thumb|125px|right|trencavel coat of arms. the trencavel were an important noble family in languedoc during the 10th through 13th centuries. the name "trencavel," originally a nickname and later a family name, may derive from the occitan words for "nutcracker" (trenca avelana). the name was traditionally restricted in actual use only to those family members named raymond, but the last trencavel viscount, raymond ii, preferred the surname over his given name and adopted it for his charters.graham-leigh, 147. the first well-known member of the family was ato i, viscount of albi in the early 10th century. he was followed by five generations of viscounts of albi in direct father-to-son descent. during this same period the family came to dominate the episcopacy of languedoc. each of the viscounts from ato ii on had a younger brother named frotarius (or frothaire) who was a bishop, be it of albi, cahors, or nÃ®mes. in 1069 the three daughters of peter ii of carcassonne sold their rights to the counties of carcassonne and razÃ¨s and the bÃ©ziers and agde to raymond berengar i of barcelona for 4,000 mancusos. by marriage to ermengard, daughter of peter ii, raymond bernard, son of bernard ato iii, became viscount of carcassonne, having already acquired nÃ®mes. by 1070 he was viscount of bÃ©ziers. his son bernard ato iv was viscount of albi, bÃ©ziers, carcassonne, nÃ®mes, and razÃ¨s. he thus held all the lands of the counts of carcassonne, but never assumed the comital title. bernard ato was formally proclaimed viscount after the death of his mother in 1101. the sons of bernard ato iv divided their inheritance. the eldest, roger i, took albi, carcassonne, and razÃ¨s, but had no children.graham-leigh, 42. the second, raymond i took bÃ©ziers and agde. the youngest, bernard ato v, inherited nÃ®mes and married guilhelma, daughter of william vi of montpellier. in 1132 roger and raymond agreed that on the event of roger's death without heirs, carcassonne would pass to raymond. in 1150 roger died and his three viscounties all passed to raymond. after a series of disputes, the viscounty of agde was divided between raymond and bernard ato, with the latter holding the title. the elder branch of bÃ©ziers-albi-carcassonne-razÃ¨s and the younger of nÃ®mes-agde were to remain separate for the remainder of the family's existence. the practical capital of the elder branch was bÃ©ziers. during this period there was considerable urban unrest as the growing cities tried to assert their independence. raymond i was killed during one such revolt in bÃ©ziers. there was also revolts in carcassonne 
Counts_of_Carcassonne French_noble_families Occitan_nobility Trencavel Viscounts_of_Agde Viscounts_of_Albi Viscounts_of_BA(c)ziers Viscounts_of_RazA"s