| William V | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Aquitaine | |
| Reign | 990 − 31 January 1030 |
| Predecessor | William IV, Duke of Aquitaine |
| Successor | William VI, Duke of Aquitaine |
| Born | 969 Poitiers |
| Died | 31 January 1030 Maillezais Cathedral |
| Burial | Maillezais Cathedral |
| Spouse | Adalemode of Limoges Brisque of Gascony Agnes of Burgundy |
| Issue | William VI, Duke of Aquitaine Odo of Gascony William VII, Duke of Aquitaine William VIII, Duke of Aquitaine Agnes of Poitou |
| House | Ramnulfids |
| Father | William IV, Duke of Aquitaine |
| Mother | Emma of Blois |
William the Great (French:Guillaume le Grand; 969 – 31 January 1030) wasduke of Aquitaine (asWilliam V) andcount of Poitou (asWilliam II orIII) from 990 until his death.[1][2] Upon the death of theemperorHenry II, he was offered thekingdom of Italy but declined to contest the title againstConrad II.
William was the son and successor ofWilliam IV by his wifeEmma of Blois, daughter ofTheobald I of Blois.[1] He seems to have taken after his formidable mother, who ruled Aquitaine asregent until 1004. He was a friend to BishopFulbert of Chartres, who found in him anotherMaecenas, and founded a cathedral school atPoitiers. He himself was very well educated, a collector of books, and turned the prosperous court of Aquitaine into the learning centre of Southern France.
Though a cultivated prince, William was a failure in the field. He called upon his suzerainRobert II of France to aid in subduing his vassal,Boso of La Marche. Initially unsuccessful, Boso was eventually chased from the duchy. He had to containVikings who continually threatened his coast. In 1006, he was defeated by Viking invaders. He lost theLoudunais andMirebalais toFulk Nerra,count of Anjou. He had to give upConfolens,Ruffec, andChabanais to compensateWilliam II of Angoulême, but Fulbert negotiated a treaty (1020) outlining the reciprocal obligations of vassal and suzerain.
However, William's court was a centre of artistic endeavour and he its surest patron. His piety and culture brought peace to his vast territories, and he tried to stem the tide of feudal warfare then destroying the unity of many European nations by supporting the currentPeace and Truce of God movements initiated byPope andChurch. He foundedMaillezais Abbey (1010) andBourgueil Abbey. After a fire in Poitier, he rebuilt the cathedral and many other religious structures. He travelled widely in Europe, annually visitingRome orSpain as a pilgrim. Everywhere he was greeted with royal pomp. His court was of an international flavour, receiving ambassadors from theEmperor Henry II,Alfonso V of León,Canute the Great, and even his suzerain, Robert of France.
Upon the death ofHenry II without an obvious heir, some of the nobles of thekingdom of Italy looked for a separate candidate to elect rather than maintain their union withGermany by accepting its election ofConrad II. An embassy led byUlric Manfred, themarquis of Susa, came toFrance in 1024 and remained for a year, attempting to interest Robert's sonHugh Magnus and then (after Robert's refusal to permit this) William, whose character and court impressed many. William considered the proposal seriously but, upon visiting Italy himself, he found the political situation so unfavorable that he renounced the crown for himself and his heirs. Most of his surviving six letters deal with the Italian proposal.
William's reign ended in peace and he died on the last (or second to last) day of January 1030 at Maillezais Abbey, which he founded and where he is buried.[3]
The principal source of information on William's reign is thepanegyric ofAdhemar of Chabannes. His relations with his vassal,Hugh IV of Lusignan, are the subject of theConventum.
William was married at least 3 times. His first wife was Adalemode of Limoges, widow ofAdalbert I of La Marche.[1] They had:
William's second wife was Brisque(or Brisca) of Gascony,[1] daughter of DukeWilliam Sánchez of Gascony and sister of DukeSancho VI William. She was dead by 1018. They had:
William's third wife wasAgnes of Burgundy, daughter ofOtto-William, Duke of Burgundy.[1] Her second husband wasGeoffrey II of Anjou. They had:
William V, Duke of Aquitaine Born: 969 Died: 31 January 1030 | ||
| Preceded by | Duke of Aquitaine 990–1030 | Succeeded by |
| Count of Poitiers 990–1030 | ||
 | ||
*Count through marriage. **Style only. | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| People | |
| Other | |
