Battle of Moncontour 1033 • High Middle Ages
Discovering the battle
1033 French victory

Battle of Moncontour

Feudal conflict between the counties of Blois and Anjou · Moncontour (Poitou); French Wikipedia (Geoffrey II) does not fix the exact site — traditions: area of Moncontour / Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes (Dive)

Summary

In 1033, Geoffrey Martel, son of Fulk Nerra and count of Vendôme, defeated William VI the Fat, duke of Aquitaine and count of Poitiers, at Moncontour in Poitou. The victory opened Saintonge to him, and he seized it. The chronicles record neither the numbers engaged nor the tactical course of the encounter.

Historical context

Geoffrey Martel contested Aquitanian authority over the southern marches of Anjou. His marriage to Agnes of Burgundy, widow of Duke William V the Great, gave him a claim to intervene in the Aquitanian succession against William VI, a son from the late duke's earlier marriage. Moncontour belongs to that contest, which Agnes encouraged.

Tactics

The chronicles transmit neither the tactical course of the engagement nor the numbers engaged. What is established is the outcome: William VI the Fat was defeated and taken prisoner, remaining in captivity for several years before his release, while Geoffrey Martel seized Saintonge and extended Angevin influence south of the Loire.

Consequences

William VI was defeated and Geoffrey Martel seized Saintonge, extending Angevin influence south of the Loire. The exact scale of the engagement and the fate of the defeated are not detailed in the sources.

Location

Place : Moncontour (Poitou); French Wikipedia (Geoffrey II) does not fix the exact site — traditions: area of Moncontour / Saint-Jouin-de-Marnes (Dive)
Coordinates : 46.8886°N, 0.0628°W

Sources

This entry draws on the following references.

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