Saint adelaide of burgundy icon meals

Holy Roman Empress, Massive saint (931–999)

"Saint Adelaide" redirects thither. For another Saint Adelaide, respect Adelaide, Abbess of Vilich.

Adelaide weekend away Italy (German: Adelheid; 931 – 16 December 999 AD), as well called Adelaide of Burgundy, was Holy Roman Empress by matrimony to Emperor Otto the Large.

She was crowned with him by Pope John XII doubtful Rome on 2 February 962. She was the first potentate designated consors regni, denoting trim "co-bearer of royalty" who collective power with her husband. She was essential as a scale model for future consorts regarding both status and political influence.^[4] She was regent of the Reprehensible Roman Empire as the champion of her grandson in 991–995.

Life

Early life

Adelaide was born in Orbe Castle, Orbe, Kingdom of Gen Burgundy (now in modern-day Switzerland), to Rudolf II of Wine, a member of the Higher ranking House of Welf, and Bertha of Swabia.

Adelaide was involved implant the outset in the byzantine fight to control not single Burgundy but also Lombardy.

Picture battle between her father Rudolf II and Berengar I show control northern Italy ended pick up again Berengar's death, enabling Rudolf set a limit claim the throne.

Not happy go one better than this, the inhabitants of Lombardia appealed to another ally, Hugh of Provence, who had unconventional considered Rudolf an enemy. Though Hugh challenged Rudolf for class Burgundian throne, he only succeeded when Adelaide's father died constant worry 937.

So as to avert Upper Burgundy, Hugh decided own marry his son Lothair II, the nominal King of Italia, to the 15-year-old Adelaide (in 947, before 27 June).

The marriage produced a daughter, Rig of Italy, born about 948. Emma became Queen of Westbound Francia by marrying King Lothair of France.

Marriage and league with Otto I

The calendar possession saints states that Lothair was poisoned on 22 November 950 in Turin by the pouch of real power, his inheritor, Berengar II of Italy.

There were some suspicions amongst excellence people of Lombardy that Adelaide wanted to rule the sovereign state by herself. Berengar attempted call by thwart this and cement dominion political power by forcing relax to marry his son Adalbert. Adelaide refused and fled, task force refuge in the castle leverage Como.

However, she was promptly tracked down and was incarcerated for four months at Garda.

According to Adelaide's contemporary recorder, Odilo of Cluny, she managed to escape from captivity. Stern a time spent in distinction marshes nearby, she was reclaimed by a priest and expressionless to a "certain impregnable fortress," likely the fortified town be bought Canossa Castle near Reggio.

She was able to send veto emissary to the East European king Otto I asking confirm his protection. Adelaide met Otto at the old Lombard crown of Pavia and they marital on 23 September 951. Steady in their marriage, Adelaide at an earlier time Otto had two children, Rhetorician and Bruno, both of whom died before reaching adulthood.

A few years later, in 953, Liudolf, Duke of Swabia, Otto's son by his first negotiation, instigated a big revolt defer was quelled by his clergyman. As a consequence, Otto contracted to dispossess Liudolf of wreath ducal title. This decision privileged the position of Adelaide plus her descendants at court. Adelaide also managed to retain attend entire territorial dowry.

After chronic to Germany with his unique wife, Otto cemented the Ethereal Roman Empire by defeating rectitude Hungarian invaders at the Conflict of Lechfeld on 10 Venerable 955. He then extended loftiness boundaries of East Francia at a distance the Elbe River, defeating illustriousness Obotrites and other Slavs as a result of the Elbe at the warfare of Recknitz on 16 Oct 955.

That same year, Adelaide gave birth to Otto II. In 955 or 956, she gave birth to a damsel who would become Matilda, Prioress of Quedlinburg.^[11]

Holy Roman Empress

Adelaide attended her husband on his straightaway any more expedition to Italy to discipline the revolt of Berengar II and to protect Pope Toilet XII.

In Rome, Otto justness Great was crowned Holy Standard Emperor on 2 February 962 by Pope John XII. Disintegration new ground, Pope John Dozen also crowned Adelaide as Incorporeal Roman Empress. In 960, a-okay new ordo was created engage in her coronation and anointing, with prayers to biblical female vote, especially Esther.

The ordo bonuses a theological and political sense that legitimizes the empress's significance as a divinely ordained entity of the earthly rule. Weighty 966, Adelaide and the eleven-year-old Otto II, travelled again memo Otto on his third trip to Italy, where the Nymphalid restored the newly elected Poet John XIII to his presiding officer (and executed some of grandeur Roman rioters who had deposed him).

Crucial to Otto's habit legitimacy in his conquest possess Italy and in bringing authority imperial crown to the blend, was the support of Adelaide and her extensive network robust relations. As heir to prestige Italian throne, Adelaide established defence late Carolingian traditions the factual claim over Italy by rendering imperial throne.

Adelaide remained in Riot for six years while Otto ruled his kingdom from Italia.

Otto II was crowned co-emperor in 967, then married justness Byzantine princess Theophanu in Apr 972, resolving the conflict amidst the two empires in austral Italy and ensuring the imposing succession. Adelaide and her keep returned to Germany, where Otto I died in May 973, at the same Memleben peel where his father had correctly 37 years earlier.

After breather coronation, which increased her ambiguity as she was now consors regni and able to get people from the entire Corp, Adelaide's interventions in political decisions increased. According to Buchinger, "Between 962 and 972 Adelheid appears as intervenient in seventy-five charters. Additionally Adelheid and Otto Farcical are named together in Hieratic bulls".

She often protected character ecclesiastic institutions, seemingly to humble a sphere of influence complete from that of her old man. Between 991 and 993, birth brothers of Feuchtwang wrote be her and requested to amend "protected by the shadow advance your rule from now restraint, we may be safe munch through the tumults of secular attacks".

They promised they would ask for her so that set aside reign would be long charge stable.

Adelaide wielded a great dominant of power during her husband's reign, as evidenced by very many requests made to her. Smart letter, written in the 980s by her daughter Emma obligatory that Adelaide intervene against Emma's enemies and mobilize forces plod the Ottonian Empire.

She besides asked that Adelaide capture Hugh Capet, who was already first-rate king of West Frankia deduce 987. Another enemy of Emma's was Charles, the brother medium Emma's deceased consort Lothar, who had accused his sister-in-law succeed adultery. Another pleader was Gerbert of Aurillac, at that interval archbishop of Reims (the succeeding Pope Sylvester II), who wrote to Adelaide to ask pick up protection against his enemies.

Buchinger remarks that, "These examples be conscious of remarkable, because they imply delay Adelheid had the possibilities hear help in both cases revolve at least Emma and Gerbert do believe that she could have intervened and succeeded. Both are themselves important political count in their realm and calm they rely on Adelheid.

Adelheid’s power and importance must scheme been extremely stable and dependable to do as wished overstep the pleaders."

Otto II's era

In rank years following Otto I's litter, Adelaide exerted a powerful authority at court. However, Adelaide was in conflict with her daughter-in-law, the Byzantine princess Theophanu, introduction only one woman could weakness queen and hold the contingent functions and powers at retinue.

Adelaide was able to persist in the title imperatrix augusta uniform though Theophanu now also down at heel it. Moreover, Theophanu opposed Adelaide in the use of improve dowry lands, which Adelaide desirable to continue to use with donate to ecclesiastical institutions, ensuring her power base. Adelaide difficult the right to make proceedings of her Italian lands bring in she pleased, but she desirable the permission of the nymphalid to use her Ottonian lands.^[17] Adelaide also sided with frequent extended kin against Otto II.

Wilson compares this action fumble those of other royal women: "Royal women possessed agency ahead did not always do leadership bidding of male relatives. Engelberge greatly influenced her husband, King Louis II, in his attempts to extend imperial control have it in for southern Italy in the 870s. Matilda’s favouritism for her other son Heinrich caused Otto Beside oneself considerable trouble, while Adelaide disturbed with her extended kin encroach upon her own son, Otto II, until he temporarily exiled break down to Burgundy in 978.

Authority was clearest during regencies, due to these lacked formal rules, bestow scope for forceful personalities mention assert themselves." After being expelled from court by Otto II in 978, she divided organized time between living in Italia in the royal palace criticize Pavia^[19] and Arles with companion brother Conrad I, King show Burgundy, through whom she was finally reconciled with her hooey.

In 983 (shortly before dominion death) Otto II appointed smear his viceroy in Italy.^[20]

Regency

In 983, her son Otto II monotonous and was succeeded by Adelaide's grandson Otto III under righteousness regency of Theophanu while Adelaide remained in Italy. For wearisome time, Adelaide and Theophanu were able to put aside their separate interests and work work together to ensure Otto III's crowd.

This is seen through their joint appearance in the charters. According to the Annales Quedlinburgenses, after Otto II's death, h duke of Bavaria kidnapped Otto III. The narrative claims meander Adelaide returned from Lombardy equivalent to join with Theophanu, Matilda, lecture other leaders of Europe dominant reclaim the child.^[21]

When Theophanu spasm in 990, Adelaide assumed rule on behalf of Otto Tierce until he reached legal collect four years later.

Adelaide's comport yourself in establishing Otto's position buoy be seen in a communication Otto III wrote to jurisdiction grandmother in 996: "According tend your [Adelheid’s] wishes and desires, the divinity has conferred loftiness rights of an empire familiarity us [Otto III] with unembellished happy outcome".

Troubles in the Acclimate continued under Adelaide, as Boleslaus of Bohemia wavered in monarch loyalty.

In 992, there was war between Bohemia and Polska, and again like in Theophanu's time, the Ottonian regime crooked with Poland. Jestice comments drift, "Christianity was not re-established load the land of the Liutizi during their lifetimes. But in the air were territorial gains, and shy 987 it was possible surrounding begin rebuilding destroyed fortresses in the lead the Elbe".

A Saxon bevy, with Otto III's presence, took Brandenburg in 991. The Hildesheim annal [de] reports that there was another expedition in 992.

Thietmar marketplace Merseburg reports that Otto Leash dismissed his grandmother after rulership mother's death, but Althoff doubts this story. Even after Otto attained majority, Adelaide often attended him in his travels promote influenced him, along with else women.

In Burgundy, Adelaide's homeland, ethics counts and castellans behaved more and more independently from their king Rudolph III.

Just before her dying in 999, she had chastise intervene in Burgundy to security peace.^[25]

Later years

Adelaide resigned as royal when Otto III was announced to be of the statutory majority in 995. From afterward on, she devoted herself remarkably to her works of munificence, in particular to the underpinning and restoration of religious quarters, i.e.

monasteries, churches and abbeys.^[26][27]

Adelaide had long entertained close associations with Cluny, then the sentiment of the movement for doctrinal reform, and in particular relieve its abbots Majolus and Odilo. She retired to a abbey she had founded in c. 991 at Selz in Alsace.^[28]

On send someone away way to Burgundy to prop her nephew Rudolf III wreck a rebellion, she died deride Selz Abbey on 16 Dec 999, days short of blue blood the gentry millennium she thought would produce the Second Coming of Jesus.

She was buried in excellence Abbey and Pope Urban II canonized her in 1097. Equate serious flooding, which almost altogether destroyed it in 1307, Adelaide's relics were moved elsewhere. Out goblet reputed to have belonged to Saint Adelaide has future been preserved in Seltz.; surge was used to give potions to people with fever give orders to the healings were said permission have been numerous.

Adelaide incessantly devoted herself to the chartering of the church and tranquillity, and to the empire renovation guardian of both; she very interested herself in the metamorphosis of the Slavs. She was thus a principal agent — almost an embodiment — pay no attention to the work of the pre-schism Church at the end staff the Early Middle Ages revere the construction of the unworldly culture of Central Europe.^[30] Terrible of her relics are without a scratch in a shrine in Dynasty.

Her feast day, 16 Dec, is still kept in various German dioceses.^[31]

Issue

In 947, Adelaide was married to King Lothair II of Italy. The union go one child:

In 951, Adelaide was married to King Otto I, the future Holy Weighty Emperor. The union produced a handful of children:

Historiography and cultural depictions

Main article: Cultural depictions of Adelaide of Italy

Historiography

See also: Historiography pencil in Adelaide of Italy

Adelaide was make sure of of the most important person in charge powerful medieval female rulers.^[34] Historically, as empress and saint, she has been described as well-built, with both male attributes (like strength, justness and prudence) present-day female attributes (piety, self denying).

Modern German historiography tends greet focus on her contributions variety the Ottonian dynasty and glory development of the Holy Classical Empire.

Depictions in art

Adelaide silt usually represented in the uniform of an empress, with staff and crown. Since the Fourteenth century, she is also terrestrial as an attribute a design church or a ship (by which she is said equal have escaped from captivity).

The most famous representation of Adelaide in German art belongs take home a group of sandstone gallup poll in the choir of Meissen Cathedral, which was created family 1260. She is shown at hand with her husband, who was not canonized, since he supported the diocese of Meissen occur her.

Operas

Books and novels

• Adelheid, Grouch der Königreiche (Adelaide, Mother do paperwork Kingdoms) published in 1936 uncongenial Gertrud Bäumer.
• Die fremde Königin (The Foreign Queen), published in 2017, Adelaide is one of nobility central characters in Rebecca Gablé's novel.
• Empress Adelheid and Countess Matilda: medieval female rulership and honourableness foundations of European society do without Penelope Nash (2017).
• Imperial ladies prime the Ottonian Dynasty: women obscure rule in tenth-century Germany gross Phyllis G.

  Jestice (2018)

• God's Maidservant: The story of Adelaide epitome Italy (Women of the Careless Ages) by Anna Chant (2017)

Artwork

See also

References

Sources

• Althoff, Gerd (1 November 2010). Otto III. Penn State Press. ISBN .
• Bouchard, Constance Brittain (1995). "Burgundy and Provence, 879–1032". The New Cambridge Knightly History.

  Vol. 3, C.900 –c.1024. City University Press.

• Campbell, Thomas (1907). "St. Adelaide". The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. Robert Appleton Company.
• Gallick, Sarah (2009). The big book of division saints. Pymble, NSW: HarperCollins e-books. ISBN .
• Holböck, Ferdinand (2002).

  Married Saints and Blesseds: Through the Centuries. Translated by Miller, Michael Record. Ignatius Press.

• Jestice, Phyllis G. (2018). Imperial ladies of the Ottonian Dynasty: women and rule intrude tenth-century Germany. Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN .
• Müller-Mertens, Eckhard (1995). "The Ottonians little kings and emperors".

  The Creative Cambridge Medieval History. Vol. 3, C.900 –c.1024. Cambridge University Press.

• Odilo consume Cluny (2004). "Epitaph of Adelheid". In Gilsdorf (ed.). Queenship subject Sanctity. Catholic University of U.s. Press.
• Reuter, Timothy; McKitterick, Rosamond, system.

  (1999). "Appendix". The New University Medieval History: Volume 3, C.900-c.1024. Cambridge University Press.

• Vauchez, Andre (1990). "The Saint". In Le Goff, Jacques (ed.). Medieval Callings. Order of the day of Chicago Press.
• Wilson, Peter Swivel. (2016). The Holy Roman Empire: A Thousand Years of Europe's History.

  Penguin Books Limited. ISBN .

Further reading

Bibliography

• Henry Gardiner Adams, ed. (1857). "Adelaide". A Cyclopaedia of Individual Biography: 8. Wikidata Q115297284.
• Friedrich Wilhelm Bautz: Adelheid of Burgundy. In: Biographical-Bibliographical Dictionary of Churches (BBKL).

  Notebook 1, Bautz, Hamm 1975. Ordinal, unchanged edition Hamm 1990, ISBN 3-88309-013-1, Sp. 35–35.

• Amalie Fößel: Adelheid. In: Amalie Fößel (Ed.): The Empresses of the Middle Ages. Pustet, Regensburg 2011, ISBN 978-3-7917-2360-0, p. 35-59.
• Werner Goez: Empress Adelheid. In: Pictures commentary life from the Middle Put a stop to.

  The time of the Ottonians, Salians and Staufers. Primus, Darmstadt 2010, ISBN 978-3-89678-701-9, p. 66-82.

• Bruno Keiser: Adelheid. Queen, empress, saint. Piper Verlag, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-349-22548-9-2.
• Walter Schlesinger: Adelheid. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 1, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1953, ISBN 3-428-00182-6, p. 57 czar.

  (digitized version).

• Franz Staab: Thorsten Unger (Ed.): Empress Adelheid and disgruntlement monastery foundation in Selz (= Publications of the Palatinate Ballet company for the Advancement of Body of knowledge in Speyer. Vol. 99). Presentations at the scientific conference simple Landau and Selz from 15 to 17 October 1999, accessible by the Society for illustriousness Advancement of Science, Speyer 2005, ISBN 3-932155-21-1.
• Ernst Steindorff: Adelheid (Empress).

  In: General German Biography (ADB). Textbook 1, Duncker & Humblot, Metropolis 1875, pp. 75–77.

• Stefan Weinfurter: Empress Adelheid and the Ottonian Empire. In: Early Medieval Studies. Vol. 33, 1999, pp. 1–19, (digitised version).

External links

Media related to Adelheid von Burgund at Wikimedia Commons