Counts and dukes of Nevers facts for kids

The Counts of Nevers were powerful rulers in a region of France called the County of Nevers. This area later became a duchy in 1539, which meant its rulers were then known as the Dukes of Nevers. They were important figures in French history for many centuries.

What was the County of Nevers?

The history of the County of Nevers is closely linked to the Duchy of Burgundy. For a long time, the counts of Nevers also ruled the County of Auxerre. In the 14th century, the county was controlled by the count of Flanders and then again by the duke of Burgundy.

How did Nevers become a Duchy?

In 1539, the County of Nevers was directly joined to France. It then became a duchy, which is a territory ruled by a duke or duchess. This duchy was part of the important group of nobles known as the peerage of France.

The Gonzaga Family and Nevers

For a while, the Duchy of Nevers was held by a younger branch of the House of Gonzaga. This family was very important in Italy. This younger branch later inherited the Duchy of Mantua when the main Gonzaga family line ended in 1627. They ruled Mantua until 1708, when their own male line also ended.

Nevers and Cardinal Mazarin

Charles IV Gonzaga sold the duchies of Nevers and Rethel in 1659. He sold them to Cardinal Mazarin, who was a very powerful French statesman. Mazarin's family kept the Duchy of Nevers until the French Revolution in the late 1700s.

Counts of Nevers

These are the people who ruled the County of Nevers before it became a duchy.

Arms of Renauld I, Count of Nevers

• Otto-Henry (about 973–987; also Duke of Burgundy, 965–1002)
• Otto-William (987–992; also tried to be Duke of Burgundy, 1002–1004)
• Landri (992–1028)
• Renaud I (also Count of Auxerre, 1031–1040)
• William I (also Count of Auxerre, 1040–1083)
• Renaud II (also Count of Auxerre, 1083–1097)
• William II (also Count of Auxerre, 1097–1148)
• William III (also Count of Auxerre, 1148–1161)
• William IV (also Count of Auxerre, 1161–1168)
• Guy (also Count of Auxerre, 1168–1175)
• William V (also Count of Auxerre, 1175–1181)
• Agnes I (1181–1192)
  • Peter II of Courtenay (1184–1192; later Latin Emperor, 1216–1217)
• Matilda I (1192–1257)
  • Hervé IV of Donzy (1199–1223)
    • Agnes of Donzy, who married Philip, Dauphin of France, then Guy II of Saint-Pol
      • Yolande I, Countess of Nevers, who married Archambaud IX of Bourbon, had Matilda II
  • Guigues of Forez (1226–1241)
• Matilda II (also Countess of Auxerre, 1257–1262)
  • Odo (also Count of Auxerre, 1257–1262)
• Yolande II (1262–1280)
  • John Tristan (1265–1270)
  • Robert III of Bethune (1272–1280)
• Louis I (1280–1322)
• Louis II (also Count of Flanders, 1322–1346)
• Louis III (also Count of Flanders, 1346–1384) (After his death, the title went directly to his grandson John. However, John's mother Margaret, who was Countess of Flanders, and her husband Philip II, Duke of Burgundy received other titles.)
• John I (1384–1404; also Duke of Burgundy, 1404–1419)
• Philip II (1404–1415)
• Charles I (1415–1464)
• John II (1464–1491)
• Engelbert of Cleves (1491–1506)
• Charles II, Count of Nevers (1506–1521)

Dukes of Nevers

These are the rulers of the Duchy of Nivernais after it became a duchy.

The Ducal Palace in Nevers

• François I (1521–1562) (His mother, Marie of Albret (died 1549), who was Charles II's widow, also used the title in 1539. However, it was her son and his wife who became the actual duke and duchess.)
• François II (1562–1563)
• Jacques (1563–1564)
• Henriette of Cleves (1564–1601)
  • Louis Gonzaga (1566–1595)
• Charles III Gonzaga (1595–1637)
• Charles IV Gonzaga (1637–1659), he sold the Duchies of Nevers and Rethel in 1659 to Cardinal Mazarin.
• Jules Mazarin (1659–1661)
• Philippe Jules Mancini (1661–1707)
• Philip Julius Francis Mancini (1707–1768)
• Louis-Jules Mancini (1768–1798)