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Girard IISon of Leto I, Count of Fezensac and Paris, and Grimilda.
Country:
 France |
Content:
Biography of Gerard II
Gérard II was born as the son of Letho I, Count of Fesensac and Paris, and Grimoalde. He belonged to the Gerardid dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Louis I the Pious, he served as the Count of Paris. In 834, he played a key role in reconciling the emperor with his sons. In 837/838, he swore allegiance to Charles the Bald. However, after Louis I's death, Gerard switched sides and allied himself with Emperor Lothair I, as both Lothair and Gerard were married to sisters. After Lothair's defeat at the Battle of Fontenoy, Gerard lost Paris but retained his lands in Avalon and Laon. Lothair appointed Gerard as his Pfalzgraf and in 844, he became the Duke of Lyon and Vienne.
After Lothair's death in 855, Gerard became the guardian and de facto ruler of Provence, during the minority of King Charles, Lothair's son. In 859, Gerard concluded an agreement with Charles' brother, Lothair II, the King of Lorraine, in which Charles recognized Lothair as his heir. In the same year, Gerard founded the monastery of Vézelay. To ensure the monastery's independence, Gerard placed it under the protection of the Papal throne, which was accepted by Pope Nicholas I. In 860, Gerard defeated the Normans who had risen along the Rhône. In the autumn of 861, he defended the kingdom against Charles the Bald when he launched an expedition against Macon. After Charles' death in 863, Emperor Louis II arrived first in Provence, surpassing Lothair II, who failed to enforce the 859 agreement. However, on April 30, 863, Gerard made an agreement with Lothair at the castle of Mantail, becoming his first advisor and subordinating the counties of Lyon, Vienne, and Vivarais, which were part of the Duchy of Lyon.
In 867, Gerard entered into a conflict with Charles the Bald over the County of Bourges, as Charles preferred Count Eberhard. In early 868, Charles the Bald confirmed the transfer of the Vézelay monastery to the Papal throne, but soon after, Gerard's men killed Count Eberhard. This sparked a struggle between Charles and Gerard in Berry, Osera, and Avalon, but the information about the results is quite contradictory: some sources speak of Charles' victory, while others mention his defeat. However, after Lothair's death in 869, Gerard lost his position, was deprived of his possessions, and took refuge in Vienne. On August 8, 870, Charles the Bald and Louis the German reached an agreement in Meersen to divide Lothair II's kingdom. Gerard did not recognize this agreement and rebelled against Charles the Bald. However, with the support of the archbishops of Lyon and Vienne, Charles besieged Vienne in December. After several months of siege, Gerard was forced to surrender. Charles incorporated Vienne and Lyon into his kingdom and in 871, he handed them over to his brother-in-law, Boson.
Gerard and his wife Bertha moved to either Avignon or Vézelay, where they eventually passed away. Bertha died in 873, while Gerard died in 878/879. His wife, Bertha, was the daughter of Hugh II, Count of Tours and Bourges.
Children:
- Terry (d. 845)
- Ava
