TheCounty of Poitou (Latincomitatus Pictavensis) was a historical region of France, consisting of the three sub-regions ofVendée,Deux-Sèvres andVienne. Its name is derived from the ancient Gaul tribe ofPictones. The county was bounded on the north by theDuchy of Brittany, the counties ofAnjou andTouraine, on the east by theCounty of La Marche and on the south by theCounty of Angoulême. The seat of the county was atPoitiers.
County of Poitou comitatus Pictavensis(Latin) | |||||||||
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| 778–1416 | |||||||||
 France in 1154 | |||||||||
| Status |
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| Capital | Poitiers | ||||||||
| Government | FeudalCounty | ||||||||
| Count of Poitou | |||||||||
| Historical era | Middle Ages | ||||||||
• Established | 778 | ||||||||
• Merged with the French Crown | 1416 | ||||||||
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| Today part of | France | ||||||||
Poitou was ruled by thecount of Poitou, a continuous line of which can be traced back to an appointment ofCharlemagne in 778. From the 950s on, the counts were alsodukes of Aquitaine. After the marriage ofEleanor of Aquitaine withLouis VII of France in 1138, theSeneschal of Poitou was responsible for the day-to-day affairs of the county. From 1154, through Eleanor's second marriage, Poitou passed to thekings of England.
Poitou was conquered by KingPhilip II of France in 1205 after he declared it a confiscatedfief of the crown.Henry III of England failed to retake it in theSaintonge War. One of the main battlegrounds ofHundred Years' War between the French and English in the 14th and 15th centuries, Poitou was finally merged with the French crown in 1416.
