Almodis de la Marche

Who was Almodis de la Marche?

Almodis de la Marche was the daughter of Bernard I, Count of Marche and wife Amélie. She married Hugh V of Lusignan around 1038 and they had two sons and one daughter:

Hugh VI of Lusignan

Jordan de Lusignan

Mélisende de Lusignan, married before 1074 to Simon I "l'Archevêque", Vidame de Parthenay

Almodis and Hugh of Lusignan divorced due to consanguinity, and Hugh arranged for her to marry Count Pons of Toulouse in 1040. Together they produced several children, including:

William IV of Toulouse

Raymond IV of Toulouse

Hugh, Abbot of Saint-Gilles

Almodis of Toulouse, married Count Pierre of Melgueil

She was still Pons' wife in April 1053, but shortly thereafter Almodis was abducted by Ramon Berenguer I, Count of Barcelona. He kidnapped her from Narbonne with the aid of a fleet sent north by his ally, the Muslim emir of Tortosa. They married immediately and they appear with their twin sons in a charter the next year. Pope Victor II excommunicated Almodis and Ramon for this illegal marriage until 1056. Together they produced four children:

Berenguer Ramon II, Count of Barcelona