Misplaced Pages

#881118

96-510: It is about 30 km (19 mi) south of Laval , the préfecture of the department of Mayenne. Château-Gontier is home to the Refuge de l'Arche , also known as the Ark Refuge [1] , a refuge for abandoned or mistreated animals. There are chalybeate springs close to the town. Château-Gontier owes its origin and its name to a castle erected in the first half of the 11th century by Gunther,

192-473: A présidial , an office of the ferme générale , a local jurisdiction, a hospital, a gendarmery and a city hall. Laval was also at the head of a pays d'élection (fiscal region) encompassing 65 parishes in southern Maine. Because it was located close to the Breton border, Laval had a large salt storehouse, which controlled the collect of the gabelle , a tax on salt. Because Brittany was a large salt producer, it

288-570: A Norman invasion in Brittany. The site of Laval had a strategic importance because the travelers taking the Roman road had to cross there the Mayenne river on a ford. The western bank of the river was further dominated by a rocky promontory which could ensure a total control on the ford. During the 10th century, a first military structure was built on it, and a villa was mentioned there at the end of

384-648: A certain unity in Gaul, Charles saved it from a great peril. In 711 the Arabs had conquered Spain. In 720 they crossed the Pyrenees, seized Narbonensis, a dependency of the kingdom of the Visigoths, and advanced on Gaul. By his able policy Odo succeeded in arresting their progress for some years; but a new vali, Abdur Rahman , a member of an extremely fanatical sect, resumed the attack, reached Poitiers, and advanced on Tours,

480-626: A cessation of hostilities if Chilperic would recognize his rights as mayor of the palace in Austrasia. The refusal was not unexpected but served to impress upon Charles's forces the unreasonableness of the Neustrians. They met near Cambrai at the Battle of Vincy on 21 March 717. The victorious Charles pursued the fleeing king and mayor to Paris, but as he was not yet prepared to hold the city, he turned back to deal with Plectrude and Cologne. He took

576-464: A darker reputation, for his alleged abuse of church property. A ninth-century text, the Visio Eucherii , possibly written by Hincmar of Reims , portrayed Charles as suffering in hell for this reason. According to British medieval historian Paul Fouracre , this was "the single most important text in the construction of Charles's reputation as a seculariser or despoiler of church lands". By

672-618: A large palace at the château de Châteaubriant , located in Brittany . On his side, Guy XIX became a Huguenot . During the 17th century, Laval became very prosperous and the Counter-Reformation led to the foundation of many religious institutions. Large convents were opened, including Ursulines , Benedictines and Capuchins . All these convents were later sold and demolished during the French Revolution . During

768-480: A lion passant guardant . The coat of arms were those of the House of Laval , and not to the city. Still, several members of the family permitted the town to use their arms, notably in 1211, when the direct branch died, and in 1464. The House of Laval had a motto, Eadem mensura ("of same measure"), which is sometimes associated with the town of Laval. In 1987, the municipality adopted a logotype, replaced in 2010 by

864-736: A location between the French cities of Tours and Poitiers , in a victory described by the Continuations of Fredegar . According to the historian Bernard Bachrach , the Arab army, mostly mounted, failed to break through the Frankish infantry. News of this battle spread, and may be recorded in Bede's Ecclesiastical History (Book V, ch. 23). However, it is not given prominence in Arabic sources from

960-472: A new axis was important not only for the town, but also for the whole region, because Laval was on the road between Paris and Brittany . Every traveler taking that road had to cross the Mayenne river on the old bridge, and to cross the insalubrious and narrow walled town. The War in the Vendée , which opposed French revolutionaries and Royalist Catholics during the last decade of the 18th century, started in

1056-402: A new one which uses the heraldic lion as well as the palindrome as the two symbols of Laval. This logotype is made of "Laval" written in capital letters, with the final "L" held by the lion and reversed to suggest the palindrome. Before the construction of the castle during the 11th century, Laval did not exist. However, the site of the town was already a thoroughfare because it was located on

SECTION 10

#1732790522882

1152-409: A note of unfinished business". Charles married twice, his first wife being Rotrude of Treves , daughter either of Lambert II, Count of Hesbaye , or of Leudwinus , Count of Treves. They had the following children: Most of the children married and had issue. Hiltrud married Odilo I ( Duke of Bavaria ). Landrade was once believed to have married a Sigrand (Count of Hesbania) but Sigrand's wife

1248-449: A population of 49,573 inhabitants, while c. 144,000 live in its metropolitan area (1,435 square kilometres (554 sq mi)). The Laval Agglomération intercommunality is made up of 34 communes covering 686 square kilometres (265 sq mi) with 113,000 inhabitants. Laval is notably the birthplace of Henri Rousseau , a major Naïve painter, and the town has a museum dedicated to him and other Naïve artists. Laval also enjoys

1344-478: A promontory, on which the castle was built, and along the river Mayenne . The Laval metropolitan area is a small economic centre in western France, particularly active in the industrial sector, dairy production, electronics and chemicals. Laval is economically oriented towards Rennes , the administrative capital of the region of Brittany , and located only 80 kilometres (50 miles) west of Laval. Laval proper covers 34.2 square kilometres (13.2 sq mi) and has

1440-552: A series of wars fought by Frankish princes for booty and territory... One of Fredegar's continuators presented the battle of Poitiers as what it really was: an episode in the struggle between Christian princes as the Carolingians strove to bring Aquitaine under their rule." More recently, the memory of Charles has been appropriated by far right and white nationalist groups, such as the ' Charles Martel Group ' in France, and by

1536-458: A significant architectural heritage, with its castle, portions of city walls, medieval houses, old bridges and churches. Laval is a relatively new foundation in comparison to other French cities. That is to say that the borough was not officially mentioned prior to the 11th century. According to legend glorifying the Counts of Laval, mediaeval chroniclers portrayed the citizens of Laval as being

1632-612: A small ring road and the Paris - Rennes highway bypasses the town by the North. Until the 20th century, Laval had had a port on the Mayenne river, which was surrounded by several factories, mainly linen manufactures. The old industrial areas were redeveloped after 1970 and the river has since become a recreational area. Laval is a small town and nature is not far away from the centre. The town manages 25 hectares of parks and gardens, and 200 hectares of green areas in total. The largest park

1728-552: A year later. The fighting occasioned great damages and the town was fully rebuilt afterwards. Thus all the half-timbered houses that still stand in the medieval centre were not built before the 15th century. During that period, the town's walls were completed by the addition of a powerful artillery fort in an innovative design, known as the Tour Renaise . Around 1450, Guy XIV de Laval had the castle refurbished. New rooms and halls were built, and new Gothic windows were opened on

1824-470: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Laval, Mayenne Laval ( French pronunciation: [laval] ) is a town in western France , about 300 km (190 mi) west-southwest of Paris , and the capital of the Mayenne department . Its inhabitants are called Lavallois . The commune of Laval proper, without the metropolitan area, is the 7th most populous in

1920-480: Is historically a manufacturer of fine linens , but there are also foundries . Laval is also home to the Laval and Mayenne Technology Park , where firms working in electronics , computing and peripherals , food technology , veterinary pharmaceuticals , virtual reality , audiovisual productions , patents, marketing and a resource centre are all to be found in modern buildings. It is also an important centre for

2016-460: Is one of the few cities in the world to have a palindrome as a name, as Laval can be read the same way in either direction. Laval is located at the geographical centre of the Mayenne department, on the road which connects Paris to Brittany , between Rennes and Le Mans . The town is situated on the middle course of the Mayenne , a river which has its source in Normandy and runs towards

SECTION 20

#1732790522882

2112-578: Is situated. This name commonly appears in other French location names, sometimes with a second word, such as in Laval-d'Aurelle ( Ardèche ) or Laval-sur-Doulon ( Haute-Loire ). The first mention of the town was the Latin Vallis Guidonis , meaning "Guy's valley", because the counts of Laval were all called Guy . On its side, the castle was usually named Castrum Guidonis or Aula Guidonis ("Guy's castle" and "Guy's palace"). During

2208-516: Is the Jardin de la Perrine , located in the centre, at the top of a rocky promontory. Formerly a private garden, it encircles an 18th-century mansion and comprises a French and an English garden as well as a rose garden, an orangery and a small menagerie . This park encompasses 4,5 hectares. Henri Rousseau , a major Naïve artist born in Laval, is buried there. Apart from the Jardin de la Perrine,

2304-477: Is the only defeat of Charles's career. Charles retreated to the hills of the Eifel to gather and train men. In April 716, he fell upon the triumphant army near Malmedy as it was returning to Neustria. In the ensuing Battle of Amblève , Charles attacked as the enemy rested at midday. According to one source, he split his forces into several groups which fell at them from many sides. Another suggests that while this

2400-554: The Iberian Peninsula . Alongside his military endeavours, Charles has been traditionally credited with an influential role in the development of the Frankish system of feudalism . At the end of his reign, Charles divided Francia between his sons, Carloman and Pepin . The latter became the first king of the Carolingian dynasty . Pepin's son Charlemagne , grandson of Charles, extended the Frankish realms and became

2496-466: The Loire crossing the Mayenne department from North to South. Laval is located approximately 70 kilometres (43 miles) from Rennes , 75 kilometres (47 miles) from Le Mans and Angers , 130 km (81 miles) from Nantes , 135 km (84 miles) from Tours , 150 km (93 miles) from Caen and 280 km (174 miles) from Paris . It is also 100 km (62 miles) far from Le Mont-Saint-Michel and

2592-512: The Pays de la Loire region and the 132nd in France. A part of the traditional province of Maine before the French Revolution , which now split between two departments, Mayenne and Sarthe , Laval also lies on the threshold of Brittany and is not far from Normandy and Anjou . It was thus an important stronghold in northwestern France during the Middle Ages . Laval became a city during

2688-579: The Second World War , Laval was occupied by Nazi Germany . The town was bombed several times by the Allies in June and July 1944. The train station and the surrounding area, as well as the viaduct and some streets in the centre were heavily damaged. General Patton 's troops arrived in Laval 6 August 1944. The German occupiers did not surrender immediately, and they destroyed the bridges before leaving

2784-651: The Teutoburg Forest and thus secured the Frankish border. When the Frisian leader Radbod died in 719, Charles seized West Frisia without any great resistance on the part of the Frisians , who had been subjected to the Franks but had rebelled upon the death of Pippin. When Chilperic II died in 721, Charles appointed as his successor the son of Dagobert III, Theuderic IV , who was still a minor, and who occupied

2880-530: The département of Vendée , located south of the Loire , but it quickly spread in Brittany , Anjou and Maine , which were Catholic strongholds. Laval, which had been under the control of the revolutionaries since 1789, was seized by the Royalists 22 October 1793. The town was on their itinerary to the English Channel , where they were waiting for reinforcement. However, the expedition to Normandy

2976-549: The 11th century, Laval is also called Castrum Vallis or simply Vallis ; and Lavallis appears in 1080. Other Latin names include Valles and Castrum de Valibus . Lavallum Guidonis is first written in 1239. After the Renaissance , Lavallis and Lavallium are both commonly used by the clergy and the scholars. As in Latin, the name evolved in French from Laval-Guion or Laval-Guyon to Laval in one single word. Laval

Château-Gontier - Misplaced Pages Continue

3072-536: The 11th century, and was the cradle of the House of Laval , one of the most powerful families in Maine and Brittany. The counts of Laval developed a textile industry around 1300 and made Laval a significant centre for the French Renaissance a century later. The linen industry remained the principal activity in Laval until the 20th century, when milk processing became more profitable. Laval developed around

3168-533: The 18th century, the town, which had kept its medieval appearance, started to expand. New faubourgs appeared, and the local aristocracy built there many elegant hôtels particuliers , particularly around the place de Hercé , which became the most fashionable area of Laval. In the middle of the 18th century, Laval had around 18,000 inhabitants and 3,525 households. It was the second most populous town in Maine , after Le Mans . It enjoyed several institutions, such as

3264-469: The 720s onwards. Indeed, the anonymous Chronicle of 754 records a victory for Odo in 721 at the Battle of Toulouse , while the Liber Pontificalis records that Odo had killed 375,000 Saracens. It is more likely that this invasion or raid took place in revenge for Odo's support for a rebel Berber leader named Munnuza . Whatever the precise circumstances were, it is clear that an army under

3360-564: The Agilolfing Princess Swanachild as a second wife. In 725 and 728, he again entered Bavaria but, in 730, he marched against Lantfrid , Duke of Alemannia, who had also become independent, and killed him in battle. He forced the Alemanni to capitulate to Frankish suzerainty and did not appoint a successor to Lantfrid. Thus, southern Germany once more became part of the Frankish kingdom, as had northern Germany during

3456-693: The Breton peninsula. The town is surrounded by agricultural land essentially made of large fields. The traditional bocage with its old hedgerows is still partially visible. Laval is also surrounded by several forests, such as the Forêt de Concise , with c. 600 hectares, and the Bois de l'Huisserie , with 254 hectares. Both are located south of the town. The commune of Laval is bordered by seven other communes . These are, clockwise, Changé , Bonchamp-lès-Laval , Forcé , Entrammes , L'Huisserie , Montigné-le-Brillant and Saint-Berthevin . Saint-Berthevin forms part of

3552-628: The Franks in return for legitimate royal affirmation of his own mayoralty over all the kingdoms. Between 718 and 732, Charles secured his power through a series of victories. Having unified the Franks under his banner, Charles was determined to punish the Saxons who had invaded Austrasia. Therefore, late in 718, he laid waste their country to the banks of the Weser , the Lippe , and the Ruhr . He defeated them in

3648-492: The Great (or Eudes, as he is sometimes known), the duke of Aquitaine , who had become independent during the civil war in 715, but was again defeated, at the Battle of Soissons , by Charles. Chilperic fled with his ducal ally to the land south of the Loire and Raganfrid fled to Angers . Soon Chlotar IV died and Odo surrendered King Chilperic in exchange for Charles recognizing his dukedom. Charles recognized Chilperic as king of

3744-421: The North, was developed during the 1820s and 1830s. A new town centre emerged on the axis, and a new square was built close to the bridge. Several official buildings were constructed around, including a new city hall, the préfecture and a theatre. Around the new bridge, the Mayenne river was deviated to form a straight waterway, and new quays were built between 1844 and 1863. After 1850, major works were carried in

3840-514: The Palace , was the de facto ruler of the Franks from 718 until his death. He was a son of the Frankish statesman Pepin of Herstal and a noblewoman named Alpaida . Charles successfully asserted his claims to power as successor to his father as the power behind the throne in Frankish politics. Continuing and building on his father's work, he restored centralized government in Francia and began

3936-601: The Pippinid wealth at Cologne. The Neustrians allied with another invading force under Redbad, King of the Frisians and met Charles in battle near Cologne , which was still held by Plectrude. Charles had little time to gather men or prepare and the result was inevitable. The Frisians held off Charles, while the king and his mayor besieged Plectrude at Cologne, where she bought them off with a substantial portion of Pepin's treasure. After that they withdrew. The Battle of Cologne

Château-Gontier - Misplaced Pages Continue

4032-487: The Roman road that connected Le Mans to Corseul , a provincial capital in present-day Brittany . Moreover, some parts of the city territory had been settled by the Gauls. For instance, a Gallic stele has been unearthed in the suburb of Pritz, north of the centre. The chapel of Pritz was on its side first mentioned in 710. The body of Tudwal , a Breton Saint, is believed to have been brought to Laval in 870 or 878, during

4128-631: The Spanish market, some of the best linen were sold in Portugal and the stronger clothes were exported to the French colonies in America . The royales and the demi-Hollande were usually sold in Troyes , Senlis and Beauvais , three towns located around Paris, which were renowned for their markets. Laval also produced a specific kind of linen, the pontivy , for the French army. In the 18th century,

4224-481: The Younger Neustria, Burgundy, Provence, and Metz and Trier in the "Mosel duchy". Grifo was given several lands throughout the kingdom, but at a later date, just before Charles died. Earlier in his life Charles had many internal opponents and felt the need to appoint his own kingly claimant, Chlotar IV . Later, however, the dynamics of rulership in Francia had changed, and no hallowed Merovingian ruler

4320-731: The agglomeration, and Changé and Bonchamp-lès-Laval are well integrated, but the other communes remain rural areas with villages and hamlets. 26 other communes situated farther form with them the Communauté d'agglomération Laval Agglomération . They unite c. 113,000 inhabitants. Laval enjoys a very mild climate because of its proximity with the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel , giving it an oceanic climate . Winters are usually wet, with scarce frosts and snowfalls, and summers are warm and sunny, although rainfalls are common. The oldest streets and buildings in Laval are located around

4416-423: The beginning of the 20th century, Laval had several institutions, such as courts of justice, a chamber of commerce, a board of trade-arbitrators, a seminary and a secondary school for boys. The declining textile industry was still employing 10,000 hands in Laval and its suburbs. Other activities included metal-founding, flour-milling, tanning, dyeing, the making of boots and shoes, and the sawing of marble. During

4512-418: The best linen of Laval, as well as the most expensive. A demi-Hollande could cost up to 700 pounds , and a toile forte , the cheapest one, had a worth of 50 pounds. The other sorts of linen made in Laval were also cheap and of a low quality, but they represented the largest share of the total production. The linen of Laval were sold mainly in France, but also abroad. The rustic non-battues were only made for

4608-463: The castle, is a former commune which merged with Laval in 1863. Founded in 1073, it still comprises several old houses and a medieval basilica. Other large medieval hamlets absorbed by the town include Le Bourg Hersend and Saint-Martin. The eastern bank of the Mayenne was also settled in the Middle Ages, along the street that leads to the bridge crossing the river, but it was mostly developed during

4704-411: The century in a charter issued by the count of Maine . Around 1020, Herbert I of Maine offered the new barony of Laval to Guy I, who became the first lord of the town. Guy I of Laval built a new castle and the town slowly appeared around the Roman road and on the river banks. The castle built by Guy I was much wider than the present-day structure. It was encircled by an earthen wall and it spread from

4800-514: The chances of preserving his life's work were better with a successful field commander like Charles than with Plectrude in Cologne. Willibrord subsequently baptized Charles's son Pepin . Gerberding suggests a likely date of Easter 716. Charles also received support from bishop Pepo of Verdun. Charles took time to rally more men and prepare. By the following spring, he had attracted enough support to invade Neustria. Charles sent an envoy who proposed

4896-479: The city and dispersed her adherents. Plectrude was allowed to retire to a convent. Theudoald lived to 741 under his uncle's protection. Upon this success, Charles proclaimed Chlothar IV king in Austrasia in opposition to Chilperic and deposed Rigobert , archbishop of Reims , replacing him with Milo , a lifelong supporter. In 718, Chilperic responded to Charles's new ascendancy by making an alliance with Odo

SECTION 50

#1732790522882

4992-678: The civil wars of Charles' reign. The next six years were devoted in their entirety to assuring Frankish authority over the neighboring political groups. Between 720 and 723, Charles was fighting in Bavaria, where the Agilolfing dukes had gradually evolved into independent rulers, recently in alliance with Liutprand the Lombard . He forced the Alemanni to accompany him, and Duke Hugbert submitted to Frankish suzerainty. In 725 he brought back

5088-618: The courtyard at the beginning of the 16th century. Guy XVII built a Renaissance gallery in extension to the castle around 1542. The gallery was later slightly redecorated in 1747. Guy XVII was a member of the Court of Francis I , one of the greatest kings of the French Renaissance . The House of Laval played a certain role in the development of the Renaissance arts in the region. Jean of Laval-Châteaubriant built for instance

5184-470: The dairy industry and produces cheeses, ultra-high-temperature processing milk, and yoghurt . It is the headquarters of Lactalis . Charles Martel Charles Martel ( / m ɑːr ˈ t ɛ l / ; c.  688 – 22 October 741), Martel being a sobriquet in Old French for "The Hammer", was a Frankish political and military leader who, as Duke and Prince of the Franks and Mayor of

5280-572: The days when he was tottering on excommunication, and set the stage for his son and grandson to assert themselves in the peninsula. Charles died on 22 October 741, at Quierzy-sur-Oise in what is today the Aisne département in the Picardy region of France. He was buried at Saint Denis Basilica in Paris . His territories had been divided among his adult sons a year earlier: to Carloman he gave Austrasia, Alemannia, and Thuringia, and to Pippin

5376-542: The dividing line between wives and concubines was not clear-cut in eighth-century Francia. It is likely that the accusation of "illegitimacy" derives from the desire of Pepin's first wife Plectrude to see her progeny as heirs to Pepin's throne. By Charles's lifetime the Merovingians had ceded power to the Mayors of the Palace , who controlled the royal treasury, dispensed patronage, and granted land and privileges in

5472-594: The duke at the Battle of the Boarn . Charles ordered the Frisian pagan shrines destroyed, and so wholly subjugated the populace that the region was peaceful for twenty years after. In 735, Duke Odo of Aquitaine died. Though Charles wished to rule the duchy directly and went there to elicit the submission of the Aquitanians, the aristocracy proclaimed Odo's son, Hunald I of Aquitaine , as duke, and Charles and Hunald eventually recognised each other's position. In 737, at

5568-478: The eighteenth century, historians such as Edward Gibbon had begun to portray the Frankish leader as the saviour of Christian Europe from a full-scale Islamic invasion. In the nineteenth century, the German historian Heinrich Brunner argued that Charles had confiscated church lands in order to fund military reforms that allowed him to defeat the Arab conquests, in this way brilliantly combining two traditions about

5664-743: The fate of King Roderick at the Rio Barbate, it is doubtful that a "do-nothing" sovereign of the Merovingian realm could have later succeeded where his talented major domus had failed. Indeed, as Charles was the progenitor of the Carolingian line of Frankish rulers and grandfather of Charlemagne, one can even say with a degree of certainty that the subsequent history of the West would have proceeded along vastly different currents had 'Abd al-Rahman been victorious at Tours-Poitiers in 732." And in 1993,

5760-408: The first emperor in the West since the Fall of the Western Roman Empire . Charles, nicknamed "Martel" ("the Hammer") in later chronicles, was a son of Pepin of Herstal and his mistress, possible second wife, Alpaida . He had a brother named Childebrand , who later became the Frankish dux (that is, duke ) of Burgundy . Older historiography commonly describes Charles as "illegitimate", but

5856-454: The first years of the reign. In 731, after defeating the Saxons, Charles turned his attention to the rival southern realm of Aquitaine, and crossed the Loire, breaking the treaty with Duke Odo. The Franks ransacked Aquitaine twice, and captured Bourges , although Odo retook it. The Continuations of Fredegar allege that Odo called on assistance from the recently established emirate of al-Andalus, but there had been Arab raids into Aquitaine from

SECTION 60

#1732790522882

5952-451: The holy town of Gaul. In October 732—just 100 years after the death of Mahomet —Charles gained a brilliant victory over Abdur Rahman , who was called back to Africa by revolts of the Berbers and had to give up the struggle. ...After his victory, Charles took the offensive". Similarly, William E. Watson , who wrote of the battle's importance in Frankish and world history in 1993, suggested that "Had Charles Martel suffered at Tours-Poitiers

6048-432: The influential political scientist Samuel Huntington saw the battle of Tours as marking the end of the "Arab and Moorish surge west and north". Other recent historians, however, argue that the importance of the battle is dramatically overstated, both for European history in general and for Charles's reign in particular. This view is typified by Alessandro Barbero , who in 2004 wrote, "Today, historians tend to play down

6144-419: The leadership of Abd al-Rahman al-Ghafiqi headed north, and after some minor engagements marched on the wealthy city of Tours. According to British medieval historian Paul Fouracre , "Their campaign should perhaps be interpreted as a long-distance raid rather than the beginning of a war". They were, however, defeated by the army of Charles at the Battle of Tours (known in France as the Battle of Poitiers), at

6240-420: The leadership of Maurontus . Charles used the relative peace to set about integrating the outlying realms of his empire into the Frankish church. He erected four dioceses in Bavaria ( Salzburg , Regensburg , Freising , and Passau ) and gave them Boniface as archbishop and metropolitan over all Germany east of the Rhine, with his seat at Mainz . Boniface had been under his protection from 723 on. Indeed,

6336-423: The main green areas in the centre are the Square de Boston , refurbished in 2012, and the Square Foch , located on the place du 11-Novembre , which is the central point of the town. The commune of Laval owns the Bois Gamats , a 25 hectares wood located on the southern hedge of the town. The neighbouring Bois de l'Huisserie , much bigger, is managed by Laval Agglomération. The coat of arms of Laval is: gules,

6432-468: The medieval centre: several new streets were built and the square in front of the castle was enlarged. In 1855, Laval obtained a diocese and a railway station. That year, trains coming from Paris had their terminus in Laval, but the line was further extended towards Brittany in 1856. Laval experienced a significant demographic growth throughout the 19th century. It had 15,000 inhabitants around 1800, and that figure rose to 21,293 in 1861. Two years later,

6528-523: The name of the figurehead king. Charles's father, Pepin of Herstal, had united the Frankish realm by conquering Neustria and Burgundy . Pepin was the first to call himself Duke and Prince of the Franks, a title later taken up by Charles. In December 714, Pepin of Herstal died. A few months before his death and shortly after the murder of his son Grimoald the Younger , he had taken the advice of his wife Plectrude to designate as his sole heir Theudoald , his grandson by their deceased son Grimoald . This

6624-414: The neighbouring communes of Avesnières and Grenoux were absorbed into Laval, together with parts of Changé . As a consequence of this amalgamation, Laval counted 27,000 inhabitants by 1863. In 1866, the town numbered 30,627 inhabitants, but then it experienced a slight decline which lasted until the end of the Second World War . This decline was due to both socio-economical and geopolitical factors: At

6720-413: The offspring of Charles Martel 's grandson Wala of Corbie . By virtue of the chroniclers' accounts, Laval should be a synonym for "Vala" or "Valla"—the two spelling variants of "Wala". Etymologically spoken, however, the name of Laval , in all likelihood, merely stands for "the valley" in French ("la vallée" in contemporary language), to capture the lush valley of the Mayenne river, wherein Laval

6816-453: The old medieval centre was still encircled by city walls, and its narrow plots and streets forbade any large urban transformation. However, the authorities planned to build a large thoroughfare bypassing the centre by the north. That involved the construction of a new bridge on the Mayenne river, because at that time Laval only had one, which was small and very old. The project was validated in 1758, but works did not start before 1804. The idea of

6912-497: The palace . On 26 September 715, Raganfrid's Neustrians met the young Theudoald's forces at the Battle of Compiègne . Theudoald was defeated and fled back to Cologne. Before the end of the year, Charles had escaped from prison and been acclaimed mayor by the nobles of Austrasia. That same year, Dagobert III died and the Neustrians proclaimed Chilperic II , the cloistered son of Childeric II , as king. In 716, Chilperic and Raganfrid together led an army into Austrasia intent on seizing

7008-433: The period. Despite his victory, Charles did not gain full control of Aquitaine, and Odo remained duke until 735. Between his victory of 732 and 735, Charles reorganized the kingdom of Burgundy , replacing the counts and dukes with his loyal supporters, thus strengthening his hold on power. He was forced, by the ventures of Bubo, Duke of the Frisians , to invade independent-minded Frisia again in 734. In that year, he slew

7104-477: The perpetrator of the Christchurch mosque shootings at Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre in Christchurch , New Zealand, in 2019. The memory of Charles is a topic of debate in contemporary French politics on both the right and the left. In the seventeenth century, a legend emerged that Charles had formed the first regular order of knights in France. In 1620, Andre Favyn stated (without providing

7200-628: The present-day keep to the cathedral. A motte built over the wall commanded the access to the top of the promontory, where the Lords lived, and the second motte was probably located inside the compound. The basilica in Avesnières, located several kilometers south of the castle, was founded in the 12th century by Guy III. Around 1200, the earthen wall was pulled down and the castle became smaller, taking its present-day appearance. The town developed on its side its own defense system. Beatrix of Gavere ,

7296-475: The promontory where the castle stands. The urban structure there dates back from the Middle Ages and is limited to the western bank of the Mayenne river . This old core is today the main shopping area, with several pedestrian streets and little shops. Several medieval half-timbered houses are still visible, but most of the buildings are dating from the 18th and 19th centuries and are made of tufa . The suburb of Avesnières, located one kilometer (0.6 miles) south of

7392-432: The ruler. However, Fouracre argued that "...there is not enough evidence to show that there was a decisive change either in the way in which the Franks fought, or in the way in which they organised the resources needed to support their warriors." Many twentieth-century European historians continued to develop Gibbon's perspectives, such as French medievalist Christian Pfister , who wrote in 1911 that "Besides establishing

7488-406: The saint himself explained to his old friend, Daniel of Winchester , that without it he could neither administer his church, defend his clergy nor prevent idolatry. In 739, Pope Gregory III begged Charles for his aid against Liutprand , but Charles was loath to fight his onetime ally and ignored the plea. Nonetheless, the pope's request for Frankish protection showed how far Charles had come from

7584-411: The second half of the 19th century when the train station was built there. The old faubourgs surrounding the town centre date from the same period and are mainly composed of individual houses. The 20th-century suburbs comprise some council estates but individual houses are much more common. Some shopping centres and several industrial areas are located on the outskirts of the town. Laval is encircled by

7680-564: The series of military campaigns that re-established the Franks as the undisputed masters of all Gaul . According to a near-contemporary source, the Liber Historiae Francorum , Charles was "a warrior who was uncommonly ... effective in battle". Charles gained a very consequential victory against an Umayyad invasion of Aquitaine at the Battle of Tours , at a time when the Umayyad Caliphate controlled most of

7776-477: The significance of the battle of Poitiers, pointing out that the purpose of the Arab force defeated by Charles Martel was not to conquer the Frankish kingdom, but simply to pillage the wealthy monastery of St-Martin of Tours". Similarly, in 2002 Tomaž Mastnak wrote: "The continuators of Fredegar's chronicle, who probably wrote in the mid-eighth century, pictured the battle as just one of many military encounters between Christians and Saracens—moreover, as only one in

7872-540: The steward of Fulk Nerra of Anjou, on the site of a farm belonging to the monks of St Aubin d’Angers. On the extinction of the family, the lordship was assigned by Louis XI of France to Philippe de Comines . The town suffered severely during the wars of the League . In 1793 it was occupied by the Vendeans . The following buildings have been listed as historical monuments : This Mayenne geographical article

7968-515: The surrounding sea resorts, located on the English Channel . Elevation varies between 42 and 122 meters above sea level . Laval is, in fact, a hilly town, marked by a rocky promontory dominating the valley of the Mayenne river. The castle was built on this promontory and the medieval centre spreads around. The promontory and the slightly hilly landscape around Laval are traces of the Armorican Massif , an old range of mountains that forms

8064-409: The table and graph below refer to the commune of Laval proper, in its geography at the given years. The commune of Laval absorbed the former communes of Notre-Dame-d'Avenières and Grenoux (partly) in 1863. The city counts 27 primary schools (écoles primaires), 8 middle schools (collèges) and 7 high schools (lycées). Some institutions also provide higher education in Laval like : The town

8160-567: The tail end of his campaigning in Provence and Septimania , the Merovingian king, Theuderic IV, died. Charles, titling himself maior domus and princeps et dux Francorum , did not appoint a new king and nobody acclaimed one. The throne lay vacant until Charles' death. The interregnum, the final four years of Charles' life, was relatively peaceful although in 738 he compelled the Saxons of Westphalia to submit and pay tribute and in 739 he checked an uprising in Provence where some rebels united under

8256-422: The throne from 721 to 737. Charles was now appointing the kings whom he supposedly served ( rois fainéants ). By the end of his reign, he didn't appoint any at all. At this time, Charles again marched against the Saxons. Then the Neustrians rebelled under Raganfrid, who had left the county of Anjou. They were easily defeated in 724 but Raganfrid gave up his sons as hostages in turn for keeping his county. This ended

8352-429: The town at around 3pm. After the war, Laval experienced a quick industrialisation. Most of the old cloth factories were closed down and the town developed instead a large food processing sector, particularly dairies. It also developed plastics processing and car manufacturing. During that period, the town quickly expanded and several new institutions were built, such as a campus and a new hospital. The population data in

8448-853: The turning point in Charles's struggle. Richard Gerberding points out that up to this time, much of Charles's support was probably from his mother's kindred in the lands around Liege. After Amblève, he seems to have won the backing of the influential Willibrord , founder of the Abbey of Echternach . The abbey had been built on land donated by Plectrude's mother, Irmina of Oeren , but most of Willibrord's missionary work had been carried out in Frisia. In joining Chilperic and Raganfrid, Radbod of Frisia sacked Utrecht, burning churches and killing many missionaries. Willibrord and his monks were forced to flee to Echternach. Gerberding suggests that Willibrord had decided that

8544-634: The wife of Guy IX de Laval , who lived in the 13th century, is believed to be at the origin of the textile tradition of the town. Born in Flanders , she would have brought Flemish weavers with her, and would have encouraged linen production. Linen weaving remained the main economic activity of the town until the 19th century. During the Hundred Years' War , the town was taken by the English commanded by John Talbot , in 1428. It became French again

8640-519: Was a total failure, and they were defeated there by the Republican army. The Royalists came back to Laval 25 December 1793, but they lost a siege in Angers and were definitely defeated in 1794. After the French Revolution , the local authorities decided to achieve the master plan planned in the 18th century. The new bridge was completed in 1824 and the new East-West axis, bypassing the old centre by

8736-410: Was exempted from gabelle, but people living in Maine , or other hinterland provinces, had to buy a certain amount of salt every year, thus paying the gabelle was compulsory for them. A salt storehouse such as the one in Laval was therefore a tax office and it had to deal with salt contraband. 26 fairs were held each year in the pays d'élection , and three markets were held in the town. At that time Laval

8832-404: Was his intention, he then decided, given the enemy's unpreparedness, this was not necessary. In any event, the suddenness of the assault led them to believe they were facing a much larger host. Many of the enemy fled and Charles's troops gathered the spoils of the camp. His reputation increased considerably as a result, and he attracted more followers. This battle is often considered by historians as

8928-754: Was immediately opposed by the Austrasian nobles because Theudoald was a child of only eight years of age. To prevent Charles using this unrest to his own advantage, Plectrude had him imprisoned in Cologne , the city which was intended to be her capital. This prevented an uprising on his behalf in Austrasia , but not in Neustria . Pepin's death occasioned open conflict between his heirs and the Neustrian nobles who sought political independence from Austrasian control. In 715, Dagobert III named Raganfrid mayor of

9024-453: Was made up of three parishes. The textile industry in Laval reached its zenith just before the French Revolution . The town had the right to produce eight sorts of cloth, including the royales and demi-Hollande , which were among the finest linen weaved in France. The neighbouring towns of Mayenne and Château-Gontier also had the right to produce linen, but in only three or four kinds of cloth. The royales and demi-Hollande were

9120-560: Was more likely the sister of Rotrude. Auda married Theoderic, Count of Autun . Charles also married a second time, to Swanhild and they had a child named Grifo . With Ruodhaid , with whom he had: For early medieval authors, Charles was famous for his military victories. Paul the Deacon for instance attributed a victory against the Saracens actually won by Odo of Aquitaine to Charles. However, alongside this there soon developed

9216-403: Was required. Charles divided his realm among his sons without opposition (though he ignored his young son Bernard ). For many historians, Charles laid the foundations for his son Pepin's rise to the Frankish throne in 751, and his grandson Charlemagne's imperial acclamation in 800. However, for Paul Fouracre, while Charles was "the most effective military leader in Francia", his career "finished on

#881118