Bernard-Roger, Count of Bigorre

Bernard-Roger, Count of Bigorre
Coat of arms of Couserans
Born	c. 962
Died	c. 1034
Noble family	House of Foix
Spouse(s)	Gersenda of Bigorre
Father	Roger I of Carcassonne
Mother	Adelaide of Rouergue

Bernard Roger (c. 962 – c. 1024) was the count of Couserans, in which capacity he was lord of parts of Comminges and Foix.

Life

Bernard Roger was the son of count Roger I of Carcassonne and Adelaide de Melgueil.[1] His elder brother, Raymond I of Carcassonne inherited the county of Carcassonne and the remaining part of the lordship of Comminges. Bernard Roger's comital status is attested in the donation to the abbey of Saint-Hilaire in 1011. During his father's lifetime, Bernard Roger married Garsenda, the heiress of the county of Bigorre.[1]

He built the square tower of the castle at Foix in France and made it his capital, from which a town grew. He had endowed the monastery at Foix and in it he was buried when he died at the age of 72.

Marriage and issue

Bernard-Roger and Gersenda had:

• Bernard II of Foix, count of Bigorre,[1] took the County of Bigorre.
• Roger I of Foix, count of Foix,[1] became the first count of Foix, which included the castles of Castelpenent, Roquemaure, Lordat, and several within the county of Toulouse.
• Peter of Foix, lord of Couserans,[1] inherited the lordship of Couserans.
• Ermesinda married King Ramiro I of Aragon[1]
• Marjorie, married Pons, Count of Toulouse[1]
• Stephanie,[a][1] married García Sánchez III of Pamplona.

Notes

1. According to Elaine Graham-Leigh, Stephanie was the daughter of Bernard-Roger and Gersenda of Bigorre.[1]

References

1. Graham-Leigh 2005, p. table 2.

Sources

• Graham-Leigh, Elaine (2005). The Southern French Nobility and the Albigensian Crusade. The Boydell Press.

External links

• Histoire des comtes de Foix (in French)

Bernard-Roger, Count of Bigorre House of Foix Born: c. 962 Died: c. 1034
New division	Lord of Foix c. 1011 – c. 1034	Succeeded by Roger I
Preceded by García Lupus	Count of Bigorre 1030 – c. 1034	Succeeded by Bernard II
New division	Lord of Couserans c. 1011 – c. 1034	Succeeded by Peter I