Geoffrey III, Count of Anjou facts for kids

Geoffrey III of Anjou (1040–1096), also known as "the Bearded," was a French nobleman. He held the important title of Count of Anjou from 1060 to 1068.

Early Life and Becoming Count

Geoffrey III was born around 1040. He was the older son of Geoffrey II, Count of Gâtinais and Ermengarde-Blanche of Anjou. His mother, Ermengarde-Blanche, was the daughter of Fulk III of Anjou. Geoffrey and his younger brother, Fulk, grew up at the court of their uncle, Geoffrey Martel.

In 1060, both Geoffrey and Fulk were knighted by their uncle. Geoffrey Martel treated Geoffrey well, but some people thought he might have preferred Fulk. Still, Geoffrey was chosen to be his uncle's heir. This meant Geoffrey would become the next Count of Anjou. However, his time as count was eventually taken from him by his brother, Fulk.

Challenges as Count

Geoffrey became Count of Anjou in 1060 after his uncle Geoffrey Martel died. But it soon became clear to his vassals (nobles who served him) that he was not a very strong leader.

His uncle had given Fulk, Geoffrey's younger brother, control over a region called Saintonge. In 1062, Saintonge was attacked by Count Guy-Geoffrey of Poitou. Geoffrey did nothing to help Fulk, and Saintonge was lost. The next year, in 1063, the county of Maine was also lost to Anjou.

In 1064, Geoffrey failed to help one of his own vassals, Rainaldus of Chateau-Gontier. Rainaldus was captured by the Bretons, and Geoffrey did not come to his rescue. In 1065, Geoffrey upset Archbishop Barthelemy of Tours. Geoffrey tried to force his own choice for Bishop of Le Mans onto the church. Because of this, the archbishop excommunicated Geoffrey. This meant Geoffrey was removed from the church.

Losing His Title

As things got worse in Anjou, Fulk argued with his brother Geoffrey. Finally, in 1067, Fulk rebelled against Geoffrey. He took control of the county and briefly put Geoffrey in prison.

In 1068, Geoffrey tried to fight Fulk again, but he was defeated once more. This time, Geoffrey was imprisoned for a very long time—28 years! He was finally set free in 1096. This happened because Pope Urban II stepped in and helped. However, Geoffrey died soon after he was released from prison.

Family Life

Geoffrey married a woman named Julienne de Langeais sometime before 1060. She passed away after August 7, 1067. They did not have any children.

Images for kids

See also

• In Spanish: Godofredo III de Anjou para niños