The County of Valentinois was a fiefdom within the Dauphiné of Viennois, and was a part of the Holy Roman Empire from 1032 until the sixteenth century.
The last Dauphiné, Humbert II de la Tour-du-Pin had depleted his treasury by funding an unsuccessful Crusade to conquer the Holy Land. After the death of his only son and heir, André, Humbert sold his lands to Philip VI of France in 1349 for 400,000 écus and an annual pension. To keep up appearances, the sale was referred to as a "transfer." In order to prevent the title from going extinct, Humbert instituted a statute whereby the Dauphiné was exempted from many taxes. This statute was subject to many parliamentary debates at the regional level, as local leaders sought to defend their autonomy and privilege against the state.
From 1349, the Dauphiné was transformed into the Dauphiné of France, a title carried by all the heirs to the French throne. In 1498, Louis XII of France divided the lands of the Dauphiné and gave them to Valence, Diois, and Grenoble as a Dukedom to Cesar Borgia.
Holy Roman Empire
The County of Valence (Valentinois) was a fiefdom of the Holy Roman Empire which was first held by Odilon, a Comes in Valence.
House of Odilon
886-887: Odilon
879–912: Adalelm
912–943: Boson (Boso)
943–960: Geilin I
950-???: Gonthar (House of Poitiers).
961-1011: The title was dormant.
1011–???: Lambert
1037–???: Adémar, Comes Valentinensis, in conflict with the Albon family.
1058–???: Geilin II
1070-1128: The title was dormant. Valence was ruled by Narbonne.
House of Odilon-Poitiers
1128–1148: Adémar I (Aimeric I), vassal of Ermengard of Narbonne.
1148-1152: Eustache, bishop and count of Valentinois.
1152–1189: Guillaume of Poitiers.
1188/9–1239: Aymar of Poitiers husband of Rixende, heir countess of Valentinois.
1230: Gillaume of Poitiers, County of Valentinois, married at Beatriz of Albon.
The counts of Valentinois of House of Poitiers remained vassals of the Dauphin of Viennois until 1338; they held the title until the death of Louis of Poitiers in 1419. On 1029 Valence passed to the House of Albon the Dauphins of Viennois. In 1338 it fell to Philip VI of France. House of Valois
Charles I of Viennois (1338–1380), also king of France as Charles V, Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, Duke of Normandy, ruled the Dauphiné as the first Dauphin of France (1350–1364) and ruled the Dauphiné as king of France (1364–1366)
John III of Viennois, Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, ruled the Dauphiné as second Dauphin of France (1366)
Charles I of Viennois, ruled the dauphiné as king of France (1366–1368)
Charles II of Viennois (1368–1422), also king of France as Charles VI, Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, ruled the dauphiné as third Dauphin of France (1368–1380) and as king of France (1380–1386)
Charles III of Viennois (1386), Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, ruled the dauphiné as fourth Dauphin of France (1386)
Charles II of Viennois, ruled the Dauphiné as king of France (1386–1392)
Charles IV of Viennois (1392-1401), Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, Duke of Guyenne, ruled the Dauphiné as fifth Dauphin of France (1392–1401)
Louis I of Viennois (1397–1415), Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, Duke of Guyenne, ruled the Dauphiné as sixth Dauphin of France (1401–1415)
John IV of Viennois (1398–1417), Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, Duke of Touraine, ruled the Dauphiné as seventh Dauphin of France (1415–1417)
Charles V of Viennois (1403–1461), also king of France as Charles VII, Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois, Valentinois and Ponthieu, ruled the Dauphiné as eighth Dauphin of France (1417–1422) and as king of France/King of Bourges (1422–1423/1429)
Louis II of Viennois (1423–1483), also king of France as Louis XI, Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Diois and Valentinois, ruled the Dauphiné as ninth Dauphin of France (1423/1429–1461) and as king of France (1461–1466)
Members of the House of Borgia
Cesar Borgia, Prince of Andria, Prince of Venafri, Duke of Valentinois, Duke of Romagna created by apostolic authority and the college of Cardinals, Duke of Urbino, Count of Diois, Duke of Camerino, Lord of Imola, Forli, Saso Ferrato, Fermo, Fano, Cesena, Pesaro, Arimino, Faença, Montefiore, Sant Arcángelo, Verruchio, Catezza, Savignano, Meldola, Porto Cisenatico, Tosignano, Salaruolo, Monte Bataglia, Forlimpópolo, Bertinoro.
After the death of Cesar Borgia the Duchy became a part of the French Royal domain as a part of the Dauphiné. It is now the capital of the Drôme department within the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
