Garsenda, Countess of Forcalquier: Difference between revisions

Garsenda
Countess of Provence Countess of Forcalquier
Garsenda as she appears on her seal, from drawing by Louis Blancard (1860)
Born	c. 1180
Died	c. 1242/1257
Spouse	Alfonso II, Count of Provence
Issue	Ramon Berenguer IV Garsenda of Provence, Viscountess of Béarn
House	Sabran
Father	Rainou of Sabran
Mother	Garsenda I of Forcalquier

Garsenda (French: Garsende; c. 1180 – c. 1242/1257) was the Countess of Provence from 1193 as the wife of Alfonso II, and the Countess of Forcalquier suo jure from 1209.

She was a poet and patron of Occitan literature and lyric poetry, counted among the trobairitz as Garsenda de Proensa. She is considered "one of the most powerful women in Occitan history",^[1] and is the matrilineal ancestor of many European monarchs and nobles, including Queen Victoria, Louis XIV, and Catherine II.

Garsenda was born to Rainou (or Rénier) of the House of Sabran, Lord of Caylar and Ansouis, and Garsenda I, daughter of William IV of Forcalquier, whom Garsenda I predeceased.

In 1193, William IV and Alfonso II signed the Treaty of Aix, whereby, upon William's death, Garsenda would inherit William's title and marry Alfonso, who was in line to become Count of Provence. The marriage took place at Aix-en-Provence in July 1193. The couple had at least two children:^[2][3][4]

• Raymond Berengar IV
• Garsenda, who married Guillermo II de Montcada. They had issue, including Gaston VII, Viscount of Béarn.

In 1209, both William IV and Alfonso died, leaving Garsenda as the natural guardian of her son and heir, Raymond. Initially, Garsenda's brother-in-law, Peter II of Aragon, assigned the regency of Provence to his brother Sancho. However, when Peter died in 1213, Sancho became regent of Aragon and passed Provence and Forcalquier to his son, Nuño Sánchez. Dissension broke out between the Catalans and the partisans of the countess, who accused Nuño of attempting to supplant his nephew in the county. The Provençal aristocracy originally took advantage of the situation for their ambitious ends, but eventually supported Garsenda, removing Nuño, who returned to Catalonia. The regency was passed to Garsenda and a regency council was established, composed of the native nobles.

It was likely during her regency (1209/1213 – 1217/1220) when Garsenda first patronized the arts, though the vida of Elias de Barjols refers to his patron as Alfonso. Barjols purportedly "fell in love" with Garsenda as a widow, writing songs about her "for the rest of his life". Raimon Vidal also praised Garsenda's renowned patronage of troubadours.

In 1220, Guillaume II de Sabran, a nephew of William IV and claimant of Forqualquier, who had been in revolt in the region of Sisteron, was neutralised, in part through the mediation of the Archbishop of Aix, Bermond le Cornu. By 1217 or 1220 Garsenda had finally ceded Forcalquier to her son.

Garsenda retired to the monastery of La Celle around 1225. In 1242, she went to visit her newly born great-granddaughter, Beatrice of England, in Bordeaux. As the father of infant Beatrice, Henry III of England, was engaged in a war in France at the time, she brought sixty knights to his service.^[7] Garsenda may have been alive as late as 1257, when a certain woman of that name donated to a church of St-Jean on the condition that three priests be kept to pray for her soul and that of her husband.

The following coblas are an exchange between and a bona dompna, identified in one chansonnier as la contessa de Proessa,^[8] and an anonymous troubadour. The bona dompna declares her love for her interlocutor, who responds courteously but carefully. The troubadour may be Gui de Cavaillon, whose vida repeats the rumour that he was the lover of Garsenda.^[9]