Gaucher V de Châtillon

Gaucher V de Châtillon (c. 1249 in Châtillon-sur-Marne – 1329), Lord of Châtillon, Count of Porcien, was constable of Champagne in 1284 and then Constable of France (1302–1329) during the reigns of five different kings. He was also tutor to the future Louis X of France and his primary minister.

Gaucher V de Châtillon
Blazon of Gaucher V de Châtillon Gules three pales vair a chief or.
Born	c. 1249 Châtillon-sur-Marne
Died	1329
Noble family	House of Châtillon
Spouse(s)	Isabelle of Dreux Hélisende Vergy Isabelle of Rumigny
Issue Gaucher VI de Chatillon (1281–1325) Jean II de Chatillon (1283–1363) Joanna of Châtillon (c. 1285–1354) Hugues de Chatillon (1287–1336) Marie de Châtillon Isabelle de Châtillon
Father	Gaucher de Chatillon IV (d. 1261), Lord of Chatillon
Mother	Isabelle of Villehardouin (d. 1329)

Gaucher de Châtillon tomb at the Louvre

Coat of arms from Châtillon's tomb

Esterlin, Gaucher de Chatillon, 1312–1322

Biography

Châtillon was the son of Gaucher IV de Châtillon and Isabelle de Villehardouin.[1] He was the grandson of Hugues de Châtillon, the count of Blois and Saint-Pol.[1]

In 1284, Philip III of France named Châtillon constable of Champagne.[2] The fief of Château-Porcien, located in the Ardennes, became the possession of Philip IV through his marriage to Jeanne, daughter of Henry I of Navarre, and Philip established Châtillon here. Through this marriage, the province of Champagne became part of France. The king wanted to establish a royal provost, so in January 1289, he exchanged the countship of Porcien, Rozoy, and Gandelu, which had been given to Châtillon, with the domain of Châtillon-sur-Marne, as well as the châtellenie of Crécy-en-Brie, that of Crèvecœur, and a fief on the side of Roucy. Châtillon kept the lordship of the castle of Châtillon, which was reserved for him and his descendants.

In 1291, Châtillon pushed back the army of Count Henry III of Bar, son-in-law of Edward I of England. He fought the English in Guyenne in 1296. In 1302, during the conflict between Pope Boniface VIII and Philip IV, Châtillon tried to convince the nobility that the king of France is only accountable to God.

The Flanders Revolt

In Flanders in 1302, Gaucher quashed the revolt in Bruges and built in that city a citadel at the expense of the inhabitants. He built two others in Lille and Courtray. He fortified several other places which had been demolished.

In fiction

Châtillon is a character in Les Rois maudits (The Accursed Kings), a series of French historical novels by Maurice Druon. He was played by Jean Chevrier in the 1972 French miniseries adaptation of the series, and by Wadeck Stanczak in the 2005 adaptation.[3]

References

1. Evergates 2007, p. 254.
2. Stones 2014, p. 32.
3. "Les Rois maudits: Casting de la saison 1" (in French). AlloCiné. 2005. Archived from the original on 19 December 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2015.

Sources

• Evergates, Theodore (2007). The Aristocracy in the County of Champagne, 1100-1300. University of Pennsylvania Press.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Stones, Alison (2014). "Manuscripts Illuminated in France 1260-1320 and their Patrons". In Beier, Christine; Kubina, Evelyn Theresia (eds.). Wege zum Illuminierten Buch: Herstellungsbedingungen fur Buchmalerei in Mittelalter und Fruher Neuzeit. Bohlau Verlag Gmbh & Cie. pp. 26–44.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)