the Ancient Feudal Dukedom, County and Viscountcy of

~Ventadour-

(by Dr. Erik de Sergiana, Ph.D.)

The seat of the ancient fief of Ventadour was located in the modern village of Moustier Ventadour. The town of 400 inhabitants is found east of Egletons in the Bas Limousin region.

The local church of the priory gave its name to the village. The church has one of the oldest bells of the area. The remains of the famous castle of Ventadour can be seen on the rock called the Ventadour Mount.

Ventadour castle was one of the strongest castles in the world protected by a deep natural moat cut by the Lizege and the brook of la Vigne.

The fief was originally a feudal Viscountcy and its first Viscount was Ebles I de Ventadour. He was the second son of Archambaud II de Comborn. He built the first fortress on a rocky outcrop.

On his death in 1096 the Viscount owned the five settlements of Egletons, Ussel, Neuvic, Correze and Meymac as well as over thirty strongholds in the Bas Limousin and Auvergne regions.

He was succeeded in turn by his sons Archambaud and Ebles II. They were rough and warlike men who spent their time in private wars and family squabbles. Ebles II died in 1147. During the reign of his son Ebles III, the region was invaded by England. The castle of Ventadour was besieged by King Henry II in 1182 but the castle withstood the onslaught. This and the hundred year's war, which followed, didn't improve the general lawlessness of the region.

Ebles V the grandson of Ebles III was one of the many Bas Limousin nobles who rose up against King Richard the Lionheart. It took Richard two years to quell the uprising forcing Ebles to submit to him. Ebles married Marguerite de Turin and they had 7 children. His eldest two sons, Raymond and Ebles VI, succeeded to the Viscountcy in turn. The third son Bernard became Bishop of Le Puy. Ebles VI went on a crusade in 1248 and in 1270 Ebles VI's son, Ebles VII left on a Crusade with Saint Louis. He returned some years later.

The Viscountcy remained in the hands of the family until Bernard de Ventadour who owned Montpensier as well. In 1350 the Viscountcy was elevated to a feudal County by King Philippe VI with Bernard as the first Count. In the same year he improved the defences of Ventadour. He also married Marguerite the daughter of Robert de Brienne the Viscount of Beaumont. Bernard sold Montpensier to the Duke de Berry in 1381 for 40,000 livres extending his personal fortune extensively. There is a well-known story about the capture of Ventadour and Count Bernard when he was an old man by the English in 1379.

It was said that Ventadour castle was the strongest fortress in the region and was only surrendered through the deceit of the Count's squire, one Ponce du Bois. For a sum of six thousand francs he gave up the castle to Geoffrey a Breton nobleman. The Count was not killed but allowed to leave and went to reside in Montpensier with his wife and children.

It was only in 1389 that Ventadour was recaptured by the Duke de Berry and given back to the Count. On the death of Bernard his son Robert succeeded to the title. Robert died in 1407 and his son Jacques became the holder of the fief. Jacques married a daughter of Jean de Lezay. As part of the ongoing conflict, Jacques was captured by the English at Agincourt. He died some nine years later in 1424 without a male heir and the fief passed to his brother Charles.

Charles was the Constable and lieutenant general for the French kingdom and was instrumental in gaining a famous victory at Castillon. It was during his tenure that a new castle was built. He died in 1486 and was succeeded by his eldest son Louis. Louis died in 1500 without issue and the County passed through his daughter Blanche to her husband Louis de Levis. Louis died in 1521. The County remained in the Levis family being elevated to a feudal Dukedom in 1578 by King Henry II.

Some eight years later the feudal Dukes were elevated to the honorific title of Dukes of Ventadour and became peers of France. The feudal Dukedom, County and Viscountcy remained separate and distinct titles.

The honorific dukedom then stayed with the Levis-Ventadour family while the feudal titles, Dukedom, County and Viscouncty of Ventadour remained dormant through disuse for some time though in the family possession, as the peerage title was of higher importance. The peerage title became extinct finally in 1717. The peerage titles continued to subsist in the family until the last heir alienated them by Deed of sale to the portfolio of an investment bank in 1984. They in turn sold the property to the present owner.

One of the highest and most illustrious of French titles that has been in continuous, uninterrupted existence for almost 1000 years.

A piece of living history, comprising a total of three titles, the Dukedom, County and Viscountcy have witnessed the victories and visicitudes of the French nation since its inception almost a millennium ago.