Jean de Valois, duc de Berry

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Depiction of Jean de Valois, duc de Berry in the January picture of the Très Riches Heures
Coat of arms of Johann von Berry 1360

John of Valois and John of Berry ( French Jean de Berry ), called Jean le Magnifique ( Johann the Magnificent ) (* 30th November 1340 in the castle of Vincennes ; † 15. June 1416 in de Nesle Hôtel in Paris ) from the House of Valois was Duke of Berry and Auvergne , Count of Poitiers , Étampes and Montpensier and, through his second wife, Count of Auvergne and Boulogne . He was a younger son of the future French King John II and Jutta von Luxemburg , the sister of Emperor Charles IV.

In 1356 he received the Duchy of Auvergne and the counties of Berry and Poitou as Paragium . In 1358 he was appointed Lieutenant du Roi (King's Deputy) for Guyenne and Languedoc . In 1360, after the Peace of Brétigny , which freed his father after the battle of Maupertuis (1356), Berry was elevated to a duchy and he was made peer of France ; in addition, he received the county of Montpensier. In the same year he went into his first marriage and as a hostage to England, where he was held until 1367.

When his older brother, King Charles V , died in 1380, he and his brothers Ludwig von Anjou († 1384) and Philip of Burgundy took over the reign of his underage son Charles VI. (1380–1388, see: Government of the Dukes ), but during this time he was mainly characterized by his avarice and greed. In 1381 he was appointed lieutenant-général in Languedoc , where he made himself hated by his tyranny. When he came of age in 1390, Charles VI withdrew. took office and had his chief representative in the south, Jean Béthisac , put to the stake.

In 1389 he married Johanna von Auvergne , who in 1394 inherited the counties of Auvergne and Boulogne. In 1392 he stepped when Charles VI. became insane, rejoined the Regency Council, now together with Philip of Burgundy and his nephew Louis of Orléans , with Johann having the smallest share in power. Initially active as a mediator between the two other regents, he later came into conflict with his brother Philip and took the side of Ludwig, whom Philip's son Johann Ohnefurcht had murdered in 1407.

In 1405 he was military governor of Paris , from 1410 onwards, during the civil war of the Armagnacs and Bourguignons, he handed over the leadership of his party to his son-in-law Bernard VII of Armagnac (who was now called Armagnacs after him ), but took over the post of royal again in 1413 Deputy in Languedoc.

Johann was a collector and client of valuable manuscripts; He owned a number of books of hours that were given names that were confusingly similar: In addition to Grandes Heures and Petites Heures, there are Belles Heures , Très Belles Heures de Jean de France , Très Belles Heures de Notre-Dame and Très Riches Heures . For the latter work, the most famous book illumination of the French Middle Ages, Jean de Berry commissioned the painters Paul, Johan and Herman von Limburg with the illustration around 1410 .

He had several palaces built, including the one in Mehun-sur-Yèvre , the one in Bourges and a castle on the riverbank in Poitiers . Its main builder was Guy de Dammartin .

Jean de Berry was in the crypt of the cathedral of Bourges buried.

Marriages and offspring

On June 24, 1360 he married in Carcassonne Jeanne d'Armagnac († March 15, 1387), daughter of Jean I , Count of Armagnac and Béatrice de Clermont, mistress of Charolais . The couple had five children:

  • Charles (* probably 1362; † 1382), Count of Montpensier
  • Jean II († 1401/1402), probably Count of Montpensier in 1382
⚭ 1) August 5, 1386 in Saint-Ouen Cathérine de France, daughter of King Charles V
⚭ 2) 1401 Anne de Bourbon , daughter of Jean I de Bourbon, comte de La Marche , Count of Vendôme from the House of the Bourbons
  • Louis (* probably 1364; † after July 1383)
  • Bonne (* probably 1365; † December 30, 1435 in Carlat ), buried in the Rodez monastery
⚭ 1) January 18, 1377 in Paris Amadeus VII. , 1383 Count of Savoy
⚭ 2) December 2, 1393/8. January 1394 Bernard VII , 1391 Count of Armagnac, Connétable of France
  • Marie (* probably 1367 - † June 1434), 1370 Duchess of Auvergne
⚭ 1) March 29, 1386 in Bourges Louis III. de Châtillon , Count of Dunois , Lord of Romorantin
⚭ 2) January 27, 1392 Philippe d'Artois , Count of Eu , Connétable of France
⚭ 3) June 22nd, 1400 in Paris Jean I , 1410 Duke of Bourbon

On June 5, 1389 he married in Riom Johanna II. , Countess of Auvergne and Boulogne in 1404 , heir daughter of Count Johann II. And Eleonore de Comminges . This marriage left no offspring.

His sons from his first marriage died before him without having any offspring of their own. His youngest daughter Marie became his main heir. The Berry and Poitiers fell back to the Crown, as did the Duchy of Auvergne, but were reassigned to Marie's second husband. The county of Montpensier could be inherited through Marie, as this was a purchase and not an appanage. The counties of Auvergne and Boulogne fell to the heirs of his second wife.

literature

Web links

Commons : Jean de Valois, duc de Berry  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Eberhard König : The Belles Heures des Duc de Berry. Theiss, Stuttgart 2004, ISBN 3-8062-1910-9 , p. 30.
personal data
SURNAME Jean de Valois, duc de Berry
ALTERNATIVE NAMES John of Valois; Johann von Berry; Jean de Berry; Jean le Magnifique
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Duke of Berry and Auvergne, Count of Poitiers and Montpensier and, through his second wife, Count of Auvergne and Boulogne
DATE OF BIRTH November 30, 1340
PLACE OF BIRTH Vincennes Castle
DATE OF DEATH June 15, 1416
Place of death Hotel de Nesle , Paris