Boso of Provence in the context of "List of rulers of Provence"

⭐ In the context of the rulers of Provence, Boso of Provence’s acquisition of the region in 879 resulted in it being initially designated as what?

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⭐ Core Definition: Boso of Provence

Boso of Provence (French: Boson; c. 841 – 11 January 887) was the first non-Carolingian pretender to the royal throne of West Francia in 879, who failed to achieve wider recognition, being accepted only in Lower Burgundy and Provence, where he ruled as king from 879 to 887. By 882, he had already lost much of his Burgundian domains, and had to retreat to his remaining possessions in Provence. By ancestry, he was a Frankish nobleman of the Bosonid family, who was related to the Carolingian dynasty and previously served as a count in several south-eastern counties of the West Frankish realm.

In historiography, he is styled as King of Burgundy or King of Provence.

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👉 Boso of Provence in the context of List of rulers of Provence

The land of Provence has a history quite separate from that of any of the larger nations of Europe. Its independent existence has its origins in the frontier nature of the dukedom in Merovingian Gaul. In this position, influenced and affected by several different cultures on different sides, the Provençals maintained a unity which was reinforced when the region was made a separate kingdom during the Carolingian decline of the later ninth century. When Boso of Provence acquired the region in 879, it was known as Lower Burgundy until it was merged with Upper Burgundy in 933 to form the Kingdom of Arles. The counts of Arles began calling themselves "count of Provence"; although in name vassals, they were de facto autonomous princes. After 1032, the county was part of the Holy Roman Empire.

In the eleventh century, Provence became disputed between the traditional line and the counts of Toulouse, who claimed the title of "Margrave of Provence". In the High Middle Ages, the title of Count of Provence belonged to local families of Frankish origin, from 1112 to 1245 to the House of Barcelona (a cadet branch of the House of AragĂłn), from 1245 to 1382 to the House of Anjou, and from 1382 to 1481 to a cadet branch of the House of Valois. It was inherited by King Louis XI of France in 1481, and definitively incorporated into the French royal domain by his son Charles VIII in 1487.

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Boso of Provence in the context of Louis III of France

Louis III (863/65 – 5 August 882) was King of West Francia from 879 until his death in 882. Despite questions of his legitimacy and challenges against his ascension to the monarchy, Louis would prove to be an effective leader during his reign, notable for the defeat of Viking invaders at the Battle of Saucourt-en-Vimeu in August 881 that would later be immortalized in the poem Ludwigslied. He also led a less successful military campaign against Boso of Provence with help from Charles the Fat.

The eldest son of Louis the Stammerer and Ansgarde of Burgundy, it was unclear during his early life if the young Louis had a claim on the throne of West Francia. Upon the death of his grandfather and father in 877 and 879 respectively, he ascended to the monarchy, but endured questions of his legitimacy; many refused to recognize him as the "true" King of West Francia and, as a result, he was forced to rule alongside his brother, Carloman II, following a deal in 880 at Amiens to split the throne between Neustria and Aquitania.

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Boso of Provence in the context of Bosonids

The Bosonids were a dynasty of Carolingian-era counts, dukes, bishops, kings and emperors descended from Boso the Elder and his wife Engeltrude. They married into the Carolingian dynasty and raised to power during the second half of the 9th century, consequently establishing their own rule in various Burgundian regions, including Provence, and also in northern Italy.

The first great scion of the dynasty was Boso, count of Arles and of other Burgundian counties in the mid-9th century. Boso rose in favour as a courtier of Charles the Bald. He was even appointed viceroy in Italy in 875. After the death of Charles' son Louis the Stammerer, Boso refused to recognise Louis' sons Carloman and Louis III as kings of France, and proclaimed himself king of Provence in 879 at Vienne, with the support of the nobility. Boso strove throughout the rest of his life to maintain his title in the face of Emperor Charles the Fat. He died in 887 and was succeeded by his son, Louis the Blind, under the regency of his wife Ermengard, a daughter of the Emperor Louis II.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← List of rulers of Provence ← Louis III of France ← Bosonids ← King of Provence
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
French language → Carolingian dynasty → West Francia → Lower Burgundy → Provence → King → Franks → Bosonids → Carolingians → King of Burgundy → King of Provence →