Montesquiou family

The de Montesquiou family is a thousand year-old French noble family from the high aristocracy, stemming from Montesquiou in Gascony. The family divided in several branches, of which only the branch of d'Artagnan now remains. Through the centuries, the Montesquiou family produced three field marshal, one admiral, one cardinal, one archbishop, several generals, bishops, diplomats and one minister.

Origins

Filiation traces this family to Raymond-Aimeri, first baron de Montesquiou around 1080, second son of Aimery, count of Fezensac. The counts of Fezensac hail from the VIIIth century duke of Gascogny, García II Sánchez of Gascony. Through Garcia II's wife, Amunia, daughter of Wulgrin I of Angoulême, the Fezensac and the Montesquiou descend from Alpais, grand-daughter of emperor Charlemagne. In 1777, the Fezensac ancestry was officially recognized and king Louis XVI allowed the Montesquiou to change their name to de Montesquiou-Fezensac.[1]

The Montesquiou illustrated themselves in the Third Crusade, the French war of religions, and as commanders of the musketeers over several generations. The famous d'Artagnan, who inspired the Three Musketeers novel, hailed from the family on his mother's side.

The family counts three field marshals, Blaise de Monluc, Jean de MonlucPierre de Montesquiou d'Artagnan.

In 2011 certain members of the d'Artagnan branch changed their name to de Montesquiou-Fezesensac d'Artagnan.

Titles

Titles :

  • Baron de Montesquiou : XIth century-present [2]
  • Count d'Artagnan : XVIIth century-present(1817)[3]).
  • Duke of Fezensac : dukedom created in 1821 and 1832 by king Louis XVIII of France. [3]).
  • Prince de Chabanias, marquis de Montluc, prince de Cambrai : XVIth-XVIIIth century, in the Montluc branch, now extinct.


  • Count de Montesquiou-Fezensac, created in 1809 and 1810 [2]
  • Baron de Montesquiou-Fezensac (1809 and 1810)[2]
  • Baron & peer (1824)[2]

Notable members

References
  1. Almanach de Gotha, 1907, p. 329.
  2. Vicomte Albert Révérend "Armorial du premier empire: titres, majorats et armoiries concédés" volume 3, pages 266 à 271.
  3. Jougla de Morenas, Grand Armorial de France, tome V page 93.
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