ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

Yolande I, Comtesse de Nevers (d. 1254)

Yolande I, also known as Jolanthe von Châtillon or Yolanda de Châtillon, was a French noblewoman who served as the Countess of Nevers, Auxerre, and Tonnerre from her marriage in 1228 until her death in 1254. She was born around 1222 to Guido I, Count of Saint-Pol, and Agnes of Donzy, Countess of Nevers, Auxerre, and Tonnerre.

Yolande's family played a significant role in the nobility of France during this period. Her father died at the siege of Avignon in 1230, while her mother passed away five years earlier in 1225. Yolande was raised by her maternal grandmother, Mathilde de Courtenay, who also cared for her brother Gaucher.

In 1228, Yolande married Archambault IX, Lord of Bourbon, and the marriage contract was drafted with the support of Ugo of Châtillon, Yolande's uncle. The couple had two daughters: Matilda II, Countess of Nevers, Auxerre, and Tonnerre; Agnes, Lady of Bourbon, who died in 1288.

Yolande's husband participated in the Sixth Crusade against Egypt with King Louis IX but died on arrival in Cyprus in January 1249. During this time, Yolande married her daughters to Odo, Duke of Burgundy, and John of Burgundy, respectively, securing their inheritance through the older House of Burgundy.

One of Yolande's daughters, Agnes, received the Bourbonnais and married Odo's younger brother Johann, who later took control of the region. This union led to the Bourbons becoming a prominent family in French history through Beatrix, Agnes' daughter from her first marriage, who married Robert von Clermont.

Yolande de Châtillon-Nevers died in 1254, leaving behind a legacy as a member of one of France's most influential noble families.