William III of Aquitaine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Coat of arms of the duchy of Aquitaine.

Coat of arms of the county of Poitiers.

William III (915 – 3 April 963), called Towhead (French: Tête d'étoupe, Latin: Caput Stupe) from the colour of his hair, was the Count of Poitou (as "William I") and Duke of Aquitaine from 935 to his death. He was also Count of Auvergne from 950.

William was son of Ebalus Manzer and Emilienne. He was born in Poitiers. The royal chancery never recognised his ducal title, only calling him "count of the Duchy of Aquitaine" from 959 and "Duke of Aquitaine" only after 962.

Shortly aftered the death of King Rudolph in 936, he was constrained to forfeit some land to Hugh the Great by Louis IV. He did it with grace, but his relationship with Hugh thenceforward deteriorated. In 950, Hugh was reconciled with Louis and granted the duchies of Burgundy and Aquitaine. He tried to conquer Aquitaine with Louis's assistance, but William defeated them. Lothair, Louis's successor, feared the power of William. In August 955, he joined Hugh to besiege Poitiers, which resisted successfully. William, however, gave battle and was routed.

After the death of Hugh, his son Hugh Capet was named duke of Aquitaine, but he never tried to take up his fief, as William reconciled with Lothair.

He was given the abbey of Saint-Hilaire-le-Grand, which remained in his house after his death. He also built a library in the palace of Poitiers. He married Gerloc (renamed Adele), daughter of Rollo of Normandy. They had at least two children: Adelaide, who married Hugh Capet, and William, his successor in Aquitaine. William abdicated to the abbey of Saint-Cyprien in Poitiers and left the government to his son.