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Foundation for Medieveal Geneology, Italy, Emperors and Kings - Chapter 4: Kings of Italty 774-887
Author: Charles Cawley
Publication: Name: Medeival Lands; Location: Oak House, Vowchurch, Hereford, HR20RB, England; Date: 2001-2011;
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This document shows in detail the families of the later Roman emperorsafter the accession of Emperor Valentinian I in 364, the Ostrogothkings of Italy who ruled from 476 to 552, and the Lombard kings whoruled during the following two hundred years. Thereafter, thefamilies of the Carolingian kings who ruled only in Italy are shown indetail, those whose main kingdoms lay elsewhere are referred to inoutline form only to demonstrate how the title passed between thevarious members of the family. Lastly, the kings of Italy from thesucceeding dynasties are shown, in most cases in outline form only astheir complete families are set out in other documents. The kingdom of Italy was first created in 476, from the remnants ofthe Roman empire. It continued in existence, restricted to thenorthern part of the Italian peninsula, during the 6th to 10thcenturies under the Ostrogoths, the Lombards and the dynasties of theCarolingians and their successors. After 963, northern Italy wasadministered as part of the Holy Roman Empire. Italy was not finallyunited until well into the 19th century, under the leadership of thekings of Sardinia of the family of the counts of Savoy. The administrative influence of the Roman empire over western andsouthern Europe was diminishing by the early 5th century. The declinewas hastened by outside pressure from the so-called barbarians ofeastern Europe, strengthening regional identities within the empirenotably in Gaul led by the Merovingian Frankish monarchy, and internalpolitical squabbling. The lack of internal cohesion within thefailing empire is reflected by the accession of nine emperors in thethirty year period which followed the murder of Emperor ValentinianIII in 455, all from different families and only four of whom wereborn in Italy. The division of the empire into its eastern andwestern components, first formalised by Emperor Valentinian I in 364,was a further factor which contributed to decline, although it enabledimperial government to survive in the east long after the empire inthe west had disintegrated. Romulus "Augustulus", last Roman emperor in the West, was deposed in476. By this time the western empire was considered of suchirrelevance that his successor Odoacar the Goth declared himself kingof Italy only, the first time the separate existence of Italy as apolitical entity was recognised. The Italian Ostrogoth kingdomsurvived until 552, nominally within the Roman empire which was notlegally abolished. The sole remaining emperor continued to rule inthe east from Constantinople (see the document BYZANTIUM 395-1057),although the Byzantines retained outposts on the Italian mainland wellinto the 11th century. After the death of the last Ostrogoth king,direct imperial rule was nominally restored. It was challenged by theLombards who arrived in Italy from Hungary on the invitation ofNarses, the imperial administrator. Alboin was crowned first Lombard king in Italy at Milan in 572, laterestablishing Pavia as his capital. Lombard rule continued in northernItaly until 774, when the Carolingian Frankish King Charles I (laterEmperor Charlemagne) invaded, deposed King Desiderius and proclaimedhimself king of Italy. By this time, autonomous Lombard duchies werewell established in the southern half of the peninsula in Benevento,Naples, Salerno (see the document SOUTHERN ITALY (1)) and Spoleto (seeCENTRAL ITALY), separated from northern Italy by the expanding centralItalian Papal territories which represented another obstacle to thenorthern kings imposing their authority throughout the country.Despite the best efforts of the Carolingian kings, particularly LouisKing of Italy who attempted to provide better protection for Romeafter the Arab sack of 846 as well as extend his authority into theLombard duchies in the south, the new dynasty never succeeded inestablishing its authority throughout the Italian peninsula. Afterthe death of King Louis in 875, the Italian crown passed toCarolingian monarchs from the line of Ludwig II "der Deutsche" King ofthe East Franks, until Emperor Charles III who was deposed in 887. For the following 70 years, the Italian throne passed between thefamilies of the dukes of Friulia, the dukes of Spoleto and theBurgundian dynasties, its authority being further weakened bycompetition between the rival candidates. This period of politicalweakness and uncertainty culminated in the invasions of Italy by OttoI King of Germany in 951 and 961, the coronation of King Otto asemperor in 962, and his deposition of Berengar King of Italy in 963.Henceforth the northern Italian kingdom (north of the Papalterritories) was administered as part of the Holy Roman Empire. Imperial authority in northern Italy had weakened by the mid-12thcentury, enabling the northern Lombard cities to establishconsiderable local autonomy, formalised in the Treaty of Konstanzwhich was agreed in 1183 by Emperor Friedrich I "Barbarossa". Asingle local dynasty was never able to establish control over northernItaly. Each city developed its own system of administration under itsown separate leadership, although by the 14th and 15th centuries manylocal families such as the Este and Gonzaga had in effect createdtheir own principalities around the cities which they controlled. I am grateful to Morris Bierbrier for providing reference numbers fromthe Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire ("PLRE")[1], (marked"[MB]") which has not yet been consulted directly. |
Roger Engelken
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