What Simon II holds himself, as distinct from the duchy's vassals and churches: Nancy, his residence, and a chain of castles from the Moselle crossings down to the Vosges, with the advocacy of the great abbeys of Remiremont and Saint-Die and the duke's right to keep the roads.
It is a thin and scattered demesne between the bishoprics of Toul and Metz and the counties of Vaudemont and Luneville.
Who he is
- Name
- Simon II
- Title
- Duke of Lorraine and marquis
- Since
- 1176
- Born
- about 1140
- Family
- House of Lorraine; see the realm record
- Confidence
- high
fr.wikipedia and en.wikipedia on Simon II; castles from standard histories of the duchy, not all pinned to 1200
Overlord
The emperor (disputed between Philip of Swabia and Otto IV). Some ducal lands (Neufchateau above all) were held of the count of Champagne by 1220; not pinned for 1200.
What it holds
- Nancy: castle, small town and ducal residence
- Gondreville: old ducal villa near Toul, where Simon affirmed his rights in May 1176
- Amance: hill castle north-east of Nancy
- Frouard: castle at the meeting of Moselle and Meurthe
- Preny: castle over the Moselle facing Bar's Pont-a-Mousson
- Chatenois: the family's old seat in the Vosges plain
- Arches: castle on the upper Moselle and the forest country around Remiremont
- Neufchateau: town on the Meuse (held of Champagne in the 13th century; not pinned for 1200)
- Advocacy of the abbey of Remiremont and of the chapter of Saint-Die, with the justice and fair rights that came with them
- The duke's conduct of the roads (safe-conduct and its tolls)
How it was acquired
Inherited from his father Matthew I (1176). The duchy's demesne had been cut down by the 1179 settlement with his brother Ferry, who took the German-speaking north.
Allies and rivals
Allies: his Staufen cousins; his nephews Odo III of Burgundy and Bishop Matthew of Toul. Rivals: Theobald I of Bar on the Moselle; the bishop of Metz; the abbesses of Remiremont and the canons of Saint-Die, whose advocate he is; his own brother Ferry.
How things stand that morning
Simon holds Nancy and the castles listed. Across his borders: the bishop of Toul and the Toulois to the west, the count of Vaudemont (his vassal) to the south-west, the bishop of Metz at Epinal and in the salt country, the count of Luneville to the east, Bar at Pont-a-Mousson to the north, and Ferry of Bitche in the German north.
Wealth
Tolls on the Moselle and Meurthe crossings and the roads to Champagne and Alsace; fairs and justice taken under the advocacies; forests of the Vosges; rents of the ducal villages. No figures in the sources.
Military
Castle garrisons at Nancy, Amance, Frouard, Preny, Gondreville, Chatenois and Arches; the duke's knights and the vassals of the duchy. His record: three years of war against his brother (1176-1179). No numbers in the sources.
Threats
- Bar's pressure on the Moselle castles.
- Church appeals over Remiremont and Saint-Die.
- The succession.
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- 1203-1204 (later course)Simon burns buildings and plunders the canons of Saint-Die, is excommunicated, makes amends and is absolved in 1204.Depends on: The advocacy quarrel with Saint-Die running on. Stopped by: A settlement with the chapter.
Places of note
- Castle of Nancy: Ducal residence
- Castle of Preny: Ducal castle facing Bar across the Moselle
- Castle of Amance: Ducal hill castle
- Arches: Ducal castle near Remiremont
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The duke's person and acts are attested; the list of castles follows standard histories of the duchy and is not each pinned to a 1199-1200 charter.
On the map: Castellanies are drawn as small clusters of communes; the duke's real power ran along roads and through advocacies that cannot be drawn.
Primary sources for Lorraine
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Chronicle of Alberic of Trois-Fontaines, Alberic of Trois-Fontaines (about 1227 to 1241, at the Cistercian abbey of Trois-Fontaines in Champagne). The widest net of any Latin chronicle for 1200, compiled from dozens of sources, many now lost. Read online
- Deeds of the archbishops of Trier, continuations (continuations written in the 13th century). The Trier house history for Archbishop John I (1190 to 1212), who held the Moselle between the two kings. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.