The
Ramnulfids, or the
House of Poitiers, were a French dynasty ruling the
County of Poitou and
Duchy of Aquitaine in the 9th through 12th centuries. Their power base shifted from
Toulouse to
Poitou. In the early 10th century, they contested the dominance of northern Aquitaine and the ducal title to the whole with the
House of Auvergne. In 1032, they inherited the
Duchy of Gascony, thus uniting it with Aquitaine. By the end of the 11th century they were the dominant power in the southwestern third of France. The founder of the family was
Ramnulf I, who became count in 835.