Rotbold I (also spelled ''Rothbold'', ''Rotbald'', ''Rodbald'', ''Robald(us)'', ''Roubaud'', or ''Rotbaud''; died 1008) was a French

nobleman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

. He was

Count of Provence The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...

from 968 until his death and

margrave Margrave was originally the Middle Ages, medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or a monarchy, kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain Feudal ...

from 993. He was the elder of two sons of Boso II of Provence and Constance, his younger brother being

William I William I may refer to: Kings * William the Conqueror (–1087), also known as William I, King of England * William I of Sicily (died 1166) * William I of Scotland (died 1214), known as William the Lion * William I of the Netherlands and Luxembour ...

, who took up the title of ''marchio'' in 979 and that of ''dux'' later. He ruled with William, probably jointly over the whole county. On William's death, Rotbold was left as head of the family with the title of ''marchio''. He first signed a

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the ...

of his father's in March 965. He signed his brother's donation to Saint-Victor de Marseille in April 970 and to

Cluny Cluny () is a commune in the eastern French department of Saône-et-Loire, in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. It is northwest of Mâcon. The town grew up around the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny, founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in ...

on 28 August 990. In 1005, he joined with his sister-in-law

Adelaide of Anjou Adelaide-Blanche of Anjou( –1026) was, by her successive marriages, countess of Gévaudan and Forez, of Toulouse, of Provence, and of Burgundy, and queen of Aquitaine. She was the regent of Gevaudan during the minority of her sons in t ...

and his nephew William II to grant privileges to Saint-Victor. He married Emilde, possibly a daughter of

Stephen, Viscount of Gévaudan Stephen (Stephanus), who died in 970, was Viscount Gevaudan from 954 to 970. He was the son of Bertrand, Viscount Gevaudan, and Ermengarde. Biography He governed Saint-Julien Brioude and Mende, and dominated southern Auvergne. Even though he had ...

. He left one son, Rotbold II, who inherited his titles, and a daughter, Gerberge.

Sources

* Lewis, Archibald R. ''The Development of Southern French and Catalan Society, 718–1050''. University of Texas Press: Austin, 1965. 10th-century births 1008 deaths Counts of Provence