Individual Details
Alain (le Grand) d'Albret Count de Gavres, Perigord et Castres
(Abt 1440 - Oct 1522)
Alain was born about 1440, the son of Jean d'Albret, vicomte de Tartas, and Catherine de Rohan. In 1456 he married Françoise de Châtillon de Blois, comtesse de Périgord, daughter of Guillaume de Châtillon de Blois, vicomte de Limoges, seigneur d'Avesnes, and Isabelle de La Tour d'Auvergne. This marriage brought him the inheritance of the county of Périgord as well as the viscountcy of Limoges. Of their eight children their son Jean and three daughters would have progeny.
Called 'The Great', Alain was a powerful French aristocrat. He was the grandson and heir of Charles II d'Albret, comte de Dreux, and became head of the House of Albret on his grandfather's death in 1471. He was skilful, but also very fickle, greedy and unscrupulous. During his half century of rule he took a political course which was more agitated than effective, following his father's example, making him one of the most visible actors on the stage of Europe.
Alain initially benefited from his fidelity to King Louis XI of France, and thereby enlarged his principality. He then seized Armagnac, and married his son Jean to Catherine de Foix, heiress of the counties of Foix and Bigorre and of the kingdom of Navarre.
At this time Alain hoped to consolidate his power by taking control of the duchy of Brittany through marriage to Anne, duchesse de Bretagne, the daughter and heir of François II, duc de Bretagne. He entered into rebellion against the royal authority in support of the duchy, during the so-called Mad War. His intrigues were unsuccessful and he was defeated, having been unable to provide support to the duke in 1487. The following year he brought reinforcements by sea, but was defeated by Louis II de La Trémouille at the Battle of Saint Aubin-du-Cornier. He continued, however, to claim the legacy of François II, occupying Nantes with his Gascon troops. He still hoped to marry Anne and inherit the duchy but found it expedient to deliver Nantes to the royal army in exchange for an agreement that the French would support his claim to Anne's hand. Anne had no intention of marrying Alain, whom she considered crude and brutal. Instead she married the French king Charles VIII, putting an end to Alain's dynastic ambition in Brittany. However Alain established other dynastic links through his daughter Charlotte, who married Césare Borgia, duc de Valentinois, duke of Urbino, in 1500. His great-granddaughter Jeanne III d'Albret, queen of Navarre, who married Antoine de Bourbon, duc de Vendôme, was the mother of King Henri IV of France.
Alain d'Albret died at the château de Casteljaloux in October 1522.
Source: Leo van de Pas
Called 'The Great', Alain was a powerful French aristocrat. He was the grandson and heir of Charles II d'Albret, comte de Dreux, and became head of the House of Albret on his grandfather's death in 1471. He was skilful, but also very fickle, greedy and unscrupulous. During his half century of rule he took a political course which was more agitated than effective, following his father's example, making him one of the most visible actors on the stage of Europe.
Alain initially benefited from his fidelity to King Louis XI of France, and thereby enlarged his principality. He then seized Armagnac, and married his son Jean to Catherine de Foix, heiress of the counties of Foix and Bigorre and of the kingdom of Navarre.
At this time Alain hoped to consolidate his power by taking control of the duchy of Brittany through marriage to Anne, duchesse de Bretagne, the daughter and heir of François II, duc de Bretagne. He entered into rebellion against the royal authority in support of the duchy, during the so-called Mad War. His intrigues were unsuccessful and he was defeated, having been unable to provide support to the duke in 1487. The following year he brought reinforcements by sea, but was defeated by Louis II de La Trémouille at the Battle of Saint Aubin-du-Cornier. He continued, however, to claim the legacy of François II, occupying Nantes with his Gascon troops. He still hoped to marry Anne and inherit the duchy but found it expedient to deliver Nantes to the royal army in exchange for an agreement that the French would support his claim to Anne's hand. Anne had no intention of marrying Alain, whom she considered crude and brutal. Instead she married the French king Charles VIII, putting an end to Alain's dynastic ambition in Brittany. However Alain established other dynastic links through his daughter Charlotte, who married Césare Borgia, duc de Valentinois, duke of Urbino, in 1500. His great-granddaughter Jeanne III d'Albret, queen of Navarre, who married Antoine de Bourbon, duc de Vendôme, was the mother of King Henri IV of France.
Alain d'Albret died at the château de Casteljaloux in October 1522.
Source: Leo van de Pas
Events
| Birth | Abt 1440 | ||||
| Marriage | 1456 | Francoise de Chatillon de Blois Countess de Perigord | |||
| Death | Oct 1522 | Chateau de Casteljaloux |
Families
| Spouse | Francoise de Chatillon de Blois Countess de Perigord ( - ) |
| Child | Charlotte d'Albret (1480 - 1514) |