Raymond Roger Trencavel | |
|---|---|
| Viscount of Carcassonne,Béziers, Albi and Razès | |
 Seal of Raymond Roger | |
| Predecessor | Roger II Trencavel |
| Successor | Raymond II Trencavel |
| Born | 1185 (1185) |
| Died | 10 November 1209(1209-11-10) (aged 23–24) Carcassonne |
| Noble family | Trencavel |
| Spouse | Agnes of Montpellier |
| Issue | Raymond II Trencavel |
| Father | Roger II Trencavel |
| Mother | Azalais of Toulouse |
Raymond Roger Trencavel (alsoRaimond,Occitan:Raimon Rogièr; 1185 – 10 November 1209)[1] was a member of the nobleTrencavel family. He wasviscount ofBéziers andAlbi (and thus avassal of thecount of Toulouse), and viscount ofCarcassonne and theRazès (and thus a vassal of thecount of Barcelona, which was also rulingAragon at this time).
Raymond-Roger was the son ofRoger II Trencavel (d. 1194), and ofAzalais of Toulouse (also known as the "Countess ofBurlats"), daughter ofRaymond V of Toulouse and sister ofRaymond VI. Raymond-Roger was married to Agnes of Montpellier.[1] His aunt, Beatrice of Béziers, was the second wife ofRaymond VI of Toulouse.
Raymond-Roger lived in theChâteau Comtal in the fortified hill town of Carcassonne. The château was built by his ancestors in the 11th century. Although Raymond-Roger was not aCathar, many of his subjects were, and he adopted alaissez-faire attitude to Catharism.[2]: 288 [3]: 60–61 Béziers also had a substantial Jewish population.[4]: 39
By mid-1209, at the beginning of theAlbigensian Crusade, around 20,000 crusaders had gathered inLyon and began to march south.[4]: 33 In June, Raymond of Toulouse, recognizing the potential disaster at hand, promised to act against the Cathars, and hisexcommunication was lifted. The crusaders headed towardsMontpellier and the lands of Raymond-Roger de Trencavel, aiming for the Cathar communities aroundAlbi and Carcassonne. LikeRaymond VI of Toulouse, Raymond-Roger de Trencavel sought an accommodation with the crusaders, but Raymond-Roger was refused a meeting and raced back toCarcassonne to prepare his defences.[4]: 39 The city ofBéziers was sacked in July and its population massacred.
The town of Carcassonne was well fortified, but vulnerable and over-populated with refugees. The crusaders, led by a papal legate,Arnaud Amaury, Abbot of Cîteaux, arrived outside the town on 1 August 1209 andplaced it under siege.[2]: 289 [4]: 45 As vassal of KingPeter II of Aragon, Raymond-Roger had hoped for protection, but Peter was powerless to opposePope Innocent III's army and could act only as a mediator.[4]: 50
The siege did not last long. By 7 August the crusaders had cut the town's access to water. Raymond-Roger accepted a safe-conduct to negotiate terms of surrender in the Crusader camp. During these negotiations, Raymond Roger voluntarily gave himself up as a prisoner, possibly to secure the safety of the inhabitants of the town.[4]: 51
Carcassonne surrendered on 15 August. The inhabitants were not massacred but were forced to leave the town with nothing but the clothes on their backs.[4]: 52 [2]: 289 Simon de Montfort was granted control of the area encompassing Carcassonne, Albi, and Béziers. Raymond-Roger's dispossessed son,Raymond II (1204-1263), formally ceded his rights toLouis IX of France in 1247, after several failed attempts to recover his patrimony.
Following his surrender at theSiege of Carcassonne, Raymond Roger was imprisoned in the town and kept there by Simon de Montfort. He died of dysentery on 10 November 1209. After his death, rumors circulated that he had been poisoned, though this was denied by Simon de Montfort.[2]: 289