Counts · Other imperial lands · as at first light, 1 January 1200

Orange

The small principality of Orange on the Rhone plain north of Avignon, carried into the house of Les Baux by Tiburge of Orange and raised by Frederick Barbarossa to a principality.

William, still young, joined his brother and William IV of Forcalquier in the 1199 war on Alfonso of Provence. The lordship of the town was shared: the Hospitallers of St John held rights there by gifts of the Orange heirs (their share in 1200 is not pinned).

Who he is

Name
William I of Les Baux (Guillaume des Baux, called du Cornet)
Title
Prince of Orange
Since
1181/1182, on the death of his father Bertrand I (not pinned to the month)
Born
about 1176 (fr.wikipedia)
Family
Younger son of Bertrand I of Les Baux and Tiburge of Orange; brother of Hugh III of Les Baux. A troubadour, like both his parents.
Confidence
medium

fr.wikipedia Guillaume Ier des Baux; en.wikipedia Principality of Orange.

Overlord

The emperor directly (Orange is an imperial fief; the princely title was granted by Frederick Barbarossa, dated 1163 or 1181 by different sources)

What it holds

  • Orange: the town with its Roman walls and arch, the castle on the hill
  • Courthezon, Jonquieres and nearby villages of the principality (extent in 1200 not pinned)

How it was acquired

Inherited from his father Bertrand I, who held Orange through his wife Tiburge, sister and heir of Raimbaut of Orange.

Allies and rivals

Allies: his brother Hugh III, William IV of Forcalquier. Neighbours: Raymond VI of Toulouse, marquis of Provence, whose Venaissin surrounds Orange; the bishop of Orange; Avignon.

How things stand that morning

Holds Orange; in arms with the coalition against Alfonso in 1199.

Wealth

Rhone plain farming, the town's market and tolls on the road between Avignon and Valence.

Military

The castle of Orange and the town walls; his own knights and his brother's.

Threats

  • Toulouse's Venaissin on every side
  • Avignon, a strong neighbouring commune
  • Alfonso of Provence, if the coalition loses

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.

  1. 1200, season not pinnedThe coalition of 1199 (William IV of Forcalquier with Hugh III of Les Baux, William of Les Baux prince of Orange, Roncelin of Marseille and, by one account, Raymond VI of Toulouse) may take the field again after its failure before Aix. The next fighting on record is in 1202, when William IV allies with the Dauphin and Alfonso takes Sisteron; Peter II of Aragon then imposes a truce at Aigues-Mortes in 1203.Depends on: William IV's continued refusal to let the 1193 settlement run its course, and the barons' grievances against the count Stopped by: A settlement brokered by Peter II of Aragon or the Church, or William IV's death (he dies in 1209)

Places of note

  • Castle of Orange: Seat of the princes

Where the sources disagree

  • Sources disagree on the date of the princely title: 1163 (en.wikipedia), 1181 (fr.wikipedia), 1178 is also met. Not settled here.

Evidence: The prince is attested; his share of Orange against the Hospitallers' and the bishop's is not pinned.

On the map: The principality's extent is drawn from its later communities; in 1200 it may have been smaller.

Primary sources for Empire

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.

8 more in the sources library for The Rhineland, the Low Countries and the Swiss Lands.

Sources and studies

  1. Guillaume Ier des Baux, fr.wikipedia
  2. Principality of Orange, en.wikipedia
  3. Principaute d'Orange, fr.wikipedia

Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.