
Gervais de Château-du-Loir (1007–1067) was a French nobleman, bishop, and a powerful figure of his time in Northern France. He was
Bishop of Le Mans from 1036 and
Archbishop of Reims
The Archdiocese of Reims or Rheims (; French language, French: ''Archidiocèse de Reims'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese around 250 by Sixtus of Reims, the diocese w ...
from 1055.
His father was
Aimon de Château-du-Loir,
[Julien Remi Pesche, ''Biographie et bibliographie du Maine et du département de la Sarthe'' (Le Mans, Paris, 1828), p. xxx] whilst his mother was Hildeburge de Bellême, daughter of
Yves de Bellême. His maternal uncle,
Avesgaud de Bellême, Bishop of Le Mans,
[Richard Ewing Barton, ''Lordship in the County of Maine, c. 890-1160'' (Woodbridge: The Boydell Press, 2004), p. 42, n. 57] raised Gervais and groomed him to succeed to the
Bishopric of Le Mans.
He was a strong supporter of the family of
Blois, and opposed to the
Angevins. At one point, he had to seek refuge at the court of
William, Duke of Normandy.
[David Bates, ''William the Conqueror'' (Stroud: Tempus, 2004), p. 60.] Henry I appointed him Archbishop of Reims in 1055.
As Archbishop, he crowned
Philip I of France in 1059. Philip's father,
Henry I of France, was then alive but died in 1060. Gervais was then regent with
Baldwin V, Count of Flanders until 1066.
Gervais died in 1067 and was buried in
Reims Cathedral.
References
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chateau-Du-Loir, Gervais De
1007 births
1067 deaths
Bishops of Le Mans
Archbishops of Reims