Ermengard of Provence
Encyclopedia
Ermengard was the only surviving daughter of Louis II, Holy Roman Emperor
. In 876, she married Boso
, from the Bosonid
, Count of Vienne
, who declared himself King of Provence in 879.
In May 878, she and her husband sheltered Pope John VIII
, who was taking refuge from the Saracens, in Arles
. After her husband's coup d'état
in October 879, she helped defend his cities from her Carolingian
relatives. In 880, she successfully defended Vienne
itself, the capital, from the combined forces of Charles the Fat
and the co-ruling kings of France, Louis III
and Carloman
. In August 881, the newly-crowned Emperor Charles the Fat pillaged and burned Vienne, focing Ermengard and her children to take refuge in Autun
with her brother-in-law Richard, Duke of Burgundy. Meanwhile, Boso fled into Provence.
On Boso's death in January 887, the Provençal barons elected Ermengard to act as his regent
, with the support of Richard. In May, Ermengard travelled with her son Louis
to the court of Charles the Fat, and received his recognition of the young Louis as king. Charles adopted Louis as his son and put both mother and son under his protection. In May 889, she travelled to Charles' successor, Arnulf
, to make submission anew.
Through her marriage to Boso, Ermengard also had two daughters and one son:
Louis II, Holy Roman Emperor
Louis II the Younger was the King of Italy and Roman Emperor from 844, co-ruling with his father Lothair I until 855, after which he ruled alone. Louis's usual title was imperator augustus , but he used imperator Romanorum after his conquest of Bari in 871, which led to poor relations with Byzantium...
. In 876, she married Boso
Boso of Provence
Boso was a Frankish nobleman from the Bosonid-family, who was related to the Carolingian dynasty, who rose to become King of Provence ....
, from the Bosonid
Bosonid dynasty
The Bosonids were a dynasty that have been named in modern times by their descent from Boso the Elder. "Bosonids" produced counts, dukes, bishops, and knights during the Carolingian age...
, Count of Vienne
Count of Vienne
The Count of Vienne was the ruler of the Viennois, with his seat at Vienne, during the period of the Carolingian Empire and after until 1030, when the county of Vienne was granted to the Archdiocese of Vienne....
, who declared himself King of Provence in 879.
In May 878, she and her husband sheltered Pope John VIII
Pope John VIII
Pope John VIII was pope from December 13, 872 to December 16, 882. He is often considered one of the ablest pontiffs of the ninth century and the last bright spot on the papacy until Leo IX two centuries later....
, who was taking refuge from the Saracens, in Arles
Arles
Arles is a city and commune in the south of France, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, of which it is a subprefecture, in the former province of Provence....
. After her husband's coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
in October 879, she helped defend his cities from her Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
relatives. In 880, she successfully defended Vienne
Vienne
Vienne is the northernmost département of the Poitou-Charentes region of France, named after the river Vienne.- Viennese history :Vienne is one of the original 83 departments, established on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Poitou,...
itself, the capital, from the combined forces of Charles the Fat
Charles the Fat
Charles the Fat was the King of Alemannia from 876, King of Italy from 879, western Emperor from 881, King of East Francia from 882, and King of West Francia from 884. In 887, he was deposed in East Francia, Lotharingia, and possibly Italy, where the records are not clear...
and the co-ruling kings of France, Louis III
Louis III of France
Louis III was the King of France, still then called West Francia, from 879 until his death. The second son of Louis the Stammerer and his first wife, Ansgarde, he succeeded his father to reign jointly with his younger brother Carloman II, who became sole ruler on Louis's death...
and Carloman
Carloman of France
Carloman II , King of Western Francia, was the youngest son of King Louis the Stammerer and Ansgarde of Burgundy, and became king, jointly with his brother Louis III of France, on his father's death in 879....
. In August 881, the newly-crowned Emperor Charles the Fat pillaged and burned Vienne, focing Ermengard and her children to take refuge in Autun
Autun
Autun is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in Burgundy in eastern France. It was founded during the early Roman Empire as Augustodunum. Autun marks the easternmost extent of the Umayyad campaign in Europe.-Early history:...
with her brother-in-law Richard, Duke of Burgundy. Meanwhile, Boso fled into Provence.
On Boso's death in January 887, the Provençal barons elected Ermengard to act as his regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
, with the support of Richard. In May, Ermengard travelled with her son Louis
Louis the Blind
Louis the Blind was the king of Provence from January 11, 887, King of Italy from October 12, 900, and briefly Holy Roman Emperor, as Louis III, between 901 and 905. He was the son of Boso, the usurper king of Provence, and Ermengard, a daughter of the Emperor Louis II. Through his father, he was...
to the court of Charles the Fat, and received his recognition of the young Louis as king. Charles adopted Louis as his son and put both mother and son under his protection. In May 889, she travelled to Charles' successor, Arnulf
Arnulf of Carinthia
Arnulf of Carinthia was the Carolingian King of East Francia from 887, the disputed King of Italy from 894 and the disputed Holy Roman Emperor from February 22, 896 until his death.-Birth and Illegitimacy:...
, to make submission anew.
Through her marriage to Boso, Ermengard also had two daughters and one son:
- Ermengard (c. 877–917), who married Manasses, Count of Chalon
- Engelberga, who married William the PiousWilliam I of AquitaineWilliam I , called the Pious, was the Count of Auvergne from 886 and Duke of Aquitaine from 893, succeeding the Poitevin ruler Ebalus Manser. He made numerous monastic foundations, most important among them the foundation of Cluny Abbey on 11 September 910.William was the son of Bernard II of...
, Count of Auvergne. - Louis the BlindLouis the BlindLouis the Blind was the king of Provence from January 11, 887, King of Italy from October 12, 900, and briefly Holy Roman Emperor, as Louis III, between 901 and 905. He was the son of Boso, the usurper king of Provence, and Ermengard, a daughter of the Emperor Louis II. Through his father, he was...
Sources
- Riché, Pierr. Les Carolingiens: Une famille qui fit l'Europe, genealogical table XII (Bosonides).