The Counts of Toulouse ( Coms
de Toloza) To learn about specific Counts of Toulouse, click on
one of the names at the bottom of this page. Names
are listed in chronological order, with a digression on
the Counts of Tripoli, close relatives of the House of Toulouse.
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After the Visigothic
Kings of Aquitaine (409 - 508) whose capital was Toulouse,
the Merovingian kings were Kings and Dukes
of Aquitaine and Dukes of Toulouse. The Carolingians
appointed Counts of Toulouse between 790 and 848:
- Torson, designated Count of Toulouse by Charlemagne,
778, regent for Louis I; deposed 790
- William
of Gellone (St Gulhem), second Count of Toulouse
790- 811 (died 812/4)
- Raymond Raphinel, designated by Charlemagne,
811
- Bérenger le Sage, Duke of Toulouse, 814 - died
835; son of Hugues, Count of Tours
- Warin, Duke of Toulouse, 835, designated by
Louis l (King in 814).
- Pépin l, King of Toulouse and Aquitaine, died
849
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This marks the start of the hereditary House of Toulouse.
The hereditary Counts of Toulouse ruled the city of Toulouse
and its surrounding County from the late 9th century until
1270. They and other family members were also at various
times Counts of Quercy, Rouergue, Albi, and Nîmes, and Marquis
of Gothia and Provence. Raymond IV founded the crusader
County of Tripoli, and his descendants were counts there.
The hereditary counts are:
- Bernard of Septimania, assassinated in 844
- Freddon (d. 852)
- Raymond I (852-862)
- Bernard (862-872)
- Eudes (872-919)
- Raymond II (919-924)
- Raymond III Pons (924 - ~950)
- Raymond IV (~950 - 961)
- Hugh (961-972)
- Raymond (972-978) Recent research has revealed this
previously unknown count, which solves the problem of
the otherwise extraordinary lifespan of William Tallifer;
this should of course call for the renumbering the succeeding
Raymonds, though this is not usually done as it risks
adding to the confusion.]
- William III Tallifer (d. 1037)
- Pons
(1037-~1061)
- William IV (~1061-~1093)
 Raymond
IV (~1093-1095) - Bertrand (1095-1112)
- Alphons
Jordan (1112-1148)
- Raymond
V (1148-1194)
- Raymond
VI (1194-1222)
- Raymond
VII (1222-1249)
- Jeanne
of Toulouse & Alphonse of Poitiers (1249-1271) At
this point Toulouse passed to the Crown of France, by
the terms of the Treaty of Languedoc.
At the time of the outbreak of the Cathar wars, the ruler
was Raymond
VI. In many ways, the Counts of Toulouse of this
period were model rulers. They were far more liberal and
tolerant than their more conventionally Catholic royal peers.
They declined to discriminate against Jews,
Cathars
or other religious
dissidents. Learning and literacy flourished in their
lands. Women enjoyed much greater freedom than elsewhere
in Christendom, and the High Culture of the troubadours
was actively encouraged. As a great cross-roads of Europe, merchants brought
wealth to the area, and cities were allowed to set up fledgling municipal governments,
based on the old Roman city states with democratically elected consuls (capitouls
as they are still called in Toulouse).
  Every
one of these innovations invited the condemnation of the
Roman Church, ultimately causing a
religious war, the fall of the House of Toulouse and
the extinction of their line.
Despite the best efforts of the Church, the Saint-Gilles family
never lost the respect of the people of the Languedoc.
Both Raymond
VI and Raymond
VII had been publicly humiliated, stripped to the waist,
flogged and excommunicated. Yet the people still flocked
to kiss the hem of their robes. It is perhaps an
echo of this
respect that their heraldic
device may still be seen everywhere that they ruled,
eight hundred years ago.
An introduction to heraldry 
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