Andegavia

Sources from old books

1635. Historia mundi: or Mercator's atlas. London. by Gerhard Mercator.

ANIOV THE DVKEDOME OF ANDEGAVIA. (Book Andegavia)

The Dukedome of Anjou containeth Counties, Baronnies, and Seigniories, as C•aon 1856. 4743, &c. which I have not yet found out, nor can distinguish; these foure Counties, Maine, Vendosme, Beaufort, and La Val doe hold of it by Homage and Fealty.

THE IVRISDICTION.

The Praesidiall Seate of the whole Kingdome is Angiers, under which are these particular Juridicall Seates, Angiers, Samur; Bauge, 1945. 4725. and Beaufort en Valleé, 1940. 4716.

The State Ecclesiastick.

Angiers hath one Bishop of Andegauja, who is subject to the Archbishop of Turone.

The Meridians are placed according to the Proportion of the 47. and 15. Parallels to the greatest Circle.

The Dukedome of ANIOU.

THE Dukedome of Anjou followes in our Method, or la Ducké d' Anjou. C. Caesar calleth the people of this Province Andes, and Pliny nameth them Andegavi. It beginneth at the Village Towne Chousay; and endeth betweene Moncontour and Herrant,* 1.1 where the Territory of the Picts beginneth, lying South of it on the East; the Turonians and Vindocinians doe border on it: on the North the County commonly called Maine, and l• Val: and lastly, on the West it joyneth to Brittaine. The Country is more fruitfull and pleasant than large, having every where Hills planted with Vines, and Valleies crowned with greene Woods, flourishing Meddowes, & excellent Pastures for Cattell. Here are good white Wines, commonly called Vins d' Aniou. In briefe, this Country doth afford all things necessary for life. In some parts also of this Province they digge forth those blue kind of Stones, with which being cleft in pieces they do slate their Churches and Houses to keep off the weather; and in French they call them Ardoises. King i•ec••us▪ after the Earle Paul was slaine, got the City of Indeg•••a and left it to his Posterity, who were Kings of France▪ among whom •arolus Calvus gave the higher part of the Province to Iorquatus, retaining still the Royalty thereof to himselfe: and the lower part to Eud•• Earle of Paris, whose Nephew Hugo magnus by his Brother Rupert Earle of Andegavia, and Duke of Celtica, gave it to Fulco, the Nephew of Iorquatu•. After Fulco there succeeded in order Fulco the 2. and Gotefridus commonly called Grisgonella, Fulco the 3. Got•fridus the 2. Fulco the 4. Fulco the 5. who was King of Hierusalem, after Baldwin, whose Daughter, he being a Widdower had married: and lastly Godfridus Barvatus the 6. who was married to Machtildis, the Daughter of Henry the first, King of England. His Sonnes were Henry, who was the second King of England of that name, and Gotefridus the sixth and William were Earles of Anjou: whom when their Brother the King had overcome by warre, and droven them out of their Country, his eldest Sonnes did succeed him in the Kingdome of England, and Gotefridus the 8. in the County of Anjou. The Unckle •ohn King of England did wage warre against the Earle Arthur the Sonne of Gotefrid, and Duke of B•ittaine by the Mothers side. Arthur had now done Homage and Fealty to Philip Augustus King of France, for his Principality which he had of him: by whose instigation leaving to take away Picardy from his Unckle the King, and having passed his Army over the River and Ligoris, the King comming upon him on a sudden tooke him prisoner, and brought him to •otomagum, where not long after he was put to death. The Mother of Arthur Constantia by name, the Daughter and Heire of Conan Prince of Brittaine, did accuse King Iohn of Parricide, before the King of France aforesaid: who being summoned and not appearing▪ the Peares of France did condemne him of parricide, and those Provinces which he had in France they confiscated to the King: which sentence the King ex•cuting, he tooke Anjou into his owne hands, and left i• to his Sonne Ludovick the 8, King of France. After whom succeeded his Son Ludovick the 9. surnamed the Holy, who granted this Province to his Brother Charles by right. After him followed Charles the 2. who marrying h•s Daughter Cleme•tia to Charles Valesius, he gave this Province with her for her Dowry. After whom succeeded Philip Valesius the Sonne, and after him his Nephew Iohn, who gave the greatest part of this Country, which was honourd with the Title of a Dukedome in the yeere 1350. to his Sonne Ludovick. After him there follow'd in a direct Line Ludovick the 2. and Ludovick the 3. who dying without an Heire the Principality came to his Brother Renatus. Hee having no issue living, made Charles his Brothers Sonne his Heire, and he made King Ludovick the 11. his Heire. And thus it was annexed to the Crowne of France, and continued so united, untill Francis the first gave the revenue thereof to his Mother Aloisia •abande. King Charles the 9. gave it to his Brother Henry, who was afterward King of Polonia and France. The Metropolis or Mother City of the Dukedome is Andegavum, Paulus Diacorus calleth it the City of Audegavia; it is commonly called Angiers. Ptolemy calls it Iuliomagus Andicavarum. It is seated on both the bankes of the River Maine, which hath a Stone bridge over it. It is well governed having a Bishop, a Marshall, and a Baily, and a President. It hath a famous University, instituted by Ludovick the second Duke of Anjou in the yeere 1389. Francis Baldwine being called thither, who professed the Law there. This Dukedome hath many faire Townes, some whereof are bigger than others. I will reckon some Townes according as they are called in French, as namely, Samur neere Liguris with a Castle; also Montrencau, Bauge, Beaufort, Brissac, Monstreul-Belay, Maleuvrior, Ghantoceau, Viliers, Duretail, la Plesche, Chasteau-Gontier, Segre. In this Province there are many Lakes and Rivolets, and above 40. Rivers. There are also great Fish-pits, and an infinite number of Fountaines. The chiefe Rivers are Lagures, Loire: Vigenna, called la Vienne, Viane and Vignane: Meduana now called Mayne, Sarta commonly called Sartra and Lorius. Beyond the City of Andegavum there are some ancient ruines, which are commonly called Grohan. Here they say that the Romanes did heretofore build a Theater, and some of the Walls doe yet remaine. And great store of old coyne is digged forth. Besides other Counties, Baronnies, and Signiories, these foure Counties doe Homage and Fealty to this Dukedome, Maine,* 1.2 Vendosme, Beaufort, and la Val, of which we will entreate in order. The County of Maine, commonly called Conté de Maine is the first. In Ptolemies time the Cenomanians did inhabit this Country. And the Province of the Cenomanians was inhabited as soone as any other part of France. The bounds thereof were heretofore longer than they are now, which may be gathered by that which Livie, Polybius, and Iustine have deliverd concerning the irruption of the Cemonians into Italy.* 1.3 One part of the Country is fruitfull, the other barren, and the Inhabitants live more by hunted flesh than by bread or wine, which yet they doe not altogether want, for some parts of this Province are so fruitfull, that neither Andegavia, nor Tutonia can excell it for good wine, or fruits. The Soyle is full of Herbage, and fit for Pasturing of Cattell.* 1.4 But we reade that this Province being comprehended under Aquitania, was sometime subject to the Dukes of Aquitania, untill the King of France Ludovi•k the 9. and Henry •he 3. King of England, did agree that, that which belonged to the King of England in Aquitania, which was bounded on the North with the River Caranton, and on the South with the Pyrenaean Mountaines, should for ever belong to Normandy, and to the Countries of the Cenomanians and Andegavians, in consideration wherof 1500. Crownes were to be paid unto him. Iohn King of France gave Andium and the County of the Cenomanians to his second Sonne Ludovick. The Letters Patents of this Donation or Guift dated 1360. may bee seene in the Kings Rolles. After Ludovick there succeeded Ludovick the second, his Sonne, and Ludovick the third his Nephew. These three were Kings of Naples. Ludovick the third dying without issue, his Brother Renatus succeeded after him, whom Ieane Queene of Naples, the second of that name, did make her Heire both of the Kingdome of Naples, and of the County of Province. Renatus had by Isabe•l the daughter of Charles the Bold his Sonne. Iohn Duke of Calabria, who dyed before his Father Renatus. This Iohn had by Mary the Daughter of Cha••• Duke of Purbor, Nicolas Duke of Calabria, and Marquesse of Pon•un• who dyed w•thout issue, his Grandfather Renatus yet living. Ren••• would not resigne his righ• to the Kingdome of Naples, and the County of Pro••r•t to his Nephew Renatus, but left it to his Brother Charles Earle of the Cenomanians: who dying a little after, did institu•e and make Ludovick the 11. his Heire. In former times the whole Country was devided into two parts. The City of the Cenomanians belongeth to the King of France, but the City Maena or Maine with the Marquiship, being now made a Dukedome acknowledgeth the Guises to be Lords thereof. The chiefe Towne is by the River Sartra, commonly called le Mens. At the first it was a Bayliwick, and after Henry the second time it had a President, and divers Townes did bring their appeales and suites hither. The Dukedome of Vend•sme or the Put•he de Vend•sme beginneth at Baugencia•um, which is the bounds betweene the two Belsia which are called Sol•nia and Vindocina, which stretcheth out farre and wide even to the Sa•tones. It is so called from the Towne Vindocinum, commonly called Vendosme. That which Ptolemy calls Ovindikon (for so it is read) is a City of the Aulercian Cenomanians in Gallia Lugdunensis We doe affirme nothing. For that Ovinatken, is perhaps the Towne which is now called le Ma•s, which is Scalig•rs opinion also. The Earles of Vend•sme are descended from from the Stock of the Burbons. We reade that the first Earle hereof was Ludovick Barbonius, the Sonne of Iohn Earle of Marc and Clermont, after whom there succeeded Lineally Iohn his Sonne, and Franci• and Charles his Nephews, whom Francis the first, King of France did create the first Duke of Vendosme. Charles was succeeded by his Sonne Antony, who was Duke of Vendosme a Peere of France, and in the right of his wife Ieane Albreta, King of Navarre, of whom came Henry Bu•bon, the fourth King of France of that name, and the most potent King of Navarre, Prince of Bearne, Duke of Vendosme, &c. There are also Beaufort and la Val.