Giroie

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Giroie ( Géré, Giroye or Giré ) was a family of the middle nobility of Normandy . Her name can still be found today in the town of Saint-Céneri-le-Gérei , which is to be regarded as her center of power. They were wealthy in the Pays d'Ouche , where they - together with the Grandmesnil - restored the Abbey of Saint-Évroult . The family wore themselves out in fights with the Bellême family , as a result of which they left Normandy and went to southern Italy, where they no longer gained power and prestige.

history

The first known family member is Giroie († after 1050), son of Arnaud le Gros, who - following the historians Ordericus Vitalis and Wilhelm von Jumièges - was of French and Breton origin. He joined the Duke of Normandy Richard II , who gave him the castles of Échauffour and Montreuil-l'Argillé (according to other statements, both Echauffour and Montreuil were part of the dowry of Giroie's fiancé). In 1040 one of his sons, Robert I. Giroie, was involved with Raoul de Gacé in the murder of Gilbert de Brionne , Count of Eu and guardian of the underage Duke Wilhelm II .

In those years the Giroie were at war with the Bellême family, probably because of the construction of the Saint-Céneri castle. At the wedding celebration of Guillaume II Talvas de Bellême († after 1052) and Hildeburge, the daughter of Raoul V. de Beaumont-au-Maine , Viscount du Maine , the groom had Guillaume de Giroie, one of his guests, mutilated: he was his eyes gouged out, his nose and ears cut off, and he was emasculated - whereupon the Giroie began a campaign of revenge.

After losing their castles, Échauffour and Montreuil, they teamed up with Arnoul Giroie, Guillaume Talva's son, and Yves de Bellême , Bishop of Sées and Guillaume Talva's brother. Together they succeeded in forcing their opponent into exile. In 1059 Robert I. Giroie, as an ally of Count Gottfried II of Anjou, revolted against Duke Wilhelm II with the aim of getting his castles back. Robert Giroie was trapped in the Saint-Céneri castle and died during the siege.

His son Robert II continued the fight against the Bellême family, burning down Echauffour Castle, which he claimed and which was in the hands of the enemy. Duke Wilhelm banished him, whereupon he went to Apulia and fought for the Normans there. Even after his return he was unable to get the castles back. It appears that he was eventually poisoned by Mabile de Bellême . Guillaume Giroie, the son of Robert II, then preferred to go to Apulia as well, where he married a daughter of Prince Richard I of Capua and was appointed Duke of Gaeta in 1064. However, when he tried to replace his wife with the widow of Duke Atenulf, he lost. He died as an officer in the papal service.

Tribe list

(after Ordericus Vitalis and Wilhelm von Jumiéges)

  1. Abbo le Breton
    1. Arnold the Fat (Arnoul le Gros)
      1. Giroie (Geroius) († after 1050) Seigneur d ' Échauffour et de Montreuil-l'Argillé ; engaged to NN, heiress to Echauffour and Montreuil, daughter of Heugon; ∞ I Gisla, daughter of Thurstan de Bastembourg (Toustain de Montfort) ( Haus Bastembourg )
        1. Arnaud de Montreuil (Ernauld); ∞ NN
          1. Guillaume, 1056/56 attested
        2. Foulques († murdered in 1040 by Gilbert de Brionne )
          1. (illegitimate, mother unknown) Giroie
          2. (illegitimate, mother unknown) Foulques
        3. Guillaume, blinded and emasculated by Guillaume II Talvas de Bellême , monk in the Abbey of Bec ; ∞ Hiltrude, daughter of Fulbert de Beina; ∞ II Emma, ​​daughter of Walkelin de Tannée
          1. (I) Arnaud d'Echauffour († January 1, 1065); ∞ Emma, ​​daughter of Thurstan Haldup
            1. Guillaume, goes to Italy, enters the service of Count Robert von Loritello (see Hauteville )
            2. Renaud, monk at Saint-Évroult Abbey
            3. Petronilla, nun in Sainte-Marie in Angers
            4. Geva, nun in Saint-Trinité in Caen
          2. (II) Guillaume († after September 1068 in Rome), 1064 Duke of Gaeta, commander of the papal army; ∞ NN, daughter of Prince Richard von Capua and Frédésinde de Hauteville
        4. Raoul Malacorona ( with bad tonsure ), monk in Marmoutier ; a Mala Corona was Herold Bohemund in the siege of Antioch
        5. Robert († February 6 after 1060/61); ∞ Adelaide, cousin of William the Conqueror
          1. Robert († after June 1119), received Saint-Céneri back; ∞ I Radegunde († 1092); ∞ II Felicia, daughter of Garner de Connerré
            1. (I) Son, hostage Robert de Bellêmes from 1092, died in custody
            2. (II) Guillaume, lord of Saint-Céneri
            3. (II) Robert, lord of Saint-Céneri
            4. (II) Mathieu
            5. (II) Agatha
            6. (II) Damata (Dameta), mistress (?) Of Ètienne de Blois , Count of Mortain
            7. (II) Aveline
        6. Hugues
        7. Giroie
        8. Eremburge; ∞ Walkelin de Pont-Échanfrey
          1. Guillaume de Pont-Echanfrey
          2. Raoul de Pont – Echanfrey, fought for Robert Guiscard in southern Italy
        9. Emma; ∞ Roger de Merlerault
          1. Robert de Merlerault
          2. Guillaume de Merlerault
            1. Raoul de Merlerault
            2. Roger de Merlerault
        10. Adelaide (Adelais); ∞ Solomon de Sablé
          1. Rainard de Sablé
        11. Hadvise; ∞ I Robert de Grandmesnil ; ∞ II Guillaume d'Évreux
      2. Hildiard; ∞ NN - offspring

Web link

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Pont-Echanfrey on the Charentonne , today Échanfray, is part of Notre-Dame-du-Hamel , the old castle is on the eastern bank of the river