House of Laval

The coat of arms of the Laval; their motto was Eadem mensura (of same measure)
The coat of arms used by Counts of Laval[1]
The castle in Laval
The Château de Vitré, in Brittany
The Renaissance aisle of the château de Châteaubriant

The House of Laval is a family of barons, later counts, coming from the town of Laval, located in Northwestern France, part of the province of Maine before the French Revolution. The Laval were one of the most powerful families of Maine during the Middle Ages and also had a presence in Brittany, where their prestige was similar to the one of the Rohan. The House of Laval played a significant role in Breton history and during the Hundred Years War and the French Wars of Religion. They also favored the French Renaissance in Northwestern France, building several châteaux. The last male heir died during the 17th century, and his possessions went to the House of La Trémoille.

François de Laval was the first Roman Catholic bishop of Quebec; the city of Laval, Quebec, and the Université Laval were named after him.

Branches and titles

The House of Laval appeared during the first quarter of the 11th century. Its origins are unclear and the first mentioned baron is Guy I. The direct branch became extinct in the male line in 1211, after the death of Guy VI. His sister, Edme, had previously married Matthieu II de Montmorency with a contract stipulating that her first son should take the Laval surname and arms.

The branch of Montmorency-Laval died out in 1412 with Guy XII. His heiress, Anne, had married Jean de Montfort with a contract similar to Edme's one. Hence, her heirs took the name of Laval.

The branch of Montfort-Laval started with Jean de Montfort, nicknamed Guy XIII of Laval, who died in 1415, and ended with Guy XVII in 1547.

The branch of Rieux-Laval started with Louis de Sainte-Maure, who married the granddaughter of Guy XVI of Laval. This branch ended with Guy XX, killed in Hungary in 1605.

The possessions of Laval passed to the La Trémoïlle, who stopped the medieval tradition according which all the counts of Laval had to be called "Guy".

Line of Descent

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Barons of Laval

Counts of Laval

Guy XVII, count of Laval between 1531 and 1547. Portrait by François Clouet.

Other Notable members

See also

References

  1. ↑ Walsby 2007, p. 36.
  2. ↑ Walsby 2007, p. 184-185.

Sources

Walsby, Malcolm (2007). The Counts of Laval. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Company. ISBN 9780754658115. 

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