Benzo of Alba (died ) was an Italian bishop. He was an opponent of

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 ...

who supported

Henry IV of Germany Henry IV (german: Heinrich IV; 11 November 1050 – 7 August 1106) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 to 1105, King of Germany from 1054 to 1105, King of Italy and Burgundy from 1056 to 1105, and Duke of Bavaria from 1052 to 1054. He was the son o ...

in 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 ...

. Benzo's date of birth is unknown but he was probably born in northern Italy. Benzo began his career in the imperial chapel, and was probably raised to the see of Alba by

Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor Henry III (28 October 1016 – 5 October 1056), called the Black or the Pious, was Holy Roman Emperor from 1046 until his death in 1056. A member of the Salian dynasty, he was the eldest son of Conrad II and Gisela of Swabia. Henry was raised by ...

. During the Cadalan Schism (1061–1064), Benzo supported the imperial candidate, Bishop Cadalus of Parma, against the reform candidate, Pope Alexander II. Benzo later opposed

Pope Gregory VII Pope Gregory VII ( la, Gregorius VII; 1015 – 25 May 1085), born Hildebrand of Sovana ( it, Ildebrando di Soana), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint ...

. He was driven from his see by members of the Pataria around 1076 or 1077, and probably returned to the imperial court during 1081–1084. Around 1085–1086, he wrote his only extant work: ''Ad Heinricum IV imperatorem libri VII'' (''Seven Books To Emperor Henry IV''): this polemical text was dedicated to Henry IV of Germany.Benzo of Alba, ''Ad Heinricum imperatorem libri VII'', accessible online at
Monumenta Germaniae Historica

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

*Benzo of Alba, ''Ad Heinricum imperatorem libri VII'', ed. and German trans. H. Seyffert, MGH SS rer Germ 65 (Hannover, 1996), accessible online at

*Benzo of Alba, ''To Emperor Henry IV'', in I.S. Robinson, trans., ''Papal Reform of the Eleventh Century: Lives of Pope Leo IX and Pope Gregory VII'' (Manchester, 2004), pp. 365–376 (translation of Book VII, chs. 1-2) * H. E. J. Cowdrey, ''Pope Gregory VII 1073–1085'' (Oxford, 1998).
A. Creber, ‘The Princely Woman and the Emperor: Imagery of Female Rule in Benzo of Alba’s ''Ad Heinricum IV'',’
''Royal Studies Journal'' 5:2 (2018), 7-26. *G. Miccoli, ‘Benzone d’Alba,’
Dizionario Bibliografico degli Italiani
- Volume 8 (1966), pp. 726ff. *I.S. Robinson, ''Authority and Resistance in the Investiture Contest'' (Manchester, 1978)., esp. pp. 70–75. *H. Seyffert, ‘Einleitung,’ in Benzo of Alba, ''Ad Heinricum imperatorem libri VII'', ed. and German trans. H. Seyffert, MGH SS rer Germ 65 (Hannover, 1996), pp. 1–72 accessible online at

Investiture Controversy 11th-century Italian Roman Catholic archbishops Bishops in Piedmont People from the Province of Cuneo 11th-century Latin writers 11th-century Italian writers 1080s deaths Year of birth unknown {{Italy-bishop-stub