Aymeric IV de Rochechouart de Mortemart

## Vicomte de Rochechouart

Aymeric de Rochechouart, circa 1525, sketch by Jean Clouet

### Secondary Titles

Seigneur de Mortemart, Saint-Germain, Vivonne, Montpipeau, Cércigné,Tonnay-Charente, Château-Larcher, Gascougnolles, Surgères, Mauzé, Champdeniers, Javarzay, and La Mothe de Bauçay

## Biography

### Born

17th December 1485, Château de La Mothe-Chandeniers

### Spouse

Suzanne Claude de Blézy (1508 - 1525)
Madeleine de Vienne (1526 - Present)

### Issue

Gui de Rochechouart, Seigneur de Mortemart
Louis René de Rochechouart, Seigneur de Vivonne
Eléonore de Rochechouart, Mademoiselle de Rochechouart
Honoré Georges de Rochechouart, Seigneur de Montpipeau
Anne de Rochechouart, Baronne d'Aubrac
Aymerice de Rochechouart, Mademoiselle de Vivonne
Marie Anne de Rochechouart, Mademoiselle de Montpipeau
Adrien de Rochechouart, Seigneur de Tonnay-Charente
Antoinette de Rochechouart, Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente
Jeanne Françoise de Rochechouart, Mademoiselle de Château-Larcher
Claude Phoebus de Rochechouart, Seigneur de Château-Larcher
Gabrielle de Rochechouart, Mademoiselle de Cércigné
Marie Madeleine de Rochechouart, Mademoiselle de Gascougnolles
Aubin de Rochechouart, Seigneur de Cércigné

### Father

Aymeric XII de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Vicomte de Rochechouart

### Mother

Blanche d'Aumont, Vicomtesse de Rochechouart

### Siblings

Pierre de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Evêque de Saintes
Blanche de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Baronne de Bouville
Madeleine de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Comtesse d'Orléans
Louis de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Abbé de Saint-Savin

### Religion

Roman Catholicism

Aymeric XIII de Rochechouart (born 1485) was an Aquitain nobleman. He descended of the House of Rochechouart, from the second branch of the family, the Mortemart, an ancient family from the province of Limousin in central Aquitaine. He was the son of Aymeric XII de Rochechouart de Mortemart and Blanche d'Aumont.

## Biography

### Early Life

Aymeric was born in the end of the year 1485, to the Rochechouart family. At the time of his birth, his father had inherited the title of Seigneur de Mortemart from his father, Aymeric's grandfather, Jean II. His paternal grandmother however, Anne, maintained the Viscountcy of Rochechouart, a title which had existed unaltered from the late 10th century. The impending inheritance of this title would afford the Mortemart branch a renewed prestige within the region, although his father would not inherit the title until Anne de Rochechouart's death in 1497.

As a youth, it was his grandmother who would take charge of his education, making use of her valuable income from her title as suo jure Vicomtesse. This allowed him a modestly desirable education, excelling in horsemanship, Latin, history, and theology. He remained under the charge of his grandmother until her death, and shortly after this was sent by his father as a page to join the regiments serving on the border under John d'Anjou, Comte de Poitou, and Louis d'Anjou, Duc de Gascogne, future Louis IV.

### Adolescence

Aymeric would display fine ability on the front, aided by precise horsemanship and swordsmanship. He would only serve against the Iberian Caliphate for a few years before the outbreak of civil war. On the death of Henri IV in 1501 and the proclamation of John as King, over the young heir Louis, Aymeric's father rallied to the cause of John I and brought his young son into the fold. They seemed well placed for position and influence within the reign of King John, whose forces seemed overwhelming and certain to defeat those of Louis, Duc de Gascogne.

At first, it seemed as though the course of events would remain favourable. However, with the assassination of John eight months into his reign, the Rochechouart family would retreat from court. As Louis IV took to power, Aymeric would return to the seat of the Château de Rochechouart, partaking in pastimes of hunting and dancing. Even in the aftermath of the general pardon issued to all those supporters of the former King, his family would remain far from court. It took several years, until 1508, for his family to regain some importance, when Aymeric XII was given the governorship of Limousin.

### Adulthood

With the governorship in their family once more, and ownership of the viscountcy in their hands, Aymeric was finally arranged to wed Suzanne Claude de Blézy, daughter Claude, Vicomte d'Arnay and Baron de Couches. It was through this marriage that the family would inherit the titles Baron de Couches, its château, and Seigneur de Blézy. It also produced a healthy progeny of ten children in their marriage, which lasted from the 8th October 1508 until her death on the 25th November 1525.

In 1518, his father's death gave the inheritance of the viscountcy to Aymeric, now Aymeric XIII.

## Issue

From the 8th October 1508 in his first marriage to Suzanne Claude de Blézy, daughter of Claude de Blézy, and suo jure Baronne de Couches, he would have eleven children;

* Gui (1509 - present) Baron de Couches
* Louis René (1511 - present) Seigneur de Vivonne
* Eléonore (1512 - present) Mademoiselle de Rochechouart
* Honoré Georges (1514 - present) Seigneur de Montpipeau
* Anne (1515 - present) Baronne d'Aubrac, wife of Antoine de Rodez
* Aymerice (1516 - present) Mademoiselle de Vivonne
* Marie Anne (1517 - present) Mademoiselle de Montpipeau
* Adrien (1519 - present) Seigneur de Tonnay-Charente
* Antoinette (1522 - present) Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente
* Jeanne Françoise (1523 - present) Mademoiselle de Château-Larcher
* Claude Phoebus (1525 - present) Seigneur de Château-Larcher

From the 7th October 1526 in his second marriage to Madeleine de Vienne, daughter of Philippe de Vienne, and widow of Lazare Baudot, he would have three children;

* Gabrielle (1527) Mademoiselle de Cércigné
* Marie Madeleine (1529) Mademoiselle de Gascougnolles
* Aubin (1530) Seigneur de Cércigné

## Genealogy

### Paternal Family

His father, Aymeric III as Seigneur de Mortemart, and then known as Aymeric XII on the inheritance as Vicomte de Rochechouart, was the first of the Mortemart branch to hold the Viscountcy. The Rochechouart family was of ancient stock, descended from Foucher de Limoges in the 9th century, and the unaltered title of Rochechouart's viscountcy only heightened this prestige, ownership of which would only elevate the Mortemart branch to regional importance, as confirmed when Aymeric XII was provided the position as Gouverneur de Limousin. From his father, Jean II de Rochechouart, Aymeric XII had inherited the Lordship of Mortemart, and several others. Jean II had married the heiress Anne de Rochechouart, the last of the initial branch as the only daughter of Foucauld de Rochechouart, who served as Chambellan to the King, and Isabeau de Surgères, herself an heiress to the Lordship of La Flocelière.

Jean II, Seigneur de Mortemart, by comparison was of much humbler birth. Son of Jean I, Seigneur de Mortemart, and his second wife, Jeanne de Torsay, his father would elevate himself only by position, becoming the Gouverneur de La Rochelle, and Chambellan to the King. Jean I in his first marriage, to Jeanne Turpin de Crissé, had only produced a daughter to live into adulthood.

## Titles and Possessions

### Titles

The list of titles held by Aymeric XIII in his lifetime were;

* Vicomte de Rochechouart
* Seigneur de Cércigné, Champdeniers, Château-Larcher, Gascougnolles, Javarzay, La Mothe de Bauçay, Mauzé, Montpipeau, Mortemart, Saint-Germain, Surgères, Tonnay-Charente, Vivonne

### Possessions

In his lifetime, Aymeric was endowed with several residences, which included;

* Château de Rochechouart, in the far south-east of the province of Poitou, built in the 12th century
* Château de La Mothe-Bauçay, in the north of the province of Poitou, built in the 13th century
* Château de Javarzay, in the south of the province of Poitou, built in the 1514
* Château de Cércigné, in the the south east of the province of Poitou, built in the mid 15th century
* Château de Mortemart, in the far south-east of the province of Poitou, built in the 15th century
* Château de Couches, in the neighbouring Kingdom of Burgundy, built in the 11th century