The counts of Albon (''comtes d'Albon'') were members of the medieval nobility in what is now south-eastern France. Guigues IV, Count of Albon (d. 1142) was nicknamed ''le Dauphin'' or ''the Dolphin''. His nickname morphed into a title among his successors. By 1293, the lands ruled by the Counts Albon, the old ''comitatus Albionis'', were known as the Dauphiné of Viennois (''Dalphinatus Viennensis'').. The titles and lands had been part of the

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 unt ...

since 1032. They passed to

Philip VI of France Philip VI (french: Philippe; 1293 – 22 August 1350), called the Fortunate (french: le Fortuné, link=no) or the Catholic (french: le Catholique, link=no) and of Valois, was the first king of France from the House of Valois, reigning from 13 ...

in 1349 on condition that the

heir apparent An heir apparent, often shortened to heir, is a person who is first in an order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person; a person who is first in the order of succession but can be displaced by the b ...

to the French crown always be titled '' dauphin'', and be personal holder of the lands and titles. By condition of the emperor, the Dauphiny could never be united to France. When the king of France had no son, he would personally rule the Dauphiny separately, as dauphin. Thus, the province technically remained in the Holy Roman Empire even after 1349, and it was administered separately from France well into the early modern period; it was incorporated into France only ''de facto'' with the rise of

absolutism Absolutism may refer to: Government * Absolute monarchy, in which a monarch rules free of laws or legally organized opposition * Absolutism (European history), period c. 1610 – c. 1789 in Europe ** Enlightened absolutism, influenced by the En ...

in the 17th century.

Lords of
Château d'Albon The Château d'Albon is a ruined castle in the ''commune'' of Albon in the Drôme ''département'' of France. The castle appears as a square tower standing on a motte. History The castle is located to the east of Saint-Romain-d'Albon in the c ...

House of Albon The counts of Albon (''comtes d'Albon'') were members of the medieval nobility in what is now south-eastern France. Guigues IV, Count of Albon (d. 1142) was nicknamed ''le Dauphin'' or ''the Dolphin''. His nickname morphed into a title among ...

Guigues I of Albon Guigues I (born c. 1000, died in 1070 at Cluny), was Count of Oisans, Grésivaudan, and Briançonnais. He was the son of Guigues d'Albon and Gotelana de Clérieux. Biography The official history written by George de Manteyer has caused him t ...

''the Old'' (c. 1000–1070), Count in Oisans, Grésivaudan and Briançonnais, Lord of Château d'Albon, ruled until 1070 * Guigues II of Albon ''the Fat'' (c. 1020–1079), Count in Grésivaudan and Briançonnais, Lord of Château d'Albon, ruled 1070–1079

Counts of Albon

House of Albon The counts of Albon (''comtes d'Albon'') were members of the medieval nobility in what is now south-eastern France. Guigues IV, Count of Albon (d. 1142) was nicknamed ''le Dauphin'' or ''the Dolphin''. His nickname morphed into a title among ...

Guigues III of Albon Guigues the Old, called Guigues III (born 1050/1060; died 21 December 1133), was a Count of Albon from 1079, when the County of Vienne, then in the possession of the Archdiocese of Vienne, was divided between him and Humbert I of Savoy, who rec ...

''the Count'' (c. 1050–1133), first Count of Albon (the southern part of the ancient County of Vienne; the northern part was granted to the first

Count of Savoy The titles of count, then of duke of Savoy are titles of nobility attached to the historical territory of Savoy. Since its creation, in the 11th century, the county was held by the House of Savoy. The County of Savoy was elevated to a duchy at ...

), ruled 1079–1133 *

Guigues IV of Albon Guigues IV (died 28 June 1142), called le Dauphin (Latin: ''Guigo Dalphinus''), was the count of Albon from 1133. He was the first to take the name Dauphin, meaning "dolphin", which became a title among his successors.. Guigues was the eldest son ...

, ''le Dauphin'' (c. 1095–1142), Count of Albon, ruled 1133–1142

Counts of Albon and Dauphins of Viennois

* Robert V, Count of Auvergne married Marquise d'Albon, a daughter of Guigues IV. Their descendants adopted the title of Dauphin of Auvergne, and it was used by some as the family name.

House of Albon The counts of Albon (''comtes d'Albon'') were members of the medieval nobility in what is now south-eastern France. Guigues IV, Count of Albon (d. 1142) was nicknamed ''le Dauphin'' or ''the Dolphin''. His nickname morphed into a title among ...

* Guigues V of Albon (c. 1120–1162), Count of Albon and Grenoble, Dauphin of Viennois, ruled 1142–1162 * Béatrice of Albon (1161–1228), Dauphine of Viennois, Countess of Albon, Grenoble, Oisans et Briançon, ruled 1162–1228, married Hugh III of Burgundy

House of Burgundy The House of Burgundy () was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty, descending from Robert I, Duke of Burgundy, a younger son of King Robert II of France. The House ruled the Duchy of Burgundy from 1032–1361 and achieved the recognized title ...

* Guigues VI of Viennois (1184–1237), Dauphin de Viennois, count of Albon, Grenoble, Oisans and Briançon, ruled 1228–1237 * Guigues VII of Viennois (c. 1225–1269), Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Albon, Grenoble, Oisans, Briançon, Embrun and Gap, son of, ruled 1237–1269 * John I of Viennois (1263–1282), Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Albon, Grenoble, Oisans, Briançon and Embrun, ruled 1269–1282 * Anne of Viennois (1255–1298), Dauphine of Viennois, Countess of Albon, married Humbert, Baron of La Tour du Pin

House of La Tour du Pin

* Humbert I of Viennois (c. 1240–1307), Baron of La Tour du Pin, Dauphin of Viennois and Count of Albon, ruled 1282–1307 * John II of Viennois (1280–1318), Baron of La Tour du Pin, Dauphin of Viennois, ruled 1307–1318 *

Guigues VIII of Viennois Guigues VIII de la Tour-du-Pin (1309 – 28 July 1333) was the Dauphin of Vienne from 1318 to his death. He was the eldest son of the Dauphin John II and Beatrice of Hungary. Career Only nine years of age when his father died, he succeeded ...

(1309–1333), Dauphin of Viennois, ruled 1318–1333 *

Humbert II of Viennois Humbert II de la Tour-du-Pin (1312 – 4 May 1355) was the Dauphin of the Viennois from 1333 to 16 July 1349. Humbert was the last dauphin before the title went to the French crown, to be bestowed on the heir apparent. Character Humbert was a s ...

(1312–1355), Dauphin of Viennois, ruled 1333–1349 Humbert II sold his lands and titles to

Dauphins of Viennois and Dauphins of France

House of Valois The Capetian house of Valois ( , also , ) was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty. They succeeded the House of Capet (or "Direct Capetians") to the French throne, and were the royal house of France from 1328 to 1589. Junior members of the f ...

* Charles I of Viennois (1338–1380), also king of France as Charles V, Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, Duke of Normandy, ruled the dauphinate as the first

Dauphin of France Dauphin of France (, also ; french: Dauphin de France ), originally Dauphin of Viennois (''Dauphin de Viennois''), was the title given to the heir apparent to the throne of France from 1350 to 1791, and from 1824 to 1830. The word ''dauphin' ...

(1350–1364) and ruled the dauphinate as king of France (1364–1368) * Charles II of Viennois (1368–1422), also king of France as Charles VI, Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, ruled the dauphinate as second

(1368–1380), ruled the dauphinate as king of France (1380–1386) and again during (1386–1392) * Charles III of Viennois (1386), Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, ruled the dauphinate as third

(1386) * Charles IV of Viennois (1392-1401), Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, Duke of Guyenne, ruled the dauphinate as fourth

(1392–1401) * Louis I of Viennois (1397–1415), Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, Duke of Guyenne, ruled the dauphinate as fifth

(1401–1415) * John III of Viennois (1398–1417), Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, Duke of Touraine, ruled the dauphinate as sixth

(1415–1417) * Charles V of Viennois (1403–1461), also king of France as Charles VII, Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois, Valentinois and Ponthieu, ruled the dauphinate as seventh

(1417–1422), ruled the dauphinate as king of France (1422–1423, ''de facto'' 1457-1461) * Louis II of Viennois (1423–1483), also king of France as Louis XI, Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, ruled the dauphinate as eighth

(1423–1461), ruled the dauphinate as king of France (1461–1466)

Notes

{{reflist Viennois Albon

Lords of Château d'Albon The Château d'Albon is a ruined castle in the ''commune'' of Albon in the Drôme ''département'' of France. The castle appears as a square tower standing on a motte. History The castle is located to the east of Saint-Romain-d'Albon in the c ...

House of Albon The counts of Albon (''comtes d'Albon'') were members of the medieval nobility in what is now south-eastern France. Guigues IV, Count of Albon (d. 1142) was nicknamed ''le Dauphin'' or ''the Dolphin''. His nickname morphed into a title among ...

Counts of Albon

House of Albon The counts of Albon (''comtes d'Albon'') were members of the medieval nobility in what is now south-eastern France. Guigues IV, Count of Albon (d. 1142) was nicknamed ''le Dauphin'' or ''the Dolphin''. His nickname morphed into a title among ...

Counts of Albon and Dauphins of Viennois

House of Albon The counts of Albon (''comtes d'Albon'') were members of the medieval nobility in what is now south-eastern France. Guigues IV, Count of Albon (d. 1142) was nicknamed ''le Dauphin'' or ''the Dolphin''. His nickname morphed into a title among ...

House of Burgundy The House of Burgundy () was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty, descending from Robert I, Duke of Burgundy, a younger son of King Robert II of France. The House ruled the Duchy of Burgundy from 1032–1361 and achieved the recognized title ...

House of La Tour du Pin

Dauphins of Viennois and Dauphins of France

House of Valois The Capetian house of Valois ( , also , ) was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty. They succeeded the House of Capet (or "Direct Capetians") to the French throne, and were the royal house of France from 1328 to 1589. Junior members of the f ...

See also

Notes

Lords of
Château d'Albon The Château d'Albon is a ruined castle in the ''commune'' of Albon in the Drôme ''département'' of France. The castle appears as a square tower standing on a motte. History The castle is located to the east of Saint-Romain-d'Albon in the c ...