Roger I of Carcassonne

Roger I († 1012) called le Vieux ( the old man ) was for about 957 Count of Carcassonne, couserans, a part of Comminges and Lord of Foix. Roger was the eldest son of Count Arnaud I of Comminges couserans and his wife, the Countess of Carcassonne Arsinde -Razès.

The main legacy of his parents, Roger was his time to the most powerful nobles Septimaniens and the Pyrenees. His power allowed him to shake off the vassalage of his family to the Count of Toulouse. At times he called himself marchio ( Margrave ) princeps and from Carcassonne in 1002, which implied a claim to power through other feudal lords of the region.

Its biggest competitor was Oliba cabretas, Count of Cerdanya and Besalu, who wanted to also extend its power in the region of Razès. Roger and his brother Odo of Razès had him cede the territories of Sault, peyrepertuse, Donezan and capcir. Only after Olibas death in Italy around 990, Roger was able to beat his sons.

Roger the old man is considered to be builders of a weir on the " Roc de Foix " ( Rock of Foix ), at the confluence of Arget in the Ariège, the first time is in documents from the year 987. The new castle was there against the Carolingian abbey of St. Volusien. Under Rogers descendants who extended the castle with three towers, it became the main residence of his family and to the center of the county of the same name.

Count Roger the old man died in 1012 and was, like his wife, was buried in the Abbey of Saint- Hilaire in Limoux. This abbey, originally dedicated to Saint Saturnin of Toulouse, enjoyed a long-standing support by Roger the old man. After 970 in the monastery church the remains of St. Hilary of Carcassonne had been discovered by excavations, which had caused the Count, the abbey was dedicated to this and subject to the rules of Saint Benedict. The legend took to the connection of the Counts of the Holy First Bishop of Carcassonne, when Count Roger the river Lauquet suggested a battle against his rival Oliba cabretas. When Roger verge of losing the battle, he is said to have prayed to St. Hilary for protection. The Holy appeared on it, wrapped in a shining robe, with an army on the battlefield and hit Oliba to flight.

Family and Erbregelung

Roger the old man was with Adelais ( Adelaide / Adélaïde ) married, that was probably his uncle, Count Roger I of Comminges, the widow. Their children were:

• Raimund I. Roger († before April 1011), his descendants were the Counts of Carcassonne
• Bernard Roger (* 981, † 1036/1038 ), succeeded as Earl of couserans and Lord of Foix
• Peter Roger († August 1, 1050 ), 1010-1050 Bishop of Girona, from 1034 Count of part of Carcassonne
• Arsinde ( † after 993 ), married to Viscount William II of Béziers
• Ermessenda († March 1, 1057 ), have been married for 993 with Count Raymond Borrell of Barcelona

According to Rogers Testament his inheritance among the two older sons was divided. The oldest, Raimund I. Roger, should get the County of Carcassonne; but since he died before his father, followed the old grandsons Peter and Raymond Wilhelm Raimund. Rogers second son, Roger Bernard, couserans and castle and country got to Foix.

Roger was thus the progenitor of two lines of his dynasty. The special but was Rogers provided that a line should inherit from the other, should one die out of two in the male line. The inheritance of women, which was common at this time, it should be ignored. In this way, Roger sought to preserve the exceptional power of his dynasty in the region.

Its share of Comminges bequeathed Roger probably his stepson Arnaud II of Comminges.