Guideschi
Encyclopedia
The Guideschi, Guidoni, Vitone or Widonids were an Italian
family of Frankish
origin prominent in the ninth century. They were descended from Guy of Nantes
, whose origins were Austrasia
n. They were an aggressive dynasty, expanding their base of power into the Papal States
, ever loyal to the Empire
and never the Papacy. They were related to the Carolingians in the female line and one even made a claim to the throne of France on that basis.
The first member of the family to attain prominence was Lambert
's son Guy I
, who was made duke of Spoleto as Vito di Spoleto by the Emperor Lothair I in 842. He was active in Lotharingia
and Italy, even marrying a local Lombard
woman, Itta (or Itana), the daughter of Sico of Benevento
. His descendants continued to rule Spoleto
until 897.
The most famous Guidoni were Guy III
and his son Lambert II
. Both became kings of Italy and Holy Roman Emperors. Guy IV of Spoleto
also became Duke of Benevento. One member, Fulk the Venerable, was even archbishop of Rheims, assisting Guy III in making a claim on the French crown.
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
family of Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
origin prominent in the ninth century. They were descended from Guy of Nantes
Guy of Nantes
Guy or Guido was appointed to replace the late Roland as Warden of the Breton March after his death at the Battle of Roncesvalles in 778. Guy no more effectively exercised control over Brittany than his predecessor, but was the chief contact by which the Bretons knew French policy. His actual...
, whose origins were Austrasia
Austrasia
Austrasia formed the northeastern portion of the Kingdom of the Merovingian Franks, comprising parts of the territory of present-day eastern France, western Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. Metz served as its capital, although some Austrasian kings ruled from Rheims, Trier, and...
n. They were an aggressive dynasty, expanding their base of power into the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
, ever loyal to the Empire
Carolingian Empire
Carolingian Empire is a historiographical term which has been used to refer to the realm of the Franks under the Carolingian dynasty in the Early Middle Ages. This dynasty is seen as the founders of France and Germany, and its beginning date is based on the crowning of Charlemagne, or Charles the...
and never the Papacy. They were related to the Carolingians in the female line and one even made a claim to the throne of France on that basis.
The first member of the family to attain prominence was Lambert
Lambert I of Nantes
Lambert I was the Count of Nantes and Prefect of the Breton March between 818 to 831 and Duke of Spoleto between 834 and 836. Lambert succeeded his father Guy....
's son Guy I
Guy I of Spoleto
Guy I was the Duke of Spoleto from 842. He was the son of Lambert I of Nantes and Adelaide of Lombardy, the eldest daughter of Pepin of Italy. He travelled with his father in 834 in the entourage of Lothair I. He was given the abbey of Mettlach in Lotharingia in 840, when the Emperor Louis the...
, who was made duke of Spoleto as Vito di Spoleto by the Emperor Lothair I in 842. He was active in Lotharingia
Lotharingia
Lotharingia was a region in northwest Europe, comprising the Low Countries, the western Rhineland, the lands today on the border between France and Germany, and what is now western Switzerland. It was born of the tripartite division in 855, of the kingdom of Middle Francia, itself formed of the...
and Italy, even marrying a local Lombard
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
woman, Itta (or Itana), the daughter of Sico of Benevento
Sico of Benevento
Sico was the Lombard Prince of Benevento from the 817 to his own death.-Life:Before becoming the Prince of Benevento, he had been the gastald of Acerenza. On the assassination of Grimoald IV, Sico succeeded to the princely throne...
. His descendants continued to rule Spoleto
Duchy of Spoleto
The independent Duchy of Spoleto was a Lombard territory founded about 570 in central Italy by the Lombard dux Faroald.- Lombards :The Lombards, a Germanic people, had invaded Italy in 568 and conquered much of it, establishing a Kingdom divided between several dukes dependent on the King, who had...
until 897.
The most famous Guidoni were Guy III
Guy III of Spoleto
Guy of Spoleto , sometimes known by the Italian version of his name, Guido, or by the German version, Wido, was the Margrave of Camerino from 880 and then Duke of Spoleto and Camerino from 883. He was crowned King of Italy in 889 and Holy Roman Emperor in 891...
and his son Lambert II
Lambert II of Spoleto
Lambert II was the King of Italy from 891, Holy Roman Emperor, co-ruling with his father from 892, and Duke of Spoleto and Camerino from his father's death in 894. He was the son of Guy III of Spoleto and Ageltrude, born in San Rufino...
. Both became kings of Italy and Holy Roman Emperors. Guy IV of Spoleto
Guy IV of Spoleto
Guy IV was the Duke of Spoleto and Camerino from 889 and Prince of Benevento from 895. He was the son of Guy II of Spoleto....
also became Duke of Benevento. One member, Fulk the Venerable, was even archbishop of Rheims, assisting Guy III in making a claim on the French crown.
Sources
- Wickham, ChrisChristopher WickhamChristopher John Wickham, FBA is Chichele Professor of Medieval History in the University of Oxford and Fellow of All Souls College.-Biography:...
. Early Medieval Italy: Central Power and Local Society 400-1000. MacMillan Press: 1981. - Caravale, Mario (ed). Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani: LXI Guglielmo Gonzaga – Jacobini. RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, 2003. - Caravale, Mario (ed). Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani: LXIII Labroca – Laterza. RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, 2004.