William of Gellone

William of Gellone was a Frankish noble and kinsman of Charlemagne who became count of Toulouse around 790. He defended the southern frontier against the Umayyads, fighting at the Orbieu in 793 and taking part in the capture of Barcelona in 801. In 804 he founded the monastery of Gellone, now Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, where he died as a monk; he was later venerated as a saint and celebrated in the chansons de geste.