Azalais of Toulouse

Adélaïde de Toulouse ( * at Castle Burlats, † December 20, 1200 ), German: Adelaide of Toulouse, was by marriage to Roger II Trencavel Viscountess of Béziers and Carcassonne. Your first name is given in the literature with Alais, ADELAIS and Azalais. It is not known in history for their political activities, but because of their commitment to the fine arts.

Life

Adélaïde was the only daughter of Count Raymond V of Toulouse and his wife Constance of France, a sister of the French king Louis VII, she was born at the castle of Burlats in today's Tarn, which is the reason for her Occitan name Contessa de Burlatz is that was given to her by the troubadour Arnaut de Mareuil.

In 1171 she married her father with Roger II Trencavel, Earl of Beziers and Carcassonne to seal a peace agreement between you and Roger II. The marriage should provide for a pacification of the neighboring dominions of the families of Saint -Gilles, based in Toulouse and the Trencavel based in Carcassonne. From the union of the Son of Raymond -Roger came out, who was born 1185 and died in 1209 at the end of a siege of Carcassonne.

Adelaide man supported the Albigenses, so that Pope Alexander III. 1178 sent troops to capture Roger II and to excommunicate him. Adélaïde fled whether this threat to Castres. When Cardinal Henri the two Albigensian leader Raymond de Baimiac and Bernard Raymundi pursued and these retired to the castle of Lavaur to Adélaïde went in 1181 also there to support them. Your men contributed to Cardinal troops long time resistance, but ultimately, the besieged had to give.

Roger II Trencavel died in March 1194, without having previously determined his wife as guardian for their son. Instead, he had in his will that Bertrand de Saissac and Raymond of Toulouse should take over the guardianship of his son. Adélaïde retired thereupon resigned back to their castle Burlats. This evolved under their rule into a meeting place of famous and influential poets and troubadours of their time. Many of them immortalized Adélaïde in their works. Among them we find the Provençal poet Arnaut de Mareuil, who was probably in love with Adélaïde and it was in direct competition with King Alfonso II of Aragon, who made his hopes in the hands of Adelaide.

Adélaïde died on 20 December 1200 and was buried alongside her husband in the Monastery of Cassan.