- Centule IV of Béarn
Centule IV Gaston (died 1058), called the Old, was the seventh
Viscount of Béarn from 1012 to his death.He succeeded his father Gaston II while yet a minor, under a regency until 1022.
He placed great importance on maintaining good relations with the church. In the year in which he assumed the powers of government, he founded the monastery of
Saint-Pé-de-Geyres near the border withBigorre . He was subsequently installed as the "defensor" of that monastery and of the lands of Saint Peter inGascony and Béarn by his suzerainSancho William ,Duke of Gascony . In 1033, Centule confirmed the possession of the county ofBordeaux by Duke Odo.He strove to expand his power into neighboring territories and married Angela, daughter and heiress of the neighboring Viscount
Aner II Lupo of Oloron , thus uniting those two entities. He gained the valleys ofAspe ,Ossau , andBarétous all the way from the river Oloron toNavarrenx . His eldest son Gaston III was associated with the vicecomital throne, but died in or before 1045. He warred against the viscounts of Dax andSoule , killing the viscountArnold II of Dax in 1050. He himself died in a Souletin ambush eight years later. His grandson Centule V succeeded him.Aside from Gaston, he had six children:
*Raymond Centule
*Aureol Centule, lord ofClarac
*Igon
*Baudreix
*Boeil
*Auga
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.