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| Avesnes | |
|---|---|
| noble family | |
 Coat of Arms | |
| Country | France,Netherlands |
| Founded | 11th century |
| Founder | Fastré I d'Oisy |
| Final ruler | Margaret II, Countess of Hainaut |
| Dissolution | 14th century |
TheAvesnes family played an important role during theMiddle Ages. The family has its roots in the small villageAvesnes-sur-Helpe, in the north of France.
One branch produced a number ofCounts of Holland during the 13th century. The family died out in the 16th century.
Baldwin, the first emperor of theLatin Empire ofConstantinople, was as Baldwin IXCount of Flanders and as Baldwin VICount of Hainaut. Baldwin had only daughters and was in turn succeeded by his daughtersJoan (reigned 1205–1244) andMargaret II (reigned 1244–1280).
In 1212 Margaret II marriedBouchard d'Avesnes, a prominentHainaut nobleman. This was apparently a love match, though it was approved by Margaret's sister Joan, who had herself recently married. The two sisters subsequently had a falling-out over Margaret's share of their inheritance, which led Joan to attempt to get Margaret's marriage dissolved. She alleged that the marriage was invalid, and without much inspection of the facts of the casePope Innocent III condemned the marriage, though he did not formally annul it.
Bourchard and Margaret continued as a married couple, having 3 children, as their conflict with Joan grew violent and Bouchard was captured and imprisoned in 1219. He was released in 1221 on the condition that the couple separate and that Bouchard get absolution from the pope. While he was inRome, Joan convinced Margaret to remarry, this time toWilliam II of Dampierre, a nobleman fromChampagne. From this marriage Margaret had two sons:William II, Count of Flanders andGuy of Dampierre.
This situation caused something of a scandal, for the marriage was possiblybigamous, and violated the church's strictures onconsanguinity as well. The disputes regarding the validity of the two marriages and the legitimacy of her children by each husband continued for decades, becoming entangled in the politics of theHoly Roman Empire and resulting in the longWar of the Succession of Flanders and Hainault.
In 1246 kingLouis IX of France, acting as an arbitrator, gave the right to inherit Flanders to the Dampierre children, and the rights to Hainaut to the Avesnes children. This would seem to have settled the matter, but in 1253 problems arose again. The eldest son,John I of Avesnes, who was uneasy about his rights, convincedWilliam of Holland, the German king recognized by the pro-papal forces, to seize Hainaut and the parts of Flanders which were within the bounds of the empire. William of Holland was theoretically, as king, overlord for these territories, and also John's brother-in-law. A civil war followed, which ended when the Avesnes forces defeated and imprisoned the Dampierres at theBattle of West-Capelle of 4 July 1253, after which John I of Avesnes was able to force Guy of Dampierre and his mother to respect the division of Louis and grant him Hainault.
Margaret did not rest in her defeat and did not recognise herself as overcome. She instead granted Hainault toCharles of Anjou, the brother of King Louis, who had recently returned from the crusade. Charles took up her cause and warred with John I of Avesnes, but failed to takeValenciennes and just missed being killed in a skirmish. When Louis returned in 1254, he reaffirmed his earlier arbitration and ordered his brother to get out of the conflict. Charles returned toProvence. With this second arbitration of the holy king, the conflict closed and John I of Avesnes was secure in Hainault.
The following decades saw further strife between the Dampierres and the Avesnes, who by the start of the 14th century had also inherited theCounty of Holland andZeeland.