- Centule II of Bigorre
Centule II (also "Centulle"; died 1128) was the
Count of Bigorre from 1114 to his death. He brokeBigorre 's feudal connection withFrance and established bonds across thePyrenees with Aragon. He was also a major participant in theCrusades and theReconquista .He was the second son of
Centule V of Béarn by his second wife,Beatrice I of Bigorre . He succeeded his elder brother Bernard III's daughter Beatrice II. His elder half-brother Gaston IV was theviscount of Béarn and the two maintained excellent fraternal relations, undertaking almost every military expedition jointly.Between 1095 and 1101, the two half-brother were absent from the south of France on the
First Crusade . While Gaston was one of the heroes of the Crusade and consequently finds mention in many chronicles, Centule had not yet succeeded his brother at that point and was a mere nobleman, without a fief.In 1113, Bernard died and his successor, the heiress Beatrice, followed him to the grave the next year. Centule, now armed with the forces of Bigorre behind him, joined Gaston in an alliance with
Alfonso the Battler ,King of Aragon and Navarre, on the successful expedition againstZaragoza in 1118. For his part in the victory, Centule received a section of the city in fief of the king and twenty four villages in theVal d'Aran . He participated in the conquest ofTudela in 1119 and in the great attack onGranada in 1125 – 1126. In May 1122, he rendered homage to Alfonso, breaking his theoretical tie of vassalage to theDuchy of Aquitaine .Centule died in 1128 and was succeeded by his daughter Beatrice III, who was married to Peter of Marsan. With this marriage she united the county of Bigorre and the
viscounty ofMarsan .
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