The Medieval Period
The county of Namur (Latin: in pago Namurcensis) was first listed as part of the Lommegau (pagus or comitatus Lommensis) in the year 832 in a document by Louis the Pious. In 992, Emperor Otto III titles Albert I count of Namur for the first time.
The first count of note was Albert III (1063–1102), who acquired wardship over the prince-abbacy of Stavelot-Malmédy. Until the start of the 12th century, Namur was threatened by its powerful neighbours Brabant, Hainaut and Liège. Important parts of the county were annexed; the city of Dinant, for example, came into possession of Liège. From the 12th century on, the counts of Namur managed to more or less compensate for the losses they had suffered. Count Godfrey, for example, acquired the county of Longwy, thanks to his marriage with Ermesinde of Luxembourg. The last important figure from the first house that ruled Namur was Henry I (1139–96). Henry I inherited the counties of Durbuy, La Roche-en-Ardenne and Luxembourg. After Henry's death, a fierce succession war broke out between Baldwin V, Count of Hainaut, and Henry's daughter Ermesinde. Baldwin V eventually received the county of Namur while Ermesine received Luxembourg, Laroche and Durbuy. The situation remained more or less stable until 1263. In this year, the count of Namur, Baldwin II of Courtenay, sold his county to the count of Flanders, Guy of Dampierre. The house of Dampierre would rule until 1421, when the county of Namur was sold to the Burgundian duke Philip the Good.
Read more about this topic: County Of Namur
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