User:Kansas Bear/Roger II, Count of Foix

Roger II, Count of Foix,, became Count of Foix and Couserans at the death of his father in 1074. He was the son of Pierre Bernard of Foix and Letgarde.

A treaty on 21 April 1095, marked his renunciation of the counties of Carcassonne and Razès, while the Trencavels renounce the title of Count and instead are invested with the title of Viscounts of Carcassonne. Roger is paid a large sum for this arrangement, which allows him to finance his participation in the first crusade.

Roger announced his participation in the army of Raymond de Saint-Gilles, count of Toulouse, but deferred his departure for unknown reasons. He stalls for so long, that he is excommunicated by the Pope. Driven by this papal denunciation, Roger arrives in the Holy Land after the capture of Jerusalem. We know nothing of his action in the Holy Land, perhaps participating in one of the battles of Ramla or the siege of Tripoli. This second possibility is most probable, for he returned to his estates in 1105, accompanying Guillaume de Cerdagne, Count of Tripoli, who brought with him the widow and son of Raymond de Saint-Gilles, who died during the siege of Tripoli.

After his return, he built a castle near Foix. He founded the city of Pamiers, which he named in honor of a Syrian city, Apamea. He also made several donations to the abbeys of Mazernes and Saint-Volusien to perfect his reconciliation with the Church.

Weddings and children
He married in 1073 a Sicard who died without posterity in 1076.

He remarried with Etiennette (or Stéphanie) de Bésalu, daughter of William II de Besalú, count of Bésalu and Etiennette de Provence. From this marriage were born:
 * Roger III († 1148), count of Foix
 * Bernard, died before 1127
 * Pierre, cited in 1127
 * Raymond Roger, cited in 1127