Ermengarde of Tuscany (also ''Ermengarda''; ''Hermengarda'') (-931/2) was a medieval Italian noblewoman. She was the daughter of Bertha of Lotharingia and

Adalbert II, Margrave of Tuscany Adalbert II (c. 875 – 915), called the Rich, son of Adalbert I, Margrave of Tuscany and Rothild of Spoleto. He was a grandson of Boniface II, and was concerned with the troubles of Lombardy, at a time when so many princes were contending for th ...

. She was countess of Ivrea through marriage to

Adalbert I of Ivrea Adalbert I (died after 28 February 929) was the margrave of Ivrea, the second of the Anscarid dynasty, from the late 890s until his death. In the intermittent civil war which affected Italy from 888 into the 930s, Adalbert initially strove to rem ...

. Alongside her half-brother

Hugh of Italy Hugh (c. 880–947), known as Hugh of Arles or Hugh of Provence, was the king of Italy from 926 until his death. He belonged to the Bosonid family. During his reign, he empowered his relatives at the expense of the aristocracy and tried to estab ...

Ermengarde was an important opponent of

Rudolf II of Burgundy Rudolph II (c. 11 July 880 – 11 July 937), a member of the Elder House of Welf, was King of Burgundy from 912 until his death. He initially succeeded in Upper Burgundy and also ruled as King of Italy from 922 to 926. In 933 Rudolph acquired the ...

’s rule in Italy.

Family

Ermengarde was born in 901. Her father was Adalbert II of Tuscany and her mother was, Bertha of Lotharingia. Through Bertha, who was an illegitimate daughter of

Lothair II Lothair II (835 – 8 August 869) was the king of Lotharingia from 855 until his death. He was the second son of Emperor Lothair I and Ermengarde of Tours. He was married to Teutberga (died 875), daughter of Boso the Elder. Reign For political ...

, king of Lotharingia, Ermengarde was connected with the

Carolingian dynasty The Carolingian dynasty (; known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family named after Charlemagne, grandson of mayor Charles Martel and a descendant of the Arnulfing and Pippin ...

. Ermengarde had two brothers,

Guy of Tuscany Guy (also ''Guido'' or ''Wido''; raised Leo; called the Philosopher) (died 3 February 929) was the son of Adalbert II of Tuscany with Bertha, daughter of Lothair II of Lotharingia. After the death of his father Adalbert II in 915, he was the Cou ...

and

Lambert of Tuscany Lambert (died after 938) was the second son of Adalbert II of Tuscany and Bertha, daughter of Lothair II of Lotharingia. He succeeded his elder brother, Guy, as count and duke of Lucca and margrave of Tuscany on his death in 938 or 939 without ...

. She also had four half-siblings from her mother’s first marriage to

Theobald of Arles Theobald (c. 854-895), count of Arles, was a Frank from the Bosonid-family. He was a son of Hucbert Hucbert ( 820 – 864) was a Frank and son of the count Boso the Elder. Therefore, he was a Bosonid, and the namesake for the Huberterian b ...

Hugh Hugh may refer to: *Hugh (given name) Noblemen and clergy French * Hugh the Great (died 956), Duke of the Franks * Hugh Magnus of France (1007–1025), co-King of France under his father, Robert II * Hugh, Duke of Alsace (died 895), modern-day ...

, king of Italy,

Boso of Tuscany Boso ( it, Bosone; died after 940?) was a Burgundian nobleman who spent much of his career in Italy, where he became Margrave of Tuscany about 932. He ruled semi-autonomously and was a benefactor of the churches of his region. He lost his office in ...

, Theutberga of Arles, and another sister, whose name is not known.

Marriage and issue

Ermengarde married Adalbert I of Ivrea, from the

Anscarid dynasty The Anscarids ( la, Anscarii) or the House of Ivrea were a medieval dynasty of Frankish origin which rose to prominence in Northern Italy in the tenth century, even briefly holding the Italian throne. The main branch ruled the County of Burgun ...

around 914/5. With Adalbert I, Ermengarde had a son,

Anscar of Spoleto Anscar (Italian ''Anscario''; died 940) was a magnate in the Kingdom of Italy who served as Count of Pavia (c. 924–29), Margrave of Ivrea (929–36) and Duke of Spoleto (936–40). He is sometimes numbered "Anscar II" to distinguish him from his ...

. Ermengarde had a great influence on her husband, and often appeared in his diplomas entitled ‘most noble countess’ (''noblissima comitissa''). Ermengarde also intervened in the diplomas of other rulers, including a diploma issued by

in 924, granting Castel vecchio d'Asti to Autbert of Asti, and a diploma issued by her half-brother, Hugh, in Pavia in 926.

Opposition to Rudolf II

The tenth-century Italian chronicler,

Liutprand of Cremona Liutprand, also Liudprand, Liuprand, Lioutio, Liucius, Liuzo, and Lioutsios (c. 920 – 972),"LIUTPRAND OF CREMONA" in ''Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium, The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium'', Oxford University Press, New York & Oxford, 1991, p. 12 ...

indicates that after the death of her husband, Ermengarde “obtained primacy in all Italy”. Liutprand, who wrote disparagingly about many powerful Italian women, argued that the source of Ermengarde’s power was her sexuality: “she exercised carnal transactions with one and all, not just princes but even with ordinary men”. Although her husband Adalbert had supported crowning

Rudolph II of Burgundy Rudolph II (c. 11 July 880 – 11 July 937), a member of the Elder House of Welf, was King of Burgundy from 912 until his death. He initially succeeded in Upper Burgundy and also ruled as King of Italy from 922 to 926. In 933 Rudolph acquired the ...

as king of Italy in opposition to

Berengar I of Italy Berengar I ( la, Berengarius, Perngarius; it, Berengario; – 7 April 924) was the king of Italy from 887. He was Holy Roman Emperor between 915 and his death in 924. He is usually known as Berengar of Friuli, since he ruled the March of Friu ...

, Ermengarde did not. She “quite manfully kept the king (Rudolf) out of the very capital of the kingdom, Pavia”.Liutprand of Cremona, ''Antapodosis'', III.8, pp. 77-8
trans. Squatriti, ''Complete Works'', p. 114.

Notes

References

, ''Antapodosis'', i
J. Becker, ed., ''Die Werke Liutprands'', MGH SS rer Germ 41 (Hannover, 1915)
*P. Squatriti, trans., ''The Complete Works of Liutprand of Cremona'' (Washington, DC, 2007). * L. Schiaparelli, ''I diplomi italiani di Lodovico III e di Rodolfo II'' (Rome, 1910). *L. Schiaparelli, ''I diplomi di Ugo e di Lotario: di Berengario II e di Adalberto'' (Rome, 1924). *N. Gabiani, ''Asti nei suoi principali ricordi storici'', vol. 1 (Asti, 1927). * *A. Thiele, ''Erzählende genealogische Stammtafeln zur europäischen Geschichte Band II, Teilband 2 Europäische Kaiser-, Königs- und Fürstenhäuser II Nord-, Ost- und Südeuropa'' *P. Buc, ‘Italian Hussies and German Matrons. Liutprand of Cremona on Dynastic Legitimacy,’ ''Frühmittelalterliche Studien'' 29 (1995), 207-225. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ermengarde of Tuscany House of Boniface Anscarids 10th-century Italian nobility 10th-century Italian women 900s births 930s deaths Year of birth uncertain Year of death uncertain