Career

He was Count of Rennes (ruler of the Romano-Frankish civitas of Rennes), by right of succession. In 992 he assumed the title of Duke of Brittany, which had long been an independent state, but he had little control over much of Lower Brittany. He was the grandson of Judicael Berengar, Count of Rennes.

When Geoffrey succeeded to Brittany he had several problems: Blois was encroaching on his territory, Vikings were threatening his shores, and he had to decide whether to accept the protection offered by Anjou. In 996, at about the age of sixteen, Geoffrey entered into a dynastic alliance with Richard II, Duke of Normandy, with a diplomatic double marriage between the two houses. Geoffrey and Hawise had four children: Alan III of Brittany (997-1040) Evenus (born c 998, died after 1037) Odo, Count of Penthièvre (died 1079) Adela, Abbess of Saint-Georges Geoffrey died on 20 November 1008 while travelling on a pilgrimage to Rome.