Louis I, Count of Loon

Louis I (Latin Ludovicus, German Ludwig, Dutch Lodewijk; died 11 August 1171) was the Count of Loon, now in modern Belgium, and Burgrave of Mainz, in Germany. He inherited these offices from his father. He also established the County of Rieneck apparently based upon the Burgrave's lands.

Louis I, Count of Loon
The castle of the Counts of Loon in Brustem
Bornafter 1107
Died(1171-08-11)11 August 1171
Chapel of the infirmary in Borgloon
Noble familyHouse of Loon
Spouse(s)Agnes of Metz
Issue
Detail
FatherArnold II, Count of Loon
MotherAleide?

Life

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He was the son of Arnold II, Count of Looz, and his wife whose name may have been Adeleide or Agnes.[1] He first appears in a record as an adult together with his father in 1135. Arnold II died in 1139, and Louis was his heir, appearing that year as count of Rieneck.[2] In 1141 he appeared in his role as advocate of Saint James abbey in Liège.

He was also advocate of Averbode Abbey, which his family had founded. In 1154, he donated Laethof Manor in Heusden-Zolder to the abbey.

Louis married Agnes of Metz, the daughter of Folmar V, Count of Metz, and Matilda of Dagsburg. Based upon her ancestry, Louis was able to successfully lay claim to Kolmont and Bilzen.[3][4]

Agnes commissioned Hendrik van Veldeke to write his "Life of Saint Servatius".[5]

Louis I served as burgrave of Metz from 1159 to 1162.

Via his wife, Louis also had a claim on the Duchy of Luxembourg, however, he could not realize this claim.[citation needed]

In 1160, the count of Duras attacked Louis's city of Brustem (now part of Sint-Truiden), which lay close to Duras and Sint-Truiden. He laid it and the lands around it waste. In 1170, Louis constructed a castle in Brustem which the new young count of Duras, Gilles, saw as an aggressive act, seeing Brustem as being within his own county. However, Gilles, Count of Duras, successfully called in the help of the abbey and citizens of Sint-Truiden and together they defeated Louis' army. Louis died during this battle, on 11 August 1171. He was buried in the chapel of the infirmary in Borgloon. His grave can still be found there.[6]

Issue

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Louis and Agnes had the following children:

Louis was succeeded as Count of Loon by his son Gerard.

Notes

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  1. ^ Vaes p.129
  2. ^ Verdonk
  3. ^ Baerten 1965b, p. 1242.
  4. ^ Baerten 1969, pp.49-50.
  5. ^ Vaes p.334.
  6. ^ Baerten 1969, pp.53-54.

References

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  • Baerten (1965a). "Les origines des comtes de Looz et la formation territoriale du comté". Revue belge de philologie et d'histoire. 43 (2): 468.
  • Baerten (1965b). "Les origines des comtes de Looz et la formation territoriale du comté (suite et fin)". Revue belge de philologie et d'histoire. 43 (4).
  • Baerten, Jean (1969), Het Graafschap Loon (11de - 14de eeuw) (PDF)
  • Souvereyns; Bijsterveld (2008), "Deel 1: De graven van Loon", Limburg - Het Oude Land van Loon
  • Vanderkindere, Léon (1902), "9" (PDF), La formation territoriale des principautés belges au Moyen Age, vol. 2, p. 128
  • Vaes, Jan (2016), De Graven van Loon. Loons, Luiks, Limburgs, ISBN 9789059087651
  • Verdonk, Henk (2005), "Graaf Arnold van Loon (eind 11de-begin 12de eeuw): Was er één of waren er twee?", Limburg – Het Oude Land van Loon, 84: 73–81
Louis I, Count of Loon
House of Loon
Born: after 1107 Died: 11 August 1171
Preceded by Count of Loon
1139–1171
Succeeded by