Arnulf of Milan, or Arnulfus Mediolanensis ( 1018–1077) was a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

chronicler of events in Northern Italy. He was the great-nephew of Archbishop Arnulf I of Milan. Arnulf was born in the late 10th or early 11th century. He gives eyewitness account of 1018 in his chronicle. The last event he records took place in 1077. Arnulf is known for his work in five books, named ''Liber gestorum recentium'', a "book of the deeds of recent times" (written 1072-1077). Arnulf describes his labour in the first book as "a simple narrative, offered in everyday speech, of the deeds accomplished by our kings, our bishops, and our fellow citizens from Milan and beyond, as well as our compatriots in the Kingdom of Italy, which I myself have seen or somehow heard from either those who saw them or those slightly later."Quotations are from W. North's translation of the text edited by Claudia Zey. Unlike most Christian chroniclers of

Late Antiquity Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English ha ...

and the

Early Middle Ages The Early Middle Ages (or early medieval period), sometimes controversially referred to as the Dark Ages, is typically regarded by historians as lasting from the late 5th or early 6th century to the 10th century. They marked the start of the Mi ...

, Arnulf did not begin with the Creation ("Nevertheless, leaving aside antiquity, let us begin from recent memory") - the ''Liber gestorum recentium'' is a contemporary account of his times, as seen from the

archbishopric of Milan The Archdiocese of Milan ( it, Arcidiocesi di Milano; la, Archidioecesis Mediolanensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Italy which covers the areas of Milan, Monza, Lecco and Varese. It has lon ...

. Arnulf's history begins in 925, with Hugh of Arles ("Hugh of the Burgundians") reigning as

King of Italy King of Italy ( it, links=no, Re d'Italia; la, links=no, Rex Italiae) was the title given to the ruler of the Kingdom of Italy after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The first to take the title was Odoacer, a barbarian military leader, ...

and exercising his right to appoint an

archbishop of Milan The Archdiocese of Milan ( it, Arcidiocesi di Milano; la, Archidioecesis Mediolanensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Italy which covers the areas of Milan, Monza, Lecco and Varese. It has l ...

. It covers the years of the

Gregorian reform The Gregorian Reforms were a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the circle he formed in the papal curia, c. 1050–80, which dealt with the moral integrity and independence of the clergy. The reforms are considered to be na ...

s, the reform movement of the Milanese Patarenes, and the

Investiture Controversy The Investiture Controversy, also called Investiture Contest (German: ''Investiturstreit''; ), was a conflict between the Church and the state in medieval Europe over the ability to choose and install bishops (investiture) and abbots of monast ...

. It ends with the kingship granted to

Rudolf von Rheinfeld Rudolf of Rheinfelden ( – 15 October 1080) was Duke of Swabia from 1057 to 1079. Initially a follower of his brother-in-law, the Salian emperor Henry IV, his election as German anti-king in 1077 marked the outbreak of the Great Saxon Revolt an ...

anti-king An anti-king, anti king or antiking (german: Gegenkönig; french: antiroi; cs, protikrál) is a would-be king who, due to succession disputes or simple political opposition, declares himself king in opposition to a reigning monarch.OED "Anti-, 2 ...

of the Germans (1077).

Notes

References

*Arnulf of Milan
''Liber gestorum recentium''
ed. Claudia Zey, in ''

Monumenta Germaniae Historica The ''Monumenta Germaniae Historica'' (''MGH'') is a comprehensive series of carefully edited and published primary sources, both chronicle and archival, for the study of Northwestern and Central European history from the end of the Roman Empire ...

, Scriptores rerum Germanicarum'', Vol. 67 (Hannover: Hahn, 1994). Translated by W. North. {{Authority control 11th-century Italian historians Italian chroniclers Writers from Milan 11th-century Latin writers