Departments: Ardenne, Aube, Haute Marne, Marne.

! This article is partly in English and partly in French !

The arms of Champagne are: Azure, a bend Argent between two cotices potenté Or.

At the end of the 12th century the couties Meaux and Troyes were ruled by Henry I (1152-’81). The territory was known then as Champagne but only the successors of Henry I called themselves counts (palitinate) of Champagne.

The oldest coat of arms with a bend in connection with Champagne is on the seal of Henry II. [1] Its use was continued by his successors from Thibaut III (1197-1201) until Joan (1274-1304).[2] The decoration of the additional bend varies in that time. The bendlets of the arms of Thibaut IV from 1230 are damasked with a line embattled. On a seal of 1270 the bend in the middle is damasked and the other two aren’t. [3] On other seals the bends are not decorated at all.

In te time of the rule of Henry III the Fat (1270-’74) the arms are blazoned  in Walford’d Roll: „Le countee de Champaine, d’azur un bend d’argent cousteces d’or diaprés. [4]

In 1234 Thibaut IV succeeded through his mother Blanche of Navarre  in Navarre. From that time he used the arms of Champagne as well as the arms of Navarre.

Henry III had only his daughter Joan for successor. She married in 1284 with Philip the Fair of France. Therefore the county fell in 1305 to her son Louis (X, the Stubborn) who became King of France in 1314. Since then the county is under the French crown which continued the use of the arms of Champagne.

í A coat of arms with a bend is described by Chretien de Troyes (*ca 1140), native from the cultural centre of Champagne. He writes in the book Gawain of his Parsifal: .... and brings a golden shield. On this shield was a bend Azure. For a third part the shield was covered by this bend... [5] Later such shields, the bend between bendlets or not, are in the manuscripts of Heinrich von Veldeke (Eneït) and Petrus de Ebulo. Petrus de Ebulo even represents many warriors with shields Azure, a bend Or and Or a bend Azure. [6]

Heraldry

COUNTS OF CHAMPAGNE

House of Vermandois

Robert

950-975?

Herbert the Younger

975?-995

Stephen I

995-1021

House of Blois

Eudes

1021-1037

Stephen II

1037-1048

Eudes II

1048-1066

Thibaut I

1066-1089

Eudes III

1089-1093

Hugh Count of Champagne

*1074- †1126

Count of Champagne 1093-1125

Hugh was the third son of Theobald III, Count of Blois  († 1089) and Adele of Valois, bearing the title Count of Bar-sur-Aube. His older brother Odo V, Count of Troyes, died in 1093, leaving him master of Troyes, where he centred his court, and Vitry-le-François. In this way the three contiguous countships that formed the core of an emerging Champagne were united in his person, and though he preferred “Count of Troyes”, the oldest of his lordships and site of the only bishopric in his domains, many contemporary documents call him the count of Champagne, the title preferred by his descendants.

Not having paricipated to the first Crusade the count went for the first time to Palestine in 1104 and returned in 1107. In 1114 he again went to the Holy Land accompanied by Hugues de Payns a founder of the order of the Temple in 1118 and its first Grand Master, who was a vassal of his. Hugh became a Knight Templar himself in 1125 after having transferred his titles to his nephew, who became Theobald II of Champagne.

Sigillant : Hugues Ier comte de Champagne

Sceau équestre: Représentation : "le comte, sur son cheval chargeant, brandit une lance ; son écu semble chargé d'une croix

Légende : [QVOD] MANDAT SCRIPTO [FIR]MAT COMES HVGO SIGILLO

Empreinte originale; Æ 48 mm; Cire de couleur jaune

Provenance : ADMC 17 H 8/6. Cote moulage : Ch 51-2A

The charge of the shield looks like a square cross between four crosslets, which became the arms of Jerusalem.

Stephen Henry

Count of Blois & Meaux 1090-1102

Sceau du comte Etienne-Henri (1089)

BnF, collection de Gaignières, ms. lat. 5441-2, page 137

Thibaut II, the Great

Count of Blois & Meaux 1102-1152

Count of Champagne 1125-1152

Henry I, the Liberal

1152-1181

Married Mary, daughter of Louis VII of France and Eleanor of Aquitaine and won renown as a crusader

Sigillant : Henri Ier le Libéral comte de Champagne

Sceau équestre. Représentation : le comte à cheval est coiffé d'un heaume à nasal ; son bouclier est renforcé par une bordure"

Légende : X SIGILLVM HENRICI . TRECENSIVM PALATINI COMITIS

Empreinte originale Æ 63 mm.  Cote moulage : D 566

Henry II, the Younger

1181-1197

King of Jerusalem 1192

Went also on crusade and married Isabella, heiress of the kingdom of Jerusalem, in 1192, thus becoming recognized as the actual leader of the crusaders, though he never secured the royal title.

Enrico di Champagne (1192-1197)

Il conte Enrico di Champagne, 3° marito della principessa Isabella, ereditiera diretta del re di Gerusalemme, rifiutò il titulo di re, sebbene doppo la morte di Corrado di Monferrato fosse stato eletto da quelli che ricusavano di riconoscere Guido di Lusignano. Enrico risiedeva in Acri e qui fece coniare la moneta che porta il nome di pougeoise de Acre. La marca della zecca di Acri era il giglio.

Coin of Henry  II

Æ Jerusalem

Archives nationales, coll. de sceaux, D 953

Thibaut III

1197-1201

Seal of Thibaut III de Champagne

Sceau et contre-sceau. Représentation : équestre/héraldique:  armoiries de Champagne sur l'écu

Légende : sceau : SIGILL' THEOBAL/DI TREC(e)N(sis) COMI/TIS PALATINI -

contre-sceau : X SECRE(t)VM MEV(m) MICHI

Empreinte originale. Æ75 mm. Cote moulage : D 570 et bis

Thibaut IV, the Posthumus

1201-†1253

King of Navarre 1234

Sigillant : Thibaut IV comte de Champagne

Légende : X SIGILL':THEOBALDI:C/O/MITIS:CAMPA/NIE ET:BRIE: PALATINI

"le comte tient un écu aux armes de Champagne (une bande coticée) ; une intaille antique, représentant un centaure, est sertie sous le poitrail du cheval"

Représentation : équestre/intaille Sceau Empreinte originale Æ 83 mm

:Cote moulage : St 2055

Sigillant : Thibaud IV comte de Champagne

Sceau et contre-sceau. Représentation: équestre/intaille le comte tient un écu aux armes de Champagne (une bande coticée) ; une intaille antique, représentant un centaure, est sertie sous le poitrail du cheval ;

le contre-sceau est également une grande intaille antique : une victoire ailée et un génie autour d'un trophée"

Légende : sceau : X SIGILL':THEOBALDI:C/O/MITIS:CAMPA/NIE ET : BRIE :PALATINI

- contre-sceau : X PASSAVANT LE MEILLOR

Empreinte originale; Æ. 83 mm

Provenance : Cote moulage : St 2055 et bis

Sigillant : Thibaud IV comte de Champagne et roi de Navarre

Sceau et contre-sceau. Représentation : équestre/héraldique: armoiries de Navarre sur l'écu et la housse Légende : sceau : X S' THEOBALDI / DEI:GRA[…] BRIE:CO(m)ITIS:PALATINI -

contre-sceau : X PASSE.AVANT.LA.THIEBAUT

Empreinte originale Æ 95 mm Provenance : Cote moulage : D 11375 et bis

Achievement

Sigillant : bailliage de Troyes

Sceau. Représentation : héraldique; "écu de Champagne ; de chaque côté, un oiseau"

Légende : […]LLI[… ...]ECE[…]

Empreinte originale; Æ40 mm; Cire verte

Provenance : ADMC 17 H 100/13; Cote moulage : Ch 825

So-called “Tomb of Alfonso X the Wise” in Las Huelgas Monastery

The tomb strewn with arms of Navarre and supported by (royal) eagles.

Sigillant : Thibaud IV  comte de Champagne et roi de Navarre

Sceau: armoiries de Navarre sur l'écu et la housse

Légende : S'THEOBALDI DEI GR(aci)A REGIS NAVA[… ...]AN(ie) / BRIE CO(m)ITIS : PALATIN/I

Cote moulage : D 11372

Thibaut V

1253-1270

Sigillant : Thibaut V roi de Navarre

Sceau. "Représentation : équestre: le heaume est couronné ; armoiries de Navarre sur l'écu et la housse"

Légende : SIGI/LLVM.:THEO/BALDI.:DEI.:GR(aci)A / R/EGIS.:NAVARRE/

Empreinte originale; Æ 103 mm; Cire rouge

Provenance : ADMR 2 G 988/1;Cote moulage : Ch 6

Achievement

Sigillant : Thibaut V roi de Navarre

Contre-sceau Représentation : héraldique écu de Champagne, entouré de deux lions, surmonté d'un rinceau

Légende : X CAMPANIE.:ET.:BRIE.:.:COMITIS.:PA[LA]TINI*.:

Empreinte originale;  Æ 101 mm; Cire rouge

Achievement

Seal of Thibaut II, 1259

Référence

MA000015

Fonds

SCEAUX

Série

sceaux ; collection Bourgogne

Cote

SC/B12bis

Analyse

Moulage d'un fragment du contre-sceau de Thibaut II de Navarre, roi de Navarre et comte-palatin de Champagne et de Brie.Légende détruite.

Dates

1259-08-01, 1259-08-31

Tomb of a Knight from the House of Champagne. On the shield the arms of Champagne.

Abbey church of St. Denis, Paris

The shield

Arms: Champagne and a label of three, Gules

As the hatchings are of the Petra Sancta system the statuette has to be younger than 1634 (probably 19th century?).

Henry III, the Fat

1270-1305

Seal and counter seal of Henry III, the Fat

Sceau et contre-sceau. Représentation: équestre/héraldique: lécu de Navarre; un parti de Navarre et Champagne

Légende : sceau : X S':HERRICI:D(e)I:GRA[…] / NAVARRE:CA(m)PANIE: / ET:BRIE:COMITIS:PALATINI -

contre-sceau : X S':SECRETUM:HERRICI:D(e)I:GR(aci)A REG(i)S:NAVARRE

Empreinte originale; Æ 92 mm. Cote moulage : D 11379 et bis

Joan

1274-1305

Edmund of Lancaster 

count of Champagne 1276-1284

Edmund Crouchback (16 January 1245 – 5 June 1296), a member of the House of Plantagenet, was the second surviving son of Henry III of England and Eleanor of Provence. In his childhood he had a claim on the Kingdom of Sicily, but he never ruled there. In 1265 he was granted all the lands of Simon de Montfort and from 1267 he was titled Earl of Leicester. In that year he also began to rule Lancashire, but he did not take the title Earl of Lancaster until 1276. Between 1276 and 1284 he governed the counties of Champagne and Brie with his second wife, Blanche of Artois, in the name of her daughter Joan. His nickname, "Crouchback" (meaning "crossed-back"), refers to his participation in the Ninth Crusade.

Seal of Edmund Crouchback

Sceau. Représentation : équestre ; armoiries de l'écu et de la housse : trois léopards, au lambel à trois pendants, chacun chargé d'une fleurs de lis

Légende : […]DM[… ...]CO[…]

Empreinte originale; Æ 65 mm ;Cote moulage : D 574

The Capetian House

Louis(X)

1305-1316

King of France 1314-1316

Charles IV, the Fair

1322-1328

Référence

00000396

Fonds

SCEAUX

Série

sceaux ; collection Bourgogne

Cote

SC/B583

Analyse

Moulage du sceau royal pour les foires de Champagne.

Légende restituée en latin : "X SIGILLUM KAROLI DEI GRATIA FRANCIE ET NAVARRE REGIS PRO NUNDINIS CAMPANIE ET BRIE", traduction : sceau de Charles, par la grâce de Dieu roi de France et de Navarre, pour les foires de Champagne et de Brie.

Accès

moulage consultable au service des sceaux

Reproduction

reproduction du moulage possible par le service des sceaux ; photographie ou impression d'image numérique

Support

plâtre pris sur cire originale

Forme

rond Æ 80 mm

The House of Valois

1328-1589

Achievement

Sigillant : bailliage de Chaumont

Sceau. Représentation : héraldique: écu parti de Navarre et de Champagne ; au dessus, une fleur de lis et, de chaque côté, un lion assis.

Légende : X SIGILLVM / BAILLIVIE / CALVIM[…]

Empreinte originale; Æ42 mm; Cote moulage: Ros 209

The achievement can be read:

Arms: Per pale of Navarre and Champagne

Crest: A fleur der lis

Supporters: Lions

The fleur de lis is the crest of the House of Valois (1328-1589).

Mannequin of the colours of Champagne, in the Armorial du Toison d’Or. ~ 1440

At the end of the 15th century Champagne was united fiscally with l'Île-de-France  into the Gnerality of d'Outre Seine and Yonne. In 1542 it was separated again to make the generality of Châlons en Champagne seated in Châlons. On the fiscal seal of the Generalty of Châlons were the arms of Champagne surrounded by vines.

Fiscal seal of the Generalty of Châlons, 1786

16th and 18th century arms of Champagne

Départements

2nd Republic

Ardennes

Aube

Haute Marne

Marne

Of Retel, a “M” in base

Of Champagne

Dimidiated of Navarre and Champagne and a chief of France

Of Châlons

4th and 5th Republic

Ardennes

Marne

Haute Marne

Achievement of Aube Department by Robert Louis

Arms: Champagne and a chief wavy Argent

Crest: Two sheafs of Corn in saltire proper

Supporters: Two bucks proper

Mantle: Azure, decorated the arms of with the arms of Bar s/Aube, Troyes and Nogent s/Seine, lined Argent strewn with roses Gules

Compartment: A cogwheel Argent entitled AUBE and a garland of vines Or and Gules.