Papal Overlordship and European Princes, 1000-1270 by Benedict Wiedemann;

Author:Benedict Wiedemann; [Wiedemann, Benedict]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780192667083
Publisher: OxfordUP
Published: 2021-10-19T00:00:00+00:00

Strengthening the Polity

As we have seen, the new feudal relationship between the county of Melgueil and the papacy had several specific stipulations. The count-bishops quickly found that they could use these to their advantage. Already, in January 1216, Innocent was writing to the archbishop of Narbonne that Raymond of Toulouse and ‘certain others’ of the neighbouring dioceses were detaining ‘certain instruments’ which pertained to the county.106 On the same day the pope wrote to the inhabitants of Melgueil, ordering them to swear fidelity and show due obedience to the new count-bishop.107 Incidentally, the day before, Innocent had ordered the bishop of Uzès and the archdeacon of Maguelone to force ‘young Bernard of Anduze’ (the brother of the now-deceased Peter-Bermond, and hence brother-in-law of Raymond Pelet) to restore the possessions of the men of Montpellier which he had seized.108 It seems that neither Raymond of Toulouse nor the Anduze family had taken the failure of their claims to Toulouse and Melgueil particularly well.

From 1222 the bishop found that the people of Melgueil were more inclined to support the young Raymond of Toulouse than to support himself, the bishop. In December 1223 the bishop of Maguelone got Pope Honorius to send letters to the knights and people of Melgueil ‘in a spirit of saner counsel’ (an address used for excommunicates). The men of Melgueil had apparently handed themselves over to Raymond of Toulouse, to whom they had sworn obedience. The pope ordered them to remain obedient to the bishop of Maguelone, notwithstanding any such oath.109

Then, from the pontificate of Gregory IX (1227–41), we have a series of petitions (dating to early 1229) which the bishop of Maguelone sent to the pope.110

Your devoted bishop of Maguelone signifies to your holiness that Raymond, formerly count of Toulouse, holding the county of Melgueil-Montferrand in fief from the Roman Church (to which it belongs) was holding and presumed to alienate (without the consent of the Roman pontiffs) the castles of Laroque-Aynier,111 Montredon [and] Balazuc, the castles of Exunatis with others in Arisde112 (by [his right] to the county of Melgueil-Montferrand) and certain others of the dioceses of Maguelone and Nîmes which belong to that county, in grave damage of that county.

Whence Pope Honorius, your predecessor […] ordered Cardinal Romanus, legate of the Apostolic See, that he should find those [lands] which had been illicitly alienated or borne away from the goods of the aforesaid county, and legitimately return them to it [the county], and make them be assigned to the aforesaid bishop […].113

Honorius III had, indeed, done this. A papal letter of 26 February 1225 had told Cardinal Romanus:

Our venerable brother the bishop of Maguelone has cared to tell us that Raymond, formerly count of Toulouse, holding the county of Melgueil-Montferrand in fief from the Roman Church (to which it belongs) presumed to alienate the castles of Laroque-Aynier, Balazuc, Montredon and certain others of the dioceses of Maguelone and Nîmes which belong to that county.

Whence that bishop has petitioned that, because the Apostolic See has conceded

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