Theophanu was the abbess of the convents of

Essen Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and D ...

and Gerresheim from 1039 until her death in 1058. She was the daughter of Matilda of Germany and a granddaughter of the Byzantine princess Theophanu and the

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...

Otto II. During her abbacy, Theophanu was responsible for a number of artistic and architectural commissions, including the renovation of the west end of Münster church to reflect the design of the famous octagonal Aachen Chapel. She donated several lavish

illuminated manuscript An illuminated manuscript is a formally prepared document where the text is often supplemented with flourishes such as borders and miniature illustrations. Often used in the Roman Catholic Church for prayers, liturgical services and psalms, the ...

s, including the Theophanu Gospels (now in the Essen Cathedral Treasury) and the

Cross of Theophanu The Cross of Theophanu (German language, German: ''Theophanu-Kreuz'') is one of four Ottonian processional crosses in the Essen Cathedral Treasury and is among the most significant pieces of goldwork from that period. It was donated by Theophanu, ...

.Falk, Birgitta, et al. Der Essener Domschatz. Essen: Klartext, 2009.

References

External links

Rheinische Geschichte: ''Theophanu (um 997–1058), Äbtissin von Essen und Gerresheim (1039–1056)''

Webpage of the Essen cathedral treasury for the cross nail reliquary
{{Authority control 1058 deaths Abbesses of Essen