The counts of Albon () were members of the medieval nobility in what is now south-eastern France. Guigues IV, Count of Albon (d. 1142) was nicknamed or 'the Dolphin'. His nickname morphed into a title among his successors. By 1293, the lands ruled by the Counts Albon, the old , were known as the Dauphiné of Viennois (). The titles and lands had been part of the Holy Roman Empire since 1032. They passed to Philip VI of France in 1349 on condition that the heir apparent to the French crown always be titled , and be personal holder of the lands and titles. By condition of the emperor, the Dauphiny could never be united to France. When the king of France had no son, he would personally rule the Dauphiny separately, as dauphin. Thus, the province technically remained in the Holy Roman Empire even after 1349, and it was administered separately from France well into the early modern period; it was incorporated into France only de facto with the rise of absolutism in the 17th century. Lords of Château d'Albon House of Albon Guigues I of Albon the Old (c. 1000–1070), Count in Oisans, Grésivaudan and Briançonnais, Lord of Château d'Albon, ruled until 1070 Guigues II of Albon the Fat (c. 1020–1079), Count in Grésivaudan and Briançonnais, Lord of Château d'Albon, ruled 1070–1079 Counts of Albon House of Albon Guigues III of Albon the Count (c. 1050–1133), first Count of Albon (the southern part of the ancient County of Vienne; the northern part was granted to the first Count of Savoy), ruled 1079–1133 Guigues IV of Albon, le Dauphin (c. 1095–1142), Count of Albon, ruled 1133–1142 Counts of Albon and Dauphins of Viennois Robert V, Count of Auvergne married Marquise d'Albon, a daughter of Guigues IV. Their descendants adopted the title of Dauphin of Auvergne, and it was used by some as the family name. House of Albon Guigues V of Albon (c. 1120–1162), Count of Albon and Grenoble, Dauphin of Viennois, ruled 1142–1162 Béatrice of Albon (1161–1228), Dauphine of Viennois, Countess of Albon, Grenoble, Oisans et Briançon, ruled 1162–1228, married Hugh III of Burgundy House of Burgundy Guigues VI of Viennois (1184–1237), Dauphin de Viennois, count of Albon, Grenoble, Oisans and Briançon, ruled 1228–1237 Guigues VII of Viennois (c. 1225–1269), Dauphin of Viennois, Count of Albon, Grenoble, Oisans, Briançon, Embrun and Gap, son of, ruled 1237–1269 John I