Duchy of Normandy

The Duchy of Normandy has its origins in the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte, agreed in 911 between King Charles III of France (The Simple) and the Viking chief Rollón. In exchange for swearing allegiance to the king of France, protecting the lands from invasions by other Viking peoples, converting to the Catholic faith and marrying Giselle, the king's illegitimate daughter, Rollón and his "Men of the North" (the Normans, from the Latin Northmannorum) receive the County of Rouen, the Pays de Caux and the Pays de Talou (Dieppe region), lands conquered by the Normans. They constitute Upper Normandy, that is, the oldest Normandy, as opposed to the territories later incorporated into the duchy, which form Lower Normandy.

History of the Duchy

Creation

Initially, the capital was the city of Rouen. Later, after the expansion of the duchy to the west, the capital was moved to Caen.

In 928 the counties of Évreux, Hiémois (Bayeux region) and Bessin (Argentan and Falaise region) were added.

In 931-934, William I Long Sword incorporated the territories of Cotentin and Avranches.

In 933 the Channel Islands, located in the English Channel, were incorporated.

Consolidation of the Duchy

The counts of Normandy (became dukes around 1010) dedicated themselves to defending the integrity of their territory, against the revolts of other Viking princes installed in the region, as well as the invasions of their powerful neighbors, such as the Count of Blois and the Count of Flanders. While in other parts of Western Europe, the Vikings were forced to retreat from conquered territories, the Normans manage to remain in power and build a consolidated state.

Count Richard I of Normandy (930-996), son of William I Long Sword, will be the architect of the new duchy. The strength and wealth of the various Viking chiefs in Norman territory came from a strategy based on predatory expeditions. To secure the newly acquired territories, Richard I established ties of vassalage with the Scandinavian princes, guaranteeing them in return protection and participation in the spoils of his war expeditions. These links materialized with marriage unions between local chiefs and the county family, as demonstrated by the union of Richard I with Gunnora of Crepon.

The conversion to Catholicism and the baptism ceremony consecrated these alliances according to the Frankish tradition, so religion was used as a strong element of cohesion and solid support for the growing power of the Count of Rouen. Continuing the work begun by his father, Richard I restored Catholicism throughout Normandy, creating monasteries and reestablishing the ancient bishoprics.

His son Richard II (996-1026) will be the first Duke of Normandy and will establish an embryo of the ducal court in Rouen. With it, Normandy is considered to move away from the Scandinavian heritage to integrate into the world of the Franks. To establish his power, he created counties ruled by members of his family on the borders of the duchy, and granted bishoprics to several of his relatives. As peace and security have returned to the region, the papacy resumed its relations with the descendants of those Vikings, who a century earlier burned and looted churches and abbeys. Apart from being his vassal, Richard I was an ally of the French king Robert the Pious, with whom he maintained an almost equal relationship. In fact, Normandy is already considered one of the richest and most powerful territories in France.

Anglo-Norman Normandy

In the decade of the 1150s, and after the union of Normandy with Anjou and Aquitaine, as well as the accession of the Plantegenêt to the throne of England, the Normans came to control half of France and all of England, diminishing thus the power of France. Technically, however, the Normans remained vassals of the French king.

After the Norman conquest, political relations between the Anglo-Normans and France became complicated, since the former continued to retain their possessions in Normandy as vassals who had sworn loyalty to the king of France, but at the same time maintained a relationship of equality in dealing with the kings of England.

Some experts consider that the Norman conquest led to the cultural and economic stagnation of England for almost the following 150 years, since the kings of England preferred to govern from cities such as Rouen, and concentrated all their interest in their continental possessions that were more lucrative.

However, others believe that the Norman Duke-Kings neglected their territories on the continent, where in theory they should continue serving the kings of France, to focus on the consolidation of their sovereignty over England. The economic and human effort used in the construction of cathedrals and castles, and the administration of the new territories, meant a certain neglect of the needs of Normandy, earning the antipathy of the local nobility and weakening Norman control of the territory's borders. while the kings of France continued at the same time to increase their power.

The duchy was governed as a part of the Anglo-Norman kingdom until 1204, when Philip II of France conquered the mainland part of it. This caused a division among the Normans on the continent, between supporters of the French monarchy and those of the Anglo-Norman monarchy.

During the Hundred Years' War, the kings of England attempted to recover their possessions in France.

Under the Treaty of Paris in 1259, most of the territory became part of France, but the Anglo-Norman Islands, located in the English Channel, continued to belong to the English crown (with the exception of the Chausey Island).

In 1789 the French Revolution marked the end of the Duchy's historical rights and privileges, and the following year, the territory of Normandy was divided into five departments.

The Dukes of Normandy

While his predecessors received the title of Jarl of the Normans or Earl of Rouen, it was Richard II of Normandy who, upon succeeding Richard I, received for the first time the title of Duke of Normandy..

In 1204, the duchy was annexed to the crown by the French king Philip Augustus. The various English kings continued to claim the duchy's territories until the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1259. However, the English crown continued to govern the Anglo-Norman Islands as a part of the duchy.

The duchy was given on various occasions to a member of the French royal family: thus Philip IV of France gave it to his first-born son, the heir to the throne; John II of France, his son the future Charles V of France, also known by his title of Dauphin. This was later given to his brother Louis XI, better known by his title Duke of Berry. The Dauphin Louis Charles, second son of Louis XVI, was recognized as Duke of Normandy before the death of his eldest brother in 1789.

The Duke of Normandy was one of the six early lay peers.

Subdivisions

The Duchy of Normandy was further subdivided into several counties and viscounties.

Counties

• Arques County
• Beaumont-le-Roger County
• Eu County
• Évreux County
• Hiémois County
• Longueville County
• Mortain County
• Talou County
• Tancarville County

Viscounties

• Cotentin Scene
• Hemois Vinegar