Siege of Chartres (911)

Siege of Chartres
Painting of the siege, 1618, by Padovanino
Date July 20, 911[a] Location Chartres, West Francia (now in Eure-et-Loir, France) 48°27′22″N 1°29′02″E / 48.456°N 1.484°E / 48.456; 1.484 Result West Frankish victory Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte Rollo is granted lands in northern France in exchange of an oath of fealty, religious conversion and a pledge to defend the Seine's estuary from Viking raiders Territorial changes The County of Rouen is established
Belligerents
West Franks	Vikings
Commanders and leaders
Robert I of France Richard, Duke of Burgundy Bishop Gantelme Ebles, Count of Poitiers Manassès, Count of Dijon	Rollo
Strength
8,000	20,000
Casualties and losses
Light	At least 1,600 killed in the fighting with Robert's heavy cavalry[1] Unknown wounded Most of the army captured

The siege of Chartres took place in spring 911 during the age of Viking incursions in Europe. The Viking leader, Rollo, and his men laid siege to the city of Chartres, in West Francia. But they failed to achieve their goal before the arrival, in July 911, of a relief army sent to battle them. The engagement that ensued resulted in the defeat of the Norsemen. Although, Viking raids were far from being a rare occurrence as the Frankish realms had to contend with such sudden incursions for decades, this one would prove to have everlasting consequences on European history.

Following Rollo's defeat, the King of the West Franks, Charles the Simple, granted him a territory in the northern lands of his kingdom in exchange of an oath of fealty and his religious conversion. This territory, located between the mouth of the Seine and Rouen, a city Rollo had previously raided and seized in 876, officially formed the fief known as the County of Rouen.^[2] This county, through kinship in the decades to come, would expand into what came to be known as the Duchy of Normandy.

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