List of counts of Albon and dauphins of Viennois

The counts of Albon (French: comtes d'Albon) were members of the medieval nobility in what is now south-eastern France.

Coat of Arms of the Dauphins of Viennois.

Guigues IV, Count of Albon (d. 1142) was nicknamed le Dauphin or 'the Dolphin'. His nickname morphed into a title among his successors. By 1293, the lands ruled by the Counts Albon, the old comitatus Albionis, were known as the Dauphiné of Viennois (Latin: Dalphinatus Viennensis).[1]

The titles and lands had been part of the Holy Roman Empire since 1032. They passed to Philip VI of France in 1349 on condition that the heir apparent to the French crown always be titled dauphin, and be personal holder of the lands and titles. By condition of the emperor, the Dauphiny could never be united to France. When the king of France had no son, he would personally rule the Dauphiny separately, as dauphin. Thus, the province technically remained in the Holy Roman Empire even after 1349, and it was administered separately from France well into the early modern period; it was incorporated into France only de facto with the rise of absolutism in the 17th century.

  • Guigues I of Albon the Old (c. 1000–1070), Count in Oisans, Grésivaudan and Briançonnais, Lord of Château d'Albon, ruled until 1070
  • Guigues II of Albon the Fat (c. 1020–1079), Count in Grésivaudan and Briançonnais, Lord of Château d'Albon, ruled 1070–1079

Counts of Albon

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Counts of Albon and Dauphins of Viennois

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Humbert I of Viennois

Humbert II sold his lands and titles to Philip VI of France.

Dauphins of Viennois and Dauphins of France

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  • Charles I of Viennois (1338–1380), also king of France as Charles V, Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, Duke of Normandy, ruled the dauphinate as the first Dauphin of France (1350–1364) and ruled the dauphinate as king of France (1364–1368)
  • Charles II of Viennois (1368–1422), also king of France as Charles VI, Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, ruled the dauphinate as second Dauphin of France (1368–1380), ruled the dauphinate as king of France (1380–1386) and again during (1386–1392)
  • Charles III of Viennois (1386), Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, ruled the dauphinate as third Dauphin of France (1386)
  • Charles IV of Viennois (1392-1401), Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, Duke of Guyenne, ruled the dauphinate as fourth Dauphin of France (1392–1401)
  • Louis I of Viennois (1397–1415), Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, Duke of Guyenne, ruled the dauphinate as fifth Dauphin of France (1401–1415)
  • John III of Viennois (1398–1417), Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, Duke of Touraine, ruled the dauphinate as sixth Dauphin of France (1415–1417)
  • Charles V of Viennois (1403–1461), also king of France as Charles VII, Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois, Valentinois and Ponthieu, ruled the dauphinate as seventh Dauphin of France (1417–1422), ruled the dauphinate as king of France (1422–1423, de facto 1457-1461)
  • Louis II of Viennois (1423–1483), also king of France as Louis XI, Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, ruled the dauphinate as eighth Dauphin of France (1423–1461), ruled the dauphinate as king of France (1461–1466)

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Bernard Bligny (1984), "Note sur l'origine et la signification du terme "dauphin" (de Viennois)", Actes des congrès de la Société des historiens médiévistes de l'enseignement supérieur public, 15e congrès, 15 (1): 155–56.