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Berengario II IvreaKing of Italy from 950 to 964
Date of Birth: 01.01.0900
Country:  Italy |
Content:
- King Berengar II of Italy: A Man of Ambition and Conflict
- Exile to Germany
- Rise to Power
- Coronation and Claim to the Throne
- Conflict with Otto I
- Defeat and Capture
- Otto I's Intervention and Berengar's Downfall
- Family and Legacies
- Adalbert II, King of Italy
King Berengar II of Italy: A Man of Ambition and Conflict
Berengar II, the son of Adalbert I, Margrave of Ivrea, was born into the Ivrea dynasty. Around 930, he married Villa of Tuscany, who inspired him to conspire against her uncle, then King Hugh of Italy.
Exile to Germany
In 941, Berengar's plot was exposed, and he fled to Germany to seek aid from Otto I, King of East Francia. However, Otto I was preoccupied and initially refused. After a fruitless stay in Germany, Berengar decided to return without Otto I's assistance.
Rise to Power
In 945, Berengar gathered a small army in Swabia and crossed the Alps. Northern Italian lords and cities rallied to his cause, forcing King Hugh to flee to Provence. Berengar effectively ruled Italy in the name of Hugh's son, Lothair.
Coronation and Claim to the Throne
Lothair died in 950, allegedly by poison, and Berengar was crowned along with his son Adalbert on December 15, 950. This coronation was a recognition of their de facto power. Berengar claimed the throne as the maternal grandson of Berengar I, the last Carolingian emperor. His wife, Villa, was also the niece of King Hugh.
Conflict with Otto I
To strengthen his position, Berengar sought to marry his son to Lothair's widow, Adelaide. However, she refused and was imprisoned in 951. Adelaide's protector and eventual husband became Otto I, who forced Berengar in 952 to accept Italy as a German fief, excluding the March of Verona and former Friuli.
Defeat and Capture
Berengar broke the treaty and was defeated by Otto I's son, Liudolf. Lombardy and Pavia fell to the Germans. After Liudolf's death, Berengar regained his throne and ruled with increased cruelty. His subjects and Pope John XII appealed to Otto I for help.
Otto I's Intervention and Berengar's Downfall
Otto I invaded Italy in 961 and seized the country without resistance. Berengar was stripped of his royal title and besieged in the mountain stronghold of San Leone. Finally, after starvation, he surrendered in 964. Berengar and his wife were sent as prisoners to Bamberg, where he died on July 6, 966.
Family and Legacies
Berengar II married Villa of Tuscany in 930/931. They had five children:
Adalbert II, King of Italy
Guido, Margrave of IvreaConrad I, Margrave of Milan and Ivrea
Gisela, a nun
Gerberga, wife of Aleram, Margrave of Liguria and Piedmont
Susanna, wife of Arnulf II of Flanders and Robert II of France
Liutprand of Cremona served as Berengar II's secretary.
