Louis de Sancerre

Reclining figure of the Connétable de Sancerre in the Abbey of Saint-Denis.

Louis de Sancerre (* 1341/2; † February 6, 1402 ) was a marshal and then a connétable of France . He was also Lord of Boisgibault , Bomiers, Condé , Charenton and Luzy . He was a younger son of Ludwig II , Count von Sancerre .

He made his first military experience at the age of 17 while successfully defending the city of Sancerre against the troops of the English officer Jean Aymery at the side of his brothers John III. and Robert.

He had two illegitimate children:

• Louis, Herr von Barleu, La Ferrière, Beroust etc.
• Jeannette, ∞ Jean de La Teillaye .

Marshal of France

From 1358 he fought at the side of the Connétable Bertrand du Guesclin , whom he and Olivier V. de Clisson on their campaign in Guyenne. He defended the Bourbonnais and Auvergne against muggers. On June 20, 1368 he was appointed Marshal of France and Commander of the Army in Guyenne. From 1369 to 1380 he fought under this title and under the name Maréchal de Sancerre in Brittany and Guyenne.

In July 1380, Louis took part in the siege of the fortress of Châteauneuf-de-Randon in Auvergne , which was led by Bertrand du Guesclin. On November 27, 1382 he commanded the French vanguard in the battle of Roosebeke against the Flemings . In 1386 he became lieutenant general in Guyenne. In 1387 he drove the English out of the Château de la Rochandry. From 1390 to 1398 he was governor of Guyenne and Languedoc .

Connétable of France

On September 22, 1397, after the death of Philippe d'Artois , Count of Eu , he was appointed his successor as Connétable of France. In 1398 he marched against the Captal de Buch and the Count of Foix . In Saverdun he subjugated the Count of Foix and subordinated his property to the king, the oath of allegiance was taken on August 30, 1398. Louis de Sancerre conquered Les Bordes , Le Fossat , Daumazan , Saint-Ybars , the fortress of Besplas etc. and on January 24th 1399 the castle of Montaut .

He sent two medically trained hermits from Guyenne to Paris to help with the convalescence of King Charles VI. to participate. Around Pentecost 1399, the mentally ill King Louis, who was now in Toulouse , ordered the holy handkerchief (Saint-Suaire ) to be brought to him from the Abbey of Cadouin (Dordogne).

Louis de Sancerre was buried as an extraordinary privilege like Bertrand du Guesclin in the Saint-Denis basilica .

literature

• Jean Froissart  : Chroniques, 3rd book, chapter XVI: Comment plusieurs capitaines anglois et autres gens de Compagnies furent déconfits devant la ville de Sancerre.