Bernard Roger (Foix)

Bernard Roger († between 1036 and 1038) was a Count of Couserans and Lord of Foix . He was the second son of his predecessor, Count Roger the Elder, and his wife Adelais. Furthermore, he was by marriage as Bernard I. Roger Count of Bigorre .

Foix Castle

Bernard Roger is mentioned as count in a document of the Abbey of Saint-Hilaire near Limoux as early as 1011 ; he was probably co-regent of his father for some time, who died the following year. Although Bernard Roger probably still carried the title of Count of Couserans, he is generally considered to be the first of the Counts of Foix. The castle of Foix was only part of the domain of the county of Couserans , but under Bernard Roger and his successors it was to become the main residence of the counts and thus the new namesake of their territory. Bernard Roger himself is adding a tower to the existing fortification, called the Tour d'Arget (left in the picture), which dominates the valley of the river of the same name on the north side of the rock. However, the roof of the tower was not put on until the 14th century. Furthermore, during his reign, Bernard Roger promoted the construction of a town at the foot of the castle.

Nothing is known about further actions of the count. Nevertheless, his political influence must have been very high at that time, which can be concluded from the extensive family connections of his family. Bernard Roger died around the years 1036 to 1038 and is said to have reached an old age of over 70 for that time. He was buried in the Abbey of St. Volusien near Foix.

Family and Hereditary Control

Count Bernard Roger was married to Arsinde / Gersende († around 1032 to 1034), the heiress of the County of Bigorre . Your children were:

• Bernard II († 1077), Count of Bigorre
• Roger I († 1067), Count of Foix, as Roger II. Count of part of Carcassonne
• Peter Bernard († 1071), Count of Couserans, from 1067 Count of Foix
• Heraclius, Bishop of Bigorre
• Gilberga / Ermensinde († December 1, 1049), married to King Ramiro I of Aragon since 1036
• Estefanía († 1058), married to King García III since 1038 . (V.) of Navarre

Like his father, Bernard Roger made the decision for his sons to share his inheritance. The eldest Bernard received the maternal inheritance of Bigorre, but the Foix house was to die out there after a generation.

For the second son Roger, however, he decided to split up the county of Couserans by separating Foix and other castles in the surrounding area such as Castelpenent and Lordat from Couserans and giving Roger these. For this new territory, the pays de Foix (Land of Foix), Roger was to be given countial rights, which ultimately established the county of Foix. For the third son, Peter Bernard, only the downsized couserans remained. However, since his older brother was to die without an heir, Peter Bernard reunited both territories.

Web links

"Short biography of Bernard Roger von Foix" (French)