| Charles of Blois-Châtillon | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Duke of Brittany | |
| Reign | 30 April 1341 – 29 September 1364 |
| Predecessor | John III |
| Successor | John IV |
| Born | c. 1319 Blois (France) |
| Died | 29 September 1364 (aged 44–45) Auray |
| Spouse | Joan, Duchess of Brittany |
| Issue | John I, Count of Penthièvre Marie, Duchess of Anjou Margaret, Countess of Angoulême |
| House | House of Blois-Châtillon |
| Father | Guy I, Count of Blois |
| Mother | Margaret of Valois |
Charles de Châtillon | |
|---|---|
_%25C3%2589glise_Notre-Dame_Statue_01.JPG) Statue of Blessed Knight Charles Châtillon de Blois in the Church of Notre-Dame de Bulat-Pestivien (Bretagne) | |
| Duke of Brittany, Patron of Europe | |
| Born | c. 1319 Blois,France |
| Died | 29 September 1364 (aged 44 – 45) Battle of Auray,Auray,France |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 14 December 1904 (confirmation of cultus) byPope Pius X |
| Feast | 29 September (General Roman Calendar) |
| Attributes | sword, tabard with Brittany's coat of arms, armor, shield |
| Patronage | Army soldiers, agricultural workers |
Charles of Blois-Châtillon (1319 – 29 September 1364), nicknamed "the Saint", was the legalistDuke of Brittany from 1341 until his death, via his marriage toJoan, Duchess of Brittany and Countess of Penthièvre, holding the title against the claims ofJohn of Montfort. The cause of his possible canonization was the subject of a good deal of political maneuvering on the part of his cousin,Charles V of France, who endorsed it, and his rival,John of Montfort, who opposed it. The cause fell dormant afterPope Gregory XI leftAvignon in 1376, but was revived in 1894. Charles of Blois wasbeatified in 1904.
Charles was born inBlois, the son ofGuy de Châtillon,count of Blois, byMargaret of Valois, a sister of KingPhilip VI of France. A devoutascetic from an early age, he showed interest in religious books but was forbidden from reading them by his father, as they did not seem appropriate to his position as aknight.[1] As he grew older, Charles took piety to the extreme of mortifying his own flesh.[2] It is said that he placed pebbles in his shoes, slept on straw instead of a bed, confessed every night in fear of sleeping in a state of sin, and wore acilice under his armor in battle. He was nevertheless an accomplished military leader, who inspired loyalty by his religious fervour.[1]
On 4 June 1337 in Paris, he marriedJoan the Lame, heiress and niece ofJohn III, Duke of Brittany.[3][1]
Together, Charles and his wife, Joan of Penthièvre, fought the House of Montfort in theBreton War of Succession (1341–1364), with the support of the crown of France.[1] Despite his piety, Charles did not hesitate in ordering the massacre of 1,400 civilians after the siege ofQuimper as well as the massacre of thousands after the siege ofGuerande.[4] After initial successes, Charles was taken prisoner by the English in 1347.[1] His official captor wasThomas Dagworth.[5]
He stayed nine years as prisoner in theKingdom of England. During that time, he used to visit English graveyards, where he prayed and recitedPsalm 130, much to the chagrin of his own squire. When Charles asked the squire to take part in the prayer, the younger man refused, saying that the men who were buried at the English graveyards had killed his parents and friends and burned their houses.[1]
Charles was released against a ransom of about half a millionécus in 1356.[6] Upon returning to France, he decided to travel barefoot in winter fromLa Roche-Derrien toTréguier Cathedral out of devotion to SaintIvo of Kermartin. When the common people heard of his plan, they placed straw and blankets on the street, but Charles promptly took another way. His feet became so sore that he could not walk for 15 weeks.[1] He then resumed the war against the Montforts.[6]
Charles was eventually killed in combat during theBattle of Auray in 1364, which with the second treaty of Guerande in 1381 determined the end of theBreton War of Succession as a victory for the Montforts.[6]
By his marriage to Joan the Lame, Countess of Penthièvre, he had five children:
According toFroissart's Chronicles, Charles also had an illegitimate child, John of Blois, who died in the Battle of Auray. However, considering Charles' extreme piety, historianJohan Huizinga regarded it unlikely that Charles actually had a child born outside marriage and thatJean Froissart was probably mistaken in identifying John as Charles' son.[2]
Charles was buried atGuingamp, where the Franciscans actively promoted his unapproved cult as saint and martyr. Such variety ofex votos bedecked his tomb, that in 1368Duke John IV of Brittany persuadedPope Urban V to issue a bull directing the Breton bishops to stop this.[9] But the bishops failed to enforce it.
Nonetheless, his family successfully lobbied for his canonization as aSaint of the Roman Catholic church for his devotion to religion.[2] Bending to pressure fromCharles V of France, Pope Urban authorized a commission to study the matter. Urban died December 1370 to be succeeded byPope Gregory XI. The commission held its first meeting in Angers in September 1371, and forwarded its report to Avignon the following January. Gregory appointed three cardinals to review the matter. The Pope returned to Italy in September 1376, arriving in Rome in November 1377; he died the following March. Gregory was succeeded in Avignon byClement VII, but the documents were probably in Rome withPope Urban VI.[10] There appears to be no record of further activity regarding Charles' cause for canonization at this time. In 1454, Charles' grandson urged his relatives to continue to advocate for his recognition.
The process was re-opened in 1894, and on 14 December 1904, Charles de Châtillon was beatified asBlessed Charles of Blois. His feast Day is 30 September.
_%25C3%2589glise_Saint-Pierre_Vitrail_14.JPG)
_Basilique_Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle_Vitrail_1.jpg)
.png)
Charles, Duke of Brittany Born: 1319 Died: 1364 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Duke of Brittanyjure uxoris 1341–1364 With:Joan disputed byJohn of Montfort andJohn IV | Succeeded by |
| Preceded byas sole countess | Count of Penthièvrejure uxoris 1337–1364 With:Joan | Succeeded byas sole countess |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
