Peter I of Courtenay

Depiction of Peter in a manuscript from the 14th century

Peter of France (French: Pierre Ier de France, seigneur de Courtenay ; * around 1126; † between 1180 and 1183 in Palestine ) was a prince from the Capetian dynasty and, as Peter I, lord of Courtenay , Champignelles , Montargis , Château -Renard , Tanlay , Charny and Chantecoq . He is the progenitor of the younger House of Courtenay .

Peter was a younger son of King Ludwig VI. des Dicken von France and his second wife Adelheid von Maurienne .

Marriage and Lord of Courtenay

Coat of arms of Peter I as Lord of Courtenay

Between 1150 and 1153 he married Elisabeth von Courtenay, a daughter of Mr. Rainald von Courtenay († 1194) and his wife Helvis von Donjon. His wife's family belonged to those lords of the castle, who at the beginning of the 12th century were in bitter opposition to King Ludwig VI. stood and were subjugated by this militarily. Around the time of the wedding, his father-in-law Rainald and his sons moved to England, where he married Hawise von Avranches, mistress of Okehampton , and became the progenitor of the Courtenays of Devon . What made him do this is unclear, perhaps Rainald was a supporter of Eleanor of Aquitaine and preferred to join her and her second husband, King Henry II of England after their divorce from King Louis VII of France (1152) .

In any case, this was how Peter got the possession and the coat of arms of the family into which he had married. His brother, King Ludwig VII , confirmed the fiefdom and also gave the lords of Tanlay, Charny and Chantecocq.

Little is known about Peter's tenure, except that in 1179 he granted Montargis town rights and built the castle of the same name.

Crusade and death

In 1179 Peter reached the Holy Land as a crusader, together with Count Heinrich I of Champagne and Bishop Philip of Beauvais . Their arrival induced the Ayyubid Sultan Saladin to break off the offensive against the Kingdom of Jerusalem that he had planned after his victory on the Litani River the previous year. Instead, he attacked the castle at Jacob's ford and captured it.

Peter died in the Holy Land between March 1180 and April 1183. His remains were apparently transferred to England and buried in Exeter Cathedral. He bequeathed his French possessions to his two eldest sons Peter (II) and Robert .

progeny

He had ten children with Elisabeth:

• Peter II. (* Around 1155; † 1219), Lord of Courtenay, Latin Emperor of Constantinople
• nn (daughter, * around 1158)
  • ∞ Eudes de la Marche
• Alix (around 1160 - 12 February 1218)
  • ∞ I) around 1178 (separation in 1186) with Count Wilhelm I. von Joigny
  • ∞ II) 1186 with Count Aymar von Angoulême († 1202) ( House Taillefer )
• Eustachie († April 6, after 1235)
  • ∞ I) Wilhelm von Brienne († before 1200), a son of Count Érard II of Brienne
  • ∞ II) 1200 Wilhelm von Champlitte († 1209), Vice Count of Dijon and Prince of Achaia
  • ∞ III) 1211 Wilhelm I († 1218), Count of Sancerre
• Klementia
  • ∞ before 1185 Guy V, Lord of Thiern ( House Thiern )
• Robert (* around 1168; † 1239), lord of Champignelles and Chantecoq, grand cupbearer of France , descendants until 1733
• Philipp (1183/86 occupied)
• Isabella
  • ∞ Aimon III. († after 1221), Lord of Charost
• Konstanze (* around 1168; † after 1231)
  • ∞ I) Gasce de Poissy († 1189), lord of Châteaufort
  • ∞ II) Wilhelm von Breteuil († before 1231), lord of la Ferté-Arnaud and Villepreux
• Wilhelm (* 1172; † 1233/1248), Lord of Tanlay and Mailly-le-Château

Individual evidence

1. ↑ See Steven Runciman: History of the Crusades. CH Beck, Munich 1978, p. 722

Web links

• Pierre (I) de France at fmg.ac (English)

predecessor	Office	successor
Rainald	Lord of Courtenay Lord of Montargis (de iure uxoris ) around 1152–1181	Peter II
Rainald	Lord of Champignelles Lord of Château-Renard (de iure uxoris) around 1152–1181	Robert
French crown domain ( Louis VII. )	Lord of Chantecoq Lord of Charny around 1152–1181	Robert
French crown domain ( Louis VII. )	Lord von Tanlay around 1152–1181	Peter II