Fulk IV, Count of Anjou facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fulk IV |
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| Count of Anjou | |
| Reign | 1068 – 14 April 1109 |
| Predecessor | Geoffrey III |
| Successor | Fulk V |
| Joint rule | Geoffrey IV, Count of Anjou (until 1106) |
| Born | 1043 |
| Died | 14 April 1109 (aged 65/66) |
| Spouse |
Hildegarde of Beaugency
(m. 1068; d. 1070)Ermengarde de Bourbon
(m. 1070; div. 1075)Orengarde de Châtelaillon
(m. 1076; div. 1080)N de Brienne
(m. 1080; div. 1087)Bertrade de Montfort
(m. 1089; div. 1092) |
| Issue | Ermengarde, Duchess of Brittany Geoffrey IV, Count of Anjou Fulk, King of Jerusalem |
| House | House of Anjou |
| Father | Geoffrey II, Count of Gâtinais |
| Mother | Ermengarde of Anjou |
Fulk IV (in French Foulques IV) (born 1043 – died 14 April 1109) was a powerful ruler known as the Count of Anjou. He held this important title from 1068 until his death. Fulk IV was often called le Réchin. This nickname is a bit of a mystery, but it might mean "the Quarreler" or "the Sullen." He was known for being a strong leader who faced many challenges during his time.
Contents
Fulk IV's Early Life
Fulk was born in 1043. He was the younger son of Geoffrey II, Count of Gâtinais and Ermengarde of Anjou. His mother, Ermengarde, was the daughter of Fulk the Black, who was also a Count of Anjou. She was also the sister of Geoffrey Martel. Geoffrey Martel was a Count of Anjou before Fulk and his older brother, Geoffrey.
Becoming Count of Anjou
When Geoffrey Martel died, he did not have any direct children to take over his title. So, he left Anjou to his nephew, Geoffrey III of Anjou, who was Fulk's older brother.
However, Fulk believed his brother Geoffrey was not a good ruler. Fulk decided to fight him and managed to capture him in 1067. The Church pressured Fulk to release his brother, which he did. But the brothers soon started fighting again. The next year, Fulk imprisoned Geoffrey once more, and this time, Geoffrey stayed in prison for good.
Because of Geoffrey's poor rule and the fighting between the brothers, Anjou lost control of a lot of its land. For example, the area called Saintonge was lost. Fulk also had to give the Gâtinais region to Philip I of France, the King of France, to keep him happy.
Much of Fulk's time as Count was spent trying to get back control over the local nobles in Anjou. He also had a difficult struggle with Normandy to gain influence in areas like Maine and Brittany.
Before 1106, Fulk made a large gift to the Fontevraud Abbey, which was an important religious place.
Fulk IV: A Writer?
In 1096, Fulk wrote a history book about Anjou and its rulers. The book was called Fragmentum historiae Andegavensis, which means "History of Anjou." However, historians are not completely sure if Fulk truly wrote it or if it is entirely accurate.
Only the first part of the book still exists today. This part describes Fulk's family history. The second part, which was supposed to describe Fulk's own time as ruler, has never been found. If Fulk did write this book, it would be one of the first history books written by someone who was not a church leader during the Middle Ages.
End of His Reign
Fulk IV died on 14 April 1109. He worked hard to bring Anjou back to its strong position, similar to how it was under Geoffrey Martel. His successors continued this important work.
Fulk IV's Family Life
Fulk IV may have been married as many as five times. There is some uncertainty about the exact number of his marriages and how many he ended.
His first wife was Hildegarde of Beaugency. They had one daughter:
- Ermengarde, who later married Alan IV, Duke of Brittany.
After Hildegarde's death, around 1070, Fulk married Ermengarde de Bourbon. They had a son before Fulk ended their marriage in 1075. This might have been because they were too closely related. Their son was:
- Geoffrey IV Martel. He ruled jointly with his father for some time but died in 1106.
Around 1076, Fulk married Orengarde de Châtaillon. He ended this marriage in 1080, possibly also due to being too closely related.
He then married an unnamed daughter of Walter I of Brienne by 1080. This marriage also ended in divorce in 1087.
Finally, in 1089, he married Bertrade de Montfort. King Philip I of France reportedly took Bertrade away from Fulk around 1092. Fulk and Bertrade had one son:
- Fulk V "the Young," who later became Count of Anjou and even King of Jerusalem.
| Preceded by Geoffrey III |
Count of Anjou with Geoffrey IV 1068–1109 |
Succeeded by Fulk V |
See also
In Spanish: Fulco IV de Anjou para niños
