The counts of Nantes were originally the Frankish rulers of the Nantais under the

Carolingians The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippi ...

and eventually a capital city of the

Duchy of Brittany The Duchy of Brittany ( br, Dugelezh Breizh, ; french: Duché de Bretagne) was a medieval feudal state that existed between approximately 939 and 1547. Its territory covered the northwestern peninsula of Europe, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean ...

. Their county served as a

march March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is the second of seven months to have a length of 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March ...

against the

Bretons The Bretons (; br, Bretoned or ''Vretoned,'' ) are a Celtic ethnic group native to Brittany. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brittonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain, particularly Cornwall and Devon, ...

of the Vannetais. Carolingian rulers would sometimes attack Brittany through the region of the Vannetais, making Nantes a strategic asset. In the mid-ninth century, the county finally fell to the Bretons and the title became a subsidiary title of the Breton rulers. The control of the title by the Breton dukes figured prominently in the history of the duchy. The County of Nantes was given to Hoel, a disinherited son of a duke. He lost the countship due to a popular uprising. That uprising presented an opportunity for King

Henry II of England Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin kin ...

to attack the Breton duke. In the treaty ending their conflicts, the Breton duke awarded the county to Henry II.

Frankish counts

*---- – 778

Roland Roland (; frk, *Hrōþiland; lat-med, Hruodlandus or ''Rotholandus''; it, Orlando or ''Rolando''; died 15 August 778) was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne who became one of the principal figures in the literary cycle known as the ...

, as

prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...

of the Breton March - subject of the ''Chanson de Roland'' *786 – 818 Guy, as

of the Breton March, successor to Roland *818 – 831 Lambert I - exiled by Louis the Pious and replaced by Ricwin. *831 – 841

Ricwin Ricwin (Ricuin, Richwin) (died 923), was a Count of Verdun. After the death of Lothar II, the Treaty of Meerssen (August 870) divided Lotharingian territories between Louis the German and his half-brother Charles the Bald. This division allocated ...

-a ''comes'' of

Charlemange Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first Emp ...

, and ''fidelis'' of

Louis the Pious Louis the Pious (german: Ludwig der Fromme; french: Louis le Pieux; 16 April 778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aqu ...

, he opposed Nominoe in the founding of

Redon Abbey Redon Abbey, or Abbey of Saint-Sauveur, Redon ("Abbey of the Holy Saviour"; french: Abbaye Saint-Sauveur de Redon), in Redon in the present Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, France, is a former Benedictine abbey founded in 832 by Saint Conwoïon, at the ...

*841 – 843

Renaud Renaud Pierre Manuel Séchan (), known as Renaud (), born 11 May 1952, is a French singer, songwriter and actor. His characteristically 'broken' voice makes for a very distinctive vocal style. Several of his songs are popular classics in F ...

*843 – 846 Lambert II *846 – 849 Amaury, imposed by

Charles the Bald Charles the Bald (french: Charles le Chauve; 13 June 823 – 6 October 877), also known as Charles II, was a 9th-century king of West Francia (843–877), king of Italy (875–877) and emperor of the Carolingian Empire (875–877). After a se ...

in opposition to Lambert II *849 – 851 Lambert II (restored) *852 – 860 Salomon *861 – 866 Robert the Strong, also

Count of Anjou The Count of Anjou was the ruler of the County of Anjou, first granted by Charles the Bald in the 9th century to Robert the Strong. Ingelger and his son, Fulk the Red, were viscounts until Fulk assumed the title of Count of Anjou. The Robertians ...

*866 – --- Hugh of the Breton March *--- – --- Henry of the Breton March *--- – --- Odo, the future Odo, King of West Francia, as the Marquis of Neustria *886 – 896

Berengar II of Neustria Berengar II (died 896) was the Count of Bayeux and Rennes and Margrave of the Northern or Norman March from 886 until his death a decade later. In 874, Brittany's internal politics were thrown into turmoil when King Salomon was murdered by a r ...

as Margrave of the Breton March, later also Count of Rennes *896 – 911 *911 – ---

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of ''Hrōþ, Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory ...

, the future Robert I of France as the Marquis of Neustria

Kingdom of Brittany

Alan I, King of Brittany Alan I (french: Alain; died 907), called the Great,F. McNair (2015), "Vikings and Bretons? The Language of Factional Politics in Late Carolingian Brittany", ''Viking and Medieval Scandinavia'' 11: 183–202. was the Count of Vannes and Duke of Br ...

ruled Nantes as King of Brittany until his death in 907.

Norse occupation from 914 to 938

*907 - c 914 - vacant

Rognvaldr also known as Ragenold

*914 - 919 - Rognvaldr as a leader of the Loire Raiding Fleet lands in Nantes; King Gourmaelon killed in battle, King Robert of Neustria continues conflict with invading Norse. * 919 - Robert cedes Nantes to Rognvaldr who renames it Namsborg, makes peace and agrees to convert to Christianity for being allowed to keep Brittany. * 924 - Rognvaldr ravages the lands between the Seine and the Loire and then Burgundy but is finally defeated at Chalmont. * 927 - The Franks launch another failed attempt to retake Nantes. * 930 - Rognvaldr reigns until his death.

Hakom Rognvaldrsson also known as Incon

* 930 - Hakon Rognvaldrsson, known to the Franks as Incon, Norse leader after the death of Rognvaldr, King Rudolph of the Franks defeats Incon at Estress that same year. * 931 - Breton peasant revolt broken and their leader Felecan killed. * 935 - Incon isolated after William 1 Longsword of Normandy reconciles with the Franks and exiled Bretons start returning from Britain. * 936 - 938 - Alan Barbetorte returns to Brittany from England and engages the Norse, Incon slain at recapture of Nantes in 937.

Later counts

*938 – 952 Alan I ''Barbetorte'', grandson of

, also Duke of Brittany *952 – 960 Drogo, his son *960 – 981 Hoël I, Alan Barbetorte's eldest illegitimate son *981 – c.988 Guerech, Hoël's brother *990 – 992 Conan I, Count of Nantes by conquest *992 – 1004 Judicaël; Hoël's illegitimate son *1004 – 1038 : Budic, Judicael's son *1038 – 1051 : Matthew I, Burdic's son *1051 – 1063 : Judith, Matthew's aunt and Budic's sister, (with her husband Alain Canhiart) *1054 – 1084 : Hoël II, their son, married to

Hawise, Duchess of Brittany Hawise of Rennes ( br, Hawiz Breizh; french: Havoise de Bretagne) ( 1024-1037 – 19 August 1072) was sovereign Duchess of Brittany from 1066 until her death. She was the second child and heiress of Alan III, Duke of Brittany, by his wife, Bertha o ...

*1084 – 1103 : Matthew II, Hoël and Hawise's second son *1103 – 1119 Alan II, Matthew's elder brother, also Duke of Brittany *1119 – 1148 Conan II, Alan's son *1148– 1156 Hoël III, Conan's son *1156 – 1158 Geoffrey I FitzEmpress, younger brother of Henry II of England *1158

Conan III Conan III, also known as Conan of Cornouaille and Conan the Fat ( br, Konan III a Vreizh, and ; c. 1093–1096 – September 17, 1148) was duke of Brittany, from 1112 to his death. He was the son of Alan IV, Duke of Brittany and Ermengarde of An ...

, Hoël III's nephew, seized the County and Nantes before returning it to Henry of England *1158 – 1185

, gained the county under his treaty with the Duke of Brittany *1185 – 1186 Geoffrey II, Henry II's fourth son, married to Conan's daughter Constance *1185 – 1201 Constance,Judith Everard et Michael Jones, ''The Charters of Duchess Constance of Brittany and Her Family (1171-1221)'', p 38 Conan's daughter and heiress, married to Henry II's son Geoffrey *1196 – 1203

Arthur Arthur is a common male given name of Brythonic origin. Its popularity derives from it being the name of the legendary hero King Arthur. The etymology is disputed. It may derive from the Celtic ''Artos'' meaning “Bear”. Another theory, more wi ...

, their son The County of Nantes was merged permanently into the Ducal crown of Brittany, and subsequently the crown of France, through Constance's descendants.

Notes

References

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Nantes Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...