William I of Aquitaine
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William I (died 6 July 918), called the Pious, was the Count of Auvergne from 886 and Duke of Aquitaine from 893, succeeding the Poitevin ruler Ebalus Manser. He made numerous monastic foundations, most important among them the foundation of Cluny on 11 September 910.
William was the son of the Bernard II of Auvergne and Ermengard. Sometime before 898, he married Engelberga, daughter of Boso and Ermengard, monarchs of Provence.
By inheritance, he was the master of Auvergne and the Limousin. He conquered Poitou and Aquitaine in 893 on behalf of Ebalus Manser. He kept the latter for himself had was proclaimed duke. His possessions extended from Austrasia to Toulouse and included the Autunois and Mâconnais.
In 910, William founded the Benedictine abbey of Cluny that would become an important political and religious centre. William required no control over the abbey and established that the Cluniac house was responsible directly to the pope (see Clunian reforms). William nominated Cluny's first abbot, Bernon de Baume.
A sign of William's independence of rule in Aquitaine is that he had a deniers minted in his own name at Brioude.[1] He was buried in the monastery of Saint-Julien there. He had no sons of his own and was succeeded by a nephew, William the Younger, son of his sister Adelinda.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Rouche, p 428.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Nouvelle Biographie Générale. Paris, 1859.
- Rouche, Michel, "Private life conquers state and society," in A History of Private Life vol I, Paul Veyne, editor. Harvard University Press: 1987. ISBN 0-674-39974-9
| Preceded by: Ebalus |
Duke of Aquitaine 893 – 918 |
Succeeded by: William II |
