Pierre of Roubaix

Pierre von Roubaix ( French : Pierre de Roubaix ) (born August 1, 1415 in Herzelles ; † June 7, 1498 in Roubaix ) was lord of Roubaix, a small town in northern France . His father was Johann V von Roubaix , his mother Agnès de Herzelles.

Life

Pierre followed the example of his father Johann V von Roubaix and ruled the rule in what was then Flanders and, as a close advisor to the House of Burgundy, contributed to enforcing its hegemonic policy in the region.

He took part in all the wars his princes supported, whether to conquer new lands or to defend those that had been awarded to them by the Treaty of Arras of 1435. His loyalty to the Duke of Burgundy and the influence of his father made him a constant opponent of the French kingdom. His differences with Jean von Lannoy , whose constant loyalty to the French king divided him with Jean, made Roubaix and the neighbor Lannoy two long enemies.

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

Driven by the strong religious motivation of the time, Pierre undertook a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and, like his father, visited the holy places in Jerusalem , the Church of the Holy Sepulcher - where he received the accolade - and Mount Sinaï .

On the way back he visited the Kingdom of Cyprus and the island of Rhodes . He then traveled to the court of the Prince of Taranto and to Naples, where he was received by the king who, like him , wore the chain of the Order of the Golden Fleece . Finally he went to Rome where he was received by the Pope and was able to explore the " Eternal City ".

Pierre's design of the city

In inheriting from his father, Pierre de Roubaix became one of the richest landowners in the country. His fortune would increase in the years that followed. He used this fortune mainly to promote his domain. An archivist from Roubaix named Théodore Leuridan wrote in the 19th century : “ The modest little turret was no longer sufficient for the great Lord of Roubaix, whom a strange preference kept in his domain of Roubaix. He replaced it with an excellent residence, surrounded by fortress walls and a double moat. Roubaix Castle did a great service to the residents, who retired there with their belongings and cattle when the land was occupied. “As a pioneer for the future, Pierre von Roubaix allocated land to the residents for the construction of a large housing estate. This early settlement was bordered solely by moats and hedges.

In a few years, Pierre de Roubaix had grown the settlement into a city and now wanted to acquire the rights to trade there and to enable the production of goods. His friend, Duke Charles the Bold , presented him with a certificate dated November 1, 1469, which granted the city of Roubaix the first privilege to manufacture it.

The charitable support from Pierre extended to the planning and financing of the construction of the parish church Saint-Martin , with which he wanted to highlight the newly acquired prominence of his domain. However, he died before the church was built. The construction of the steeple was not to be completed before 1571.

Late years

After the death of Charles the Bold, his daughter, Mary of Burgundy and Louis XI. an agreement, after which Pierre de Roubaix retired to his castle in Roubaix and only took care of internal projects and family matters. In memory of his pilgrimage to the Holy Land, he had the Chapel of the Holy Sepulcher built, which at that time rose on the northern part of today's Place de la Liberté and was later destroyed by fire. Pierre added a hospice to this chapel, which housed seven old members of the parish.

Pierre von Roubaix died in his castle on June 7, 1498 at the age of 83.

family

Pierre von Roubaix had a sister named Jeanne de Roubaix, who was married to Antoine I. de Croÿ (1390-1475), Count of Porcéan .

Pierre left only one daughter named Isabella . Since her son François died at a young age, the house of Roubaix ended with her. When she married Jacques de Luxembourg , the inheritance fell into the hands of the von Werchin family in the following generation .

literature

• Théodore Leuridan: Histoire des seigneurs et de la seigneurie de Roubaix . Les Editions de la Tour Gile, Roubaix, 1962, ISBN 2-87802-197-5 .

Web links

• History of the city of Roubaix

predecessor	Office	successor
Johann V.	Lord of Roubaix around 1449–1498	Jacques de Luxembourg