William IV, Count of Nevers facts for kids

William IV was an important leader in France during the 1100s. He was born around 1130 and passed away in Acre on October 24, 1168. From 1161 until his death, he held the titles of count of Nevers, Auxerre, and Tonnerre. These were important areas in France at the time.

William's Family Life

William IV was the son of William III, Count of Nevers, who was also a Count of Nevers. His mother was Ida of Sponheim. William had a younger brother named Guy, who became Count after him. In 1164, William married a woman named Eleanor of Vermandois. They did not have any children together.

Becoming a Knight and Living in France

William became a knight in 1159, just two years before his father passed away. He and his brothers, Guy and Reynold, were quite young when their father died. For example, Guy was still considered too young to be a full adult in 1164.

William IV lived in grand castles, known as chateaux, in Nevers and Clamecy. These places are in a region of France called Nièvre, which is part of Burgundy today. Close to Clamecy is a town called Vezelay. In the Middle Ages, Vézelay was a very important meeting point where many crusades began their long journeys to the holy land.

William and the Crusades

Vézelay Abbey, a large monastery, often had disagreements with the Counts of Nevers. William IV once had his officer, called a provost, force the monks to leave their abbey.

In 1166, Louis VII of France, the King of France, helped William IV and Guillaume de Mello, the abbot of Vézelay, make peace. On January 6, 1167, King Louis VII even attended a special celebration for this reconciliation. To make up for what he had done against the church, William decided to go on a crusade to the Crusader states.

In 1168, a historian named William of Tyre wrote about Count William of Nevers arriving in Jerusalem. At that time, Amalric I, the King of Jerusalem, was getting ready for an invasion of Egypt. However, William IV died soon after arriving and was buried in Bethlehem. Many of his knights then joined King Amalric's military campaign.

A Promise to Bethlehem

Before he died in 1168, William IV made an important promise to the bishop of Bethlehem. He said that if Bethlehem ever fell into Muslim hands, he would welcome the bishop or future bishops in his town of Clamecy.

After Saladin captured Bethlehem in 1187, William's promise was honored. The bishop of Bethlehem moved into the Hospital of Panthenor in Clamecy. This place became the official home for the Bishopric of Bethlehem for nearly 600 years, until the French Revolution in 1789.