Welf VII (c. 1135 – 11 or 12 September 1167) was the only son of Welf VI,

Duke of Spoleto The Duke of Spoleto was the ruler of Spoleto and most of central Italy outside the Papal States during the Early and High Middle Ages (c. 500 – 1300). The first dukes were appointed by the Lombard king, but they were independent in practice. Th ...

and Margrave of Tuscany, and Uta, daughter of

Godfrey of Calw Godfrey may refer to: People * Godfrey (name), a given name and surname * Godfrey (comedian), American comedian, actor Places In the United States * Godfrey, Georgia, an unincorporated community * Godfrey, Illinois, a village * Godfrey, Kansas, an ...

, count palatine of the Rhine. He was a member of the

House of Welf The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconia, Franconian family from ...

His father inherited the family's estates in

Swabia Swabia ; german: Schwaben , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of ...

, including the prominent counties of Altdorf and

Ravensburg Ravensburg ( Swabian: ''Raveschburg'') is a city in Upper Swabia in Southern Germany, capital of the district of Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg. Ravensburg was first mentioned in 1088. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City and an impo ...

, which he gave to Welf. Welf, however, spent much of his time managing the Italian possessions while his father stayed in Swabia. Both Welfs supported

Frederick Barbarossa Frederick Barbarossa (December 1122 – 10 June 1190), also known as Frederick I (german: link=no, Friedrich I, it, Federico I), was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1155 until his death 35 years later. He was elected King of Germany in Frankfurt on ...

as king of Germany and the younger Welf (VII) accompanied him on his Italian campaigns, starting in 1154. In 1160, he was made

duke of Spoleto The Duke of Spoleto was the ruler of Spoleto and most of central Italy outside the Papal States during the Early and High Middle Ages (c. 500 – 1300). The first dukes were appointed by the Lombard king, but they were independent in practice. Th ...

by the emperor. Between 1164 and 1166, he was a central theme in the notable Stuafen-Welf feud between his father and

Hugh of Tübingen 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 ...

, which the emperor himself resolved. He was a participant in the campaign of 1167, in which malaria devastated the army and forced the emperor back over the Alps. Welf was a victim of the malaria and died at Siena. He was buried in

Steingaden Abbey Steingaden Abbey (German: ''Kloster Steingaden'') was a Premonstratensian monastery in Steingaden in Bavaria, Germany. History Dedicated to John the Baptist, the abbey was founded in 1147 as a Premonstratensian house by Welf VI, third son of H ...

in Bavaria, where his father was also later buried. The death of Welf (and Frederick IV) allowed his cousin Frederick I to exercise power directly in

and accept the autonomy of the Lombard communes.

References

Sources

* Thomas Zotz (Editor), Andreas Schmauder (Editor), Johannes Kuber (Editor)
Von Den Welfen Zu Den Staufern: Der Tod Welfs VII 1167 Und Die Grundlegung Oberschwabens Im Mittelalter
(From the Guelphs to the Staufers. The Death of Welfs VII 1167 and the Foundation of Upper Swabia in the Middle Ages): Volume 4. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 2020. ISBN 978-3-17-037334-1. {{DEFAULTSORT:Welf 07 Margraves of Tuscany Dukes of Spoleto House of Welf 1130s births 1167 deaths Year of birth uncertain