had folded up himself on Carcassonne.

, The crusaders start the seat of the city. As vassal of king d' Aragon, Raimond-Roger expected that Pierre II comes to help it, but the latter, vassal direct of the pope preferred the diplomatic channel and played the mediator. The negotiations failed and the king set out again.

Water had suddenly missed in the city, which caused its rendering the August 15th.

It was Raimond-Roger who dealt with the negotiations. What occurred there is subjected to speculations. Was it stopped during the talks or was constituted it as an hostage in exchange of the life of the inhabitants of the city? Always it is that it was found imprisoned in one of its own dungeons and the inhabitants of Carcassonne were driven out city without being able to take what to ensure their subsistence.

A few months later, Raimond-Roger died at the bottom of his dungeon, probably of a Dysenterie, thing which arranged well Simon de Montfort which could take possession of the Trencavel territories.

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