Vidame
Vidame (composed of vice and dominus ; Latin for place and lord ) is a rather rare French nobility title. In Germany the corresponding designation was Vitztum or Vitzthum.
The vidame was originally the one who commanded the armed forces of a bishop and exercised some feudal rights on his behalf . The office was created in the 7th century, was not yet consolidated in the 9th century and was often held by a clergyman, while the Avoué ( Vogt ), who sometimes replaced the Vidame, was always a layperson. In the 10th century, the vidame was a title associated with certain fiefdoms and thus hereditary. Nothing changed about this when the tasks associated with the title were no longer performed because the king and the bishops had agreed to strip the office of any content.
The title has been integrated into the usual title of nobility and as the Vicomte considered equivalent.
The office of vidame is known:
- in the Diocese of Amiens : the Vidame d'Amiens owned the area around Picquigny . The title is hereditary in the family of the Dukes of Luynes .
- in the diocese of Beauvais : the Vidame de Beauvais owned the area around Gerberoy . In the 13th century it reverted to the bishop.
- in the Diocese of Chartres : the Vidame de Chartres owned the area around La Ferté-Arnault (also called La Ferté-Vidame ). The most famous title holder was Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon
- in the diocese of Geneva : the Vidame de Geneve canton of Geneva in Switzerland.
- in the diocese of Laon : the title Vidame de Laon was worn in numerous families including the Roye , La Rochefoucauld , Béthune and Gontaut
- in the diocese of Le Mans : the title Vidame du Mans belonged to the Angennes de Rambouillet family
- in Normandy : the title Vidame de Normandie was worn in numerous families, including the Pavilly , Esneval and Dreux
- in the Archdiocese of Reims : the title of Vidame de Reims was hereditary in the Châtillon house .
- in the diocese of Sarlat : Antoine Paul Jacques de Quélen de Stuer de Caussade (1706–1772), duc de La Vauguyon, prince de Carency, pair de France, was also called Vidame de Sarlat.
The title Vidame was also a courtesy title. So was z. B. the title of Vidame de Limoges at the end of the 18th century by the du Mas de Paysac , marquis de Payzac .
places
- La Ferté-Vidame ( Eure-et-Loir department )
- Meslay-le-Vidame (Eure-et-Loir department)
- Molliens-Vidame (since 1972 Molliens-Dreuil , Somme department )