Michael Matthew Groat PhD's Genealogical Database

Individuals: 97,713  Families: 61,838  
Gedcom Last Modified: December 14, 2025 00:59:10

Bertha DE NEUSTRIE de FRANCE


Preferred Parents:
Father: Charlemagne, b. 2 APR 742 in Ingelheim, Daxweiler, Bad Kreuznach, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany   d. 28 JAN 814 in Aachen, Städteregion Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Mother: Hildegard Königin der Franken, b. 758 in Aachen, Kreis Aachen, Rhineland, Prussia, German Empire   d. 30 APR 783 in Thionville, Moselle, Lorraine, France

Family 1: Angilbert of Ponthieu, abbot of Saint-Riquier,    b. 760 in Ponthieu, Thézillieu, Ain, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France    d. 18 FEB 814 in Saint-Riquier, Abbeville, Somme, Hauts-de-France, France
  1. Arsinde de Ponthieu, b. 793 in Crécy-en-Ponthieu, Abbeville, Somme, Hauts-de-France, France     d. BET 814 AND 860 in , , Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
  2. Berthe de Ponthieu of Boulogne I, b. 810 in Crécy-en-Ponthieu, Abbeville, Somme, Hauts-de-France, France     d. MAR 859 in Ponthieu, Thézillieu, Ain, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
  3. Nithard de Ponthieu abbot of St Riquier, b. ABT 795 in Crécy-en-Ponthieu, Abbeville, Somme, Hauts-de-France, France     d. 14 JUN 844 in Saint-Riquier, Abbeville, Somme, Hauts-de-France, France
Family 2: Ecbert de WESSEX,      
Sources:
  1. Title: Web: Netherlands, GenealogieOnline Trees Index, 1000-Current
    Publication: Name: https://search.ancestry.com/collections/9289/records/25103304;
  2. Title: Mistress I
    Author: The necrology of the abbey of Saint-Denis records the death "V Id Mar" of "Berta filia Karoli imperatoris qui dedit superiorem Curtem"[523].] Angilbert had two illegitimate children by Mistress (1):
    Publication: Name: https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/FRANKISH%20NOBILITY.htm#_ftnref504;
  3. Title: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berta_(filha_de_Carlos_Magno)
    Publication: Name: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berta_(filha_de_Carlos_Magno);
  4. Title: Wikiwand: Bertha, daughter of Charlemagne
    Author: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Publication: Name: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Bertha,_daughter_of_Charlemagne;
    Note: Bertha (c. 780 – after 11 March 824) was the seventh child and third daughter of Charlemagne, King of the Franks, by his second wife, Hildegard of the Vinzgau. Life Bertha was raised with her brothers and sisters in the royal household of Charlemagne, who had all of his children educated by tutors. An offer by Offa of Mercia to arrange a marriage between Bertha and his son, Ecgfrith, led to Charlemagne breaking off diplomatic relations with Mercia in 790, and banning English ships from his ports. Like her sisters, Bertha never formally married; it has been speculated that Charlemagne did not want his daughters married for strategic reasons, fearing political rivalry from their potential husbands. Bertha was in a long relationship with Angilbert, a court official, which produced three children. During 794-5, Angilbert presented a poem as a court entertainment, praising the beauty and charms of Charlemagne's daughters; Bertha is praised in particular for having critical discernment and appreciation for poetry, which Angilbert points out is a cause for him to be concerned about how she might receive his poem. Bertha's children with Angilbert were sons Hartnid, about whom little is known, the historian Nithard, Abbott of St. Riquier and a daughter, Bertha who went on to marry Helgaud II, Count of Ponthieu. Angilbert ended his affair with Bertha and entered a monastery, becoming Abbott of St. Riquier, according to a biography written by their son, Nithard. Angilbert remained an important advisor to Charlemagne, however. The children of Bertha and Angilbert were likely educated in Charlemagne's court. Nithard was a distinguished soldier and politician, and acted as an advisor to Charles the Bald of France. Following the death of Charlemagne, his successor, Louis the Pious, exiled his sisters to the convents that had been left for their inheritance by their father.
  5. Title: Bertrada
    Publication: Name: http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/CAROLINGIANS.htm#Rotruddied810;
  6. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Gisele of Holy Roman Empire - birth-name: Gisele of Holy Roman Empire
    Author: Public Member Trees, Ancestry.com, Name: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc.; Location: Provo, UT, USA; Date: 2006;, www.ancestry.com, null, Page number: Database online.
    Note: birth-name: Gisele of Holy Roman Empire Ancestry.com, Public Member Trees (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006). birth: ; Milano, Milano, Lombardy, Italy Ancestry.com, Public Member Trees (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006). death: August 2000; Metz, Nièvre, Bourgogne, France Ancestry.com, Public Member Trees (Provo, UT, USA, Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2006).
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:3244735390
  7. Title: Ancestry Family Trees
    Author: Ancestry Family Tree
  8. Title: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha,_daughter_of_Charlemagne
    Publication: Name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha,_daughter_of_Charlemagne;
  9. Title: Family Forest: Public Version Volume 2 C-D
    Publication: Name: https://books.google.com.br/books?id=57s2DwAAQBAJ&pg=SL4-PA152&lpg=SL4-PA152&dq=arsinde+ponthieu&source=bl&ots=6QPhb7uyYw&sig=ACfU3U28Y56_a4M7BGZlycHZ7X92CMR9PA&hl=es&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjGnL7785HpAhXKH7kGHY4QCzQ4ChDoATABegQICRAB#v=onepage&q=arsinde%20ponthieu&f=false;
  10. Title: Wikiwand: Gisela, daughter of Charlemagne
    Author: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Publication: Name: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Gisela,_daughter_of_Charlemagne;
    Note: Gisela, (in or before 781 - 808 or later) was a daughter of Charlemagne from his marriage to Hildegard. She was baptized at the Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio in 781 by Thomas, Archbishop of Milan. She was educated at the castle in Aachen, with Alcuin who gave her the nickname "Delia." According to Alcuin she took a particular interest in astronomy. Alcuin refers to "Delia" in some of his poetry. Like her sisters Bertha and Rotrude, Gisela never married. Sources vary regarding her later life, some sources state 808 as a death date, others state that in 814 she was sent to a convent by her brother Louis the Pious.
  11. Title: MEDIEVAL LANDS Website
    Author: https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/Search.htm
    Publication: Name: https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/Search.htm;
    Note: This source takes one to the Medlands search page. Medlands is a comprehensive compilation of original Latin, Greek and other languages of ancient 300-1500AD records into English. It is very well sourced, and if patrons can find these original records from the quoted sources, it would be great to have the very originals themselves posted here at FS. Please be advised, that the Medlands site is continually updated, and one should take a look for any updates. Please add the specific source and excerpts from Medlands to the reason statement when adding this source to any specific PID.
    Page: https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/CAROLINGIANS.htm#_ftnref137 BERTRADA [Berta] ([779/80]-11 Mar, 824 or after). "Hruodrudem et Bertham et Gislam" are named daughters of King Charles & Hildegard by Einhard[137]. Angilbert's poem Ad Pippinum Italiæ regum names (in order) "Chrodthrudis…Berta…Gisla et Theodrada" as daughters of King Charles[138]. Theodulf's poem Ad Carolum Rege changes the order slightly when he names "Berta…Chrodtrudh …Gisla…Rothaidh…Hiltrudh, Tetdrada" as daughters of the king[139]. The Chronicon Fontanellense records that Charles I King of the Franks proposed a marriage between “Offæ Rege Anglorum sive Merciorum…filiam” and “Carolus iunior”, but that King Offa refused unless “Berta filia Caroli Magni” was also married to his son which was unacceptable to the Frankish king[140]. Her father kept her and her sisters at the court of Aix-la-Chapelle refusing them permission to marry, but she was banished from court by her brother Emperor Louis I on his accession[141]. The Vita Angilberti records the relationship between "Berta filia [rex de regina Hildigarda]" and "domnus Angilbertus"[142]. The Chronicon Centulensis records that “Angilbertus” married “regis filiam Bertam” and that they had “duos filios Harnidum et Nithardum”[143]. Nithard names Bertha, daughter of King Charles, as his mother[144]. The necrology of the abbey of Saint-Denis records the death "V Id Mar" of "Berta filia Karoli imperatoris qui dedit superiorem Curtem"[145]. Mistress: (from [795]) of ANGILBERT "the Saint", son of [NITHARD & his wife Richarda] ([750]-18 Feb 814, bur Saint-Riquier, église du Saint-Sauveur et de Saint-Richard).
  12. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Bertha Holy Empire -
    Author: Ancestry Family Trees, Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com. Original data: Family Tree files submitted by Ancestry members., Page number: Ancestry Family Trees
    Note: This information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created. This information comes from 1 or more individual Ancestry Family Tree files. This source citation points you to a current version of those files. Note: The owners of these tree files may have removed or changed information since this source citation was created.
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2743641295
  13. Title: Family Forest: Public Version Volume 2 C-D - THE CAROLINGIAN
    Publication: Name: https://books.google.com.br/books?id=57s2DwAAQBAJ&pg=SL4-PA152&lpg=SL4-PA152&dq=arsinde+ponthieu&source=bl&ots=6QPhb7uyYw&sig=ACfU3U28Y56_a4M7BGZlycHZ7X92CMR9PA&hl=es&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjGnL7785HpAhXKH7kGHY4QCzQ4ChDoATABegQICRAB#v=onepage&q=carolingian&f=false;
  14. Title: Bertha, daughter of Charlemagne From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Publication: Name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha,_daughter_of_Charlemagne;
    Note: Bertha (c. 780 – after 11 March 824) was the seventh child and third daughter of Charlemagne, King of the Franks, by his second wife, Hildegard of the Vinzgau. Bertha was raised with her brothers and sisters in the royal household of Charlemagne, who had all of his children educated by tutors. An offer by Offa of Mercia to arrange a marriage between Bertha and his son, Ecgfrith, led to Charlemagne breaking off diplomatic relations with Mercia in 790, and banning English ships from his ports. Like her sisters, Bertha never formally married; it has been speculated that Charlemagne did not want his daughters married for strategic reasons, fearing political rivalry from their potential husbands.[1] Bertha was in a long relationship with Angilbert, a court official, which produced three children. During 794-5, Angilbert presented a poem as a court entertainment, praising the beauty and charms of Charlemagne's daughters; Bertha is praised in particular for having critical discernment and appreciation for poetry, which Angilbert points out is a cause for him to be concerned about how she might receive his poem.[2] Bertha's children with Angilbert were sons Hartnid, about whom little is known, the historian Nithard, Abbott of St. Riquier and a daughter, Bertha who went on to marry Helgaud II, Count of Ponthieu. Angilbert ended his affair with Bertha and entered a monastery, becoming Abbott of St. Riquier, according to a biography written by their son, Nithard.[3] Angilbert remained an important advisor to Charlemagne, however. The children of Bertha and Angilbert were likely educated in Charlemagne's court. Nithard was a distinguished soldier and politician, and acted as an advisor to Charles the Bald of France.[4] Following the death of Charlemagne, his successor, Louis the Pious, exiled his sisters to the convents that had been left for their inheritance by their father.
  15. Title: Foundation for Medieval Genealogy: BERTRADA [Berta] ([779/80]-11 Mar, 824 or after)
    Publication: Name: https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/CAROLINGIANS.htm#_ftnref136;
    Note: BERTRADA [Berta] ([779/80]-11 Mar, 824 or after). "Hruodrudem et Bertham et Gislam" are named daughters of King Charles & Hildegard by Einhard[137]. Angilbert's poem Ad Pippinum Italiæ regum names (in order) "Chrodthrudis…Berta…Gisla et Theodrada" as daughters of King Charles[138]. Theodulf's poem Ad Carolum Rege changes the order slightly when he names "Berta…Chrodtrudh …Gisla…Rothaidh…Hiltrudh, Tetdrada" as daughters of the king[139]. The Chronicon Fontanellense records that Charles I King of the Franks proposed a marriage between “Offæ Rege Anglorum sive Merciorum…filiam” and “Carolus iunior”, but that King Offa refused unless “Berta filia Caroli Magni” was also married to his son which was unacceptable to the Frankish king[140]. Her father kept her and her sisters at the court of Aix-la-Chapelle refusing them permission to marry, but she was banished from court by her brother Emperor Louis I on his accession[141]. The Vita Angilberti records the relationship between "Berta filia [rex de regina Hildigarda]" and "domnus Angilbertus"[142]. The Chronicon Centulensis records that “Angilbertus” married “regis filiam Bertam” and that they had “duos filios Harnidum et Nithardum”[143]. Nithard names Bertha, daughter of King Charles, as his mother[144]. The necrology of the abbey of Saint-Denis records the death "V Id Mar" of "Berta filia Karoli imperatoris qui dedit superiorem Curtem"[145]. Mistress: (from [795]) of ANGILBERT "the Saint", son of [NITHARD & his wife Richarda] ([750]-18 Feb 814, bur Saint-Riquier, église du Saint-Sauveur et de Saint-Richard).
  16. Title: Foundation for Medieval Genealogy: GISELA (781 before May-after 800, maybe after 814)
    Publication: Name: https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/CAROLINGIANS.htm#_ftnref145;
    Note: GISELA (781 before May-after 800, maybe after 814). "Hruodrudem et Bertham et Gislam" are named daughters of King Charles & Hildegard by Einhard. Angilbert's poem "Ad Pippinum Italiæ regum" names (in order) "Chrodthrudis…Berta…Gisla et Theodrada" as daughters of King Charles. Theodulf's poem "Ad Carolum Rege" changes the order slightly when he names "Berta…Chrodtrudh …Gisla…Rothaidh…Hiltrudh, Tetdrada" as daughters of the king. The "Annales Laurissenses" record that "filia eius [Karoli regis] domna Gisla" was baptized by "archiepiscopo…Thoma" in 781. She was baptized in Milan in [May] 781.
  17. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Gisaele -
    Author: Ancestral File (R), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Copyright (c) 1987, June 1998, data as of 5 January 1998, Family History Library, 35 N West Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah 84150 USA
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:2941801618
  18. Title: Legacy NFS Source: Bertha Princess of The Holy Roman Empire -
    Author: Family History Library archive record (family group sheet)
    Note: Source: Tab. Gen. Souv., France 22, Tab. III; Die Nachkommen Karls des Grossen, Germ. Pub. BT, v. 11, p. 3; Keiser und Koenig Hist., Gen. Hist. 25, pt. 1, p. 6, 7; Ahnen zu Karl der Grossen, Germ. FH 694, p. 104; (over) (Gen. Soc. - HEC) Submitter: Frans Latour
    Page: Migrated from user-supplied source citation: urn:familysearch:source:3244547632
  19. Title: Wikipedia
    Publication: Name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bertha,_daughter_of_Charlemagne;
    Page: Lineage
  20. Title: Wikiwand: Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio
    Author: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Publication: Name: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Basilica_of_Sant%27Ambrogio;
    Note: The Basilica of Sant'Ambrogio (official name: "Basilica romana minore collegiata abbaziale prepositurale di Sant'Ambrogio") is a church in the center of Milan, northern Italy. History One of the most ancient churches in Milan, it was built by St. Ambrose in 379–386, in an area where numerous martyrs of the Roman persecutions had been buried. The first name of the church was in fact "Basilica Martyrum." When St. Ambrose arrived in Milan, the local churches were in conflict with each other over the conflict between Arianism and the Nicene Creed as well as numerous local issues. He was firmly in support of the Nicene side of the conflict, and wanted to make northern Italy into a pro-Rome stronghold. He did this through both preaching and construction. He built three or four churches surrounding the city; Basilica Apostolorum (now San Nazaro in Brolo), Basilica Virginum (now San Simpliciano), and Basilica Martyrum (which was later renamed in his honor). A fourth church, Basilica Salvatoris (now San Dionigi) is attributed to him as well, but may not actually be from the 4th century. These churches were dedicated with anti-Arian language and as symbols of the wealth and power of the pro-Nicene faction in Milan. In the centuries after its construction, the edifice underwent several restorations and partial reconstructions, assuming the current appearance in the 12th Century, when it was rebuilt in the Romanesque style. Initially, the basilica was outside the city of Milan, but over the following centuries, the city grew up around it. It became a center of religious life and a community of canons developed in the church. In 789, a monastery was established within the basilica grounds. The canons, however, retained their own community and identity instead of fading away. Two, separate, distinct religious communities shared the basilica. In the 11th century, the canons adopted orders and became Canons Regular. There were now two separate monastic orders following different rules living in the basilica. The canons were in the northern building, the cloister of the canons, while the monks were in the two southern buildings. The two towers symbolize the division in the basilica. The 9th-century "Torre dei Monaci" ("Tower of the Monks") tower was used by the monks to call the faithful to the monks' mass. The monks supported themselves, partly, from the offerings given after mass. However, the canons did not have a bell tower and were not allowed to ring bells until they finished their own tower (on the north side) in the 12th century. The monastery and church became a large landholder in northern Italy and into what is now the Swiss Canton of Ticino. On 4 August 1528 it was the so-called "Peace of St. Ambrose," between the noble and popular factions of the city, was signed here. In 1492 the Benedictines commissioned Donato Bramante, structural architect of St. Peter's Basilica, to renovate the new rectory. In August 1943 the Allied bombings heavily damaged the basilica, in particular the apse and surrounding area. As a result of this a new building, painted in pink, was constructed to house the Abbot's offices and the museum. Description The church is mostly built in brickwork of different origins and colors, with parts of stone and white plastering. The current Romanesque church was begun around 1080. The nave dates to about 1128 and the rib vaults of the nave are from about 1140. The original edifice, like the great churches of Rome of the same epoch, belonged to the basilica type; it consisted of a central nave lighted from the clerestory, two side aisles, an apse, and an atrium. Investigations made in 1864 have established the fact that the nave and the aisles of the existing basilica correspond with those of the primitive church; the atrium, however, which dates from the 9th century, and two smaller apses, flanking a new central apse of greater depth than the original, were erected. The altar occupies about the same place as in the time of St. Ambrose, and the columns of the ciborium over the altar appear never to have been disturbed; they still rest on the original pavement. In the following centuries the edifice underwent several restorations and partial reconstructions, assuming the current appearance in the 12th century. The basilica plan of the original edifice was maintained, with an apse and two aisles, all with apses, and a portico with arches supported by semicolumns and pilasters preceding the entrance. The latter was used to house the catechumens who attended part of the Mass prior to receiving baptism (this custom disappeared in the early 11th century); the portico, whose entrance has four blind arcades with an open one in the center, was later used for civil and religious meetings. Exterior The hut-shaped façade has two orders of loggias: the lower one has three arcades of same span, which join the portico ones, which are slightly higher. The upper loggia was used by the bishops to bless the citizens. The portico's arcade are supported by pillars, flanked by semi-columns. They have double archivolts, while the portico's upper frame is decorated with Lombard bands, which are repeated also on the façade. Thin lesenes start from the pillars' centres, reaching the upper frame. The capitals are decorated by animal (lions, wild boars), and human figures (mostly heads, but also angels and others), as well as by vegetable or fantastic motifs of pre-Romanesque origin. Under the narthex, between the central portal and the left aisle's portal, is the sarcophagus of Pietro Candido Decembrio, from the 15th century. The central portal is flanked by two multi-column pillars, and has an archivolt with decorative of elements of Sassanid origin. The basilica has two bell towers. The right one, called dei Monaci ("of the Monks"), is from the 9th century and has a severe appearance typical of defensive structures. The left and higher one dates from 1144, the last two floors having been added in 1889. It was likely designed by the same architect of the Romanesque basilica, since it contains the same decorative elements. There is also an octagonal tower over the east end of the nave. Interior The basilica has a semi-circular apse, and smaller, semi-circular chapels at the end of the aisles; there is no transept. The interior has the same size as the external portico. The ceiling features groin vaults with ogives, each supported by its own semi-pillar or semi-column, which, in the lower section, become a single pillar. The aisles' spans measure exactly half of those in the nave, and are supported by lesser pillars. The "matronei" (galleries) over the aisles support the vaults but preclude clerestory windows. The third central span, on the left, houses the 12th century Romanesque ambon or pulpit, built on a pre-existing 9th century one; which utilizes as a base a 4th-century Roman sarcophagus, traditionally known as the "Sarcophagus of Stilicho." It has nine small columns with decorated capitals and friezes, featuring animal and human figures, as well as vegetable and fantastic motifs. The front of the ambon is decorated by two gilt copper reliefs, depicting the symbols of two evangelists, Saints Matthew (praying man) and John (eagle). Under the dome cladding, in the last span of the nave, is the presbytery with, in its center, the high altar. This was realized in 824–859 by Volvinius. It features a golden antependium with precious stones on both sides. The altar is surmounted by a contemporary ciborium, commissioned by archbishop of Milan Angilbert II, whence its common name. It has four columns in red porphyry and has, on each side, bar-reliefs depicting "Christ with Sts Peter and Paulus" (front side), "St. Ambrose Receives the Homage from Two Monks, at the Presence of Sts Gervasius and Protasus" (rear side), "St Benedict Receives the Homage from Two monks" (left side), and "St. Scholastica Receives the Homage from Two Nuns" (right side). The apse displays an early 13th-century mosaic, depicting "Christ Pantokrator with Sts Gervasus and Protasus," and at the sides, "Scenes from the Life of St. Ambrose." The apse mosaic was heavily restored after damage during the Second World War II. The oratory of San Vittore in Ciel d'Oro was built in the 4th century by bishop Maternus. The mosaics on the walls and ceiling were created in the 5th century; these include one of the earliest portrait of St Ambrose. The church also houses the tomb of Emperor Louis II, who died in Lombardy in 875. The crypt, located under the high altar, was built in the 9th century to house the remains of three saints venerated here: Ambrose, Gervasus and Protasus. The remains of the saints were already in a crypt in the area, although their position went lost with the centuries. In the 9th century bishop, Angilbert found them and had them put in a single porphyry sarcophagus. The current appearance of the crypt dates from the 18th-century restoration commissioned by cardinal Benedetto Erba Odescalchi and to others from the following century, in which the bodies of the three saints were moved to a silver urn in a space under the ciborium. Myth Immediately beside the church, there is a white marble column with two holes. According to legend, these were made by the Devil hitting the column with his horns because he could not seduce St. Ambrose into temptation. Thus, this column is called the Devil's Column. Others Royce Hall and Powell Library, at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), are modeled after Sant'Ambrogio.
  21. Title: Wikiwand: Carolingian dynasty
    Author: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
    Publication: Name: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Carolingian_dynasty;
    Note: The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the Carlovingians, Carolingus, Carolings, Karolinger or Karlings) was a Frankish noble family founded by Charles Martel with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The dynasty consolidated its power in the 8th century, eventually making the offices of mayor of the palace and "dux et princeps Francorum" hereditary, and becoming the "de facto" rulers of the Franks as the real powers behind the Merovingian throne. In 751 the Merovingian dynasty which had ruled the Germanic Franks was overthrown with the consent of the Papacy and the aristocracy, and a Carolingian Pepin the Short was crowned King of the Franks. The Carolingian dynasty reached its peak in 800 with the crowning of Charlemagne as the first Emperor of Romans in the West in over three centuries. His death in 814 began an extended period of fragmentation of the Carolingian Empire and decline that would eventually lead to the evolution of the Kingdom of France and the Holy Roman Empire. Name The Carolingian dynasty takes its name from Carolus, the Latinised name of Charles Martel, de facto ruler of Francia from 718 until his death. The name "Carolingian" (Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German word karling or kerling, meaning "descendant of Charles" cf. MHG kerlinc) or "the family of Charles." History Traditional historiography has seen the Carolingian assumption of the Frankish kingship as the product of a long rise to power, punctuated even by a premature attempt to seize the throne through Childebert the Adopted. This picture, however, is not commonly accepted today. Rather, the coronation of 751 is seen typically as a product of the aspirations of one man, Pepin, whose father, dynastic founder Charles Martel, had been a Frankish high court official military commander, and of the Roman Catholic Church, which was always looking for powerful secular protectors and for the extension of its spiritual and temporal influence. The greatest Carolingian monarch was Charlemagne, Pepin's son. Charlemagne was crowned Emperor by Pope Leo III at Rome in 800. His empire, ostensibly a continuation of the Western Roman Empire, is referred to historiographically as the Carolingian Empire. The Carolingian rulers did not give up the traditional Frankish (and Merovingian) practice of dividing inheritances among heirs, though the concept of the indivisibility of the Empire was also accepted. The Carolingians had the practice of making their sons minor kings in the various regions ("regna") of the Empire, which they would inherit on the death of their father, which Charlemagne and his son Louis the Pious both did for their sons. Following the death of the Emperor Louis the Pious in 840, his surviving adult sons, Lothair I and Louis the German, along with their adolescent brother Charles the Bald, fought a three-year civil war ending only in the Treaty of Verdun in 843, which divided the empire into three regna while according imperial status and a nominal lordship to Lothair who at 48, was the eldest. The Carolingians differed markedly from the Merovingians in that they disallowed inheritance to illegitimate offspring, possibly in an effort to prevent infighting among heirs and assure a limit to the division of the realm. In the late ninth century, however, the lack of suitable adults among the Carolingians necessitated the rise of Arnulf of Carinthia as the king of East Francia, a bastard child of a legitimate Carolingian king, Carloman of Bavaria, himself a son of the First King of the Eastern division of the Frankish kingdom Louis the German. Decline It was after Charlemagne's death that the dynasty began to slowly crumble. His kingdom would end up splitting into three, each being ruled over by one of his grandsons. Only the kingdoms of the eastern and western portions survived, and would go on to become the countries known today as Germany and France. The Carolingians were displaced in most of the "regna" of the Empire by 888. They ruled in East Francia until 911 and held the throne of West Francia intermittently until 987. Carolingian cadet branches continued to rule in Vermandois and Lower Lorraine after the last king died in 987, but they never sought thrones of principalities and made peace with the new ruling families. One chronicler of Sens dates the end of Carolingian rule with the coronation of Robert II of France as junior co-ruler with his father, Hugh Capet, thus beginning the Capetian dynasty. The dynasty became extinct in the male line with the death of Eudes, Count of Vermandois. His sister Adelaide, the last Carolingian, died in 1122. Branches The Carolingian dynasty has five distinct branches: 1. The Lombard branch, or Vermandois branch, or Herbertians, descended from Pepin of Italy, son of Charlemagne. Though he did not outlive his father, his son Bernard was allowed to retain Italy. Bernard rebelled against his uncle Louis the Pious, and lost both his kingdom and his life. Deprived of the royal title, the members of this branch settled in France, and became counts of Vermandois, Valois, Amiens and Troyes. The counts of Vermandois perpetuated the Carolingian line until the 12th century. The Counts of Chiny and the lords of Mellier, Neufchâteau and Falkenstein are branches of the Herbertians. With the descendants of the counts of Chiny, there would have been Herbertian Carolingians to the early 13th century. 2. The Lotharingian branch, descended from Emperor Lothair, eldest son of Louis the Pious. At his death Middle Francia was divided equally between his three surviving sons, into Italy, Lotharingia and Lower Burgundy. The sons of Emperor Lothair did not have sons of their own, so Middle Francia was divided between the western and eastern branches of the family in 875. 3. The Aquitainian branch, descended from Pepin of Aquitaine, son of Louis the Pious. Since he did not outlive his father, his sons were deprived of Aquitaine in favor of his younger brother Charles the Bald. Pepin's sons died childless. Extinct 864. 4. The German branch, descended from Louis the German, King of East Francia, son of Louis the Pious. Since he had three sons, his lands were divided into Duchy of Bavaria, Duchy of Saxony and Duchy of Swabia. His youngest son Charles the Fat briefly reunited both East and West Francia – the entirety of the Carolingian empire – but it split again after his death, never to be reunited again. With the failure of the legitimate lines of the German branch, Arnulf of Carinthia, an illegitimate nephew of Charles the Fat, rose to the kingship of East Francia. At the death of Arnulf's son Louis the Child in 911, Carolingian rule ended in East Francia. 5. The French branch, descended from Charles the Bald, King of West Francia, son of Louis the Pious. The French branch ruled in West Francia, but their rule was interrupted by Charles the Fat of the German branch, two Robertians, and a Bosonid. Carolingian rule ended with the death of Louis V of France in 987. Charles, Duke of Lower Lorraine, the Carolingian heir, was ousted out of the succession by Hugh Capet; his sons died childless. Extinct c. 1012. Grand strategy The historian Bernard Bachrach argues that the rise of the Carolingians to power is best understood using the theory of a Carolingian grand strategy. A grand strategy is a long term military and political strategy that lasts for longer than a typical campaigning season, and can span long periods of time. The Carolingians followed a set course of action that discounts the idea of a random rise in power and can be considered as a grand strategy. Another major part of the grand strategy of the early Carolingians encompassed their political alliance with the aristocracy. This political relationship gave the Carolingians authority and power in the Frankish kingdom. Beginning with Pippin II, the Carolingians set out to put the "regnum Francorum" ("kingdom of the Franks") back together, after its fragmentation after the death of Dagobert I, a Merovingian king. After an early failed attempt in c. 651 to usurp the throne from the Merovingians, the early Carolingians began to slowly gain power and influence as they consolidated military power as Mayors of the Palace. In order to do this, the Carolingians used a combination of Late Roman military organization along with the incremental changes that occurred between the fifth and eighth centuries. Because of the defensive strategy the Romans had implemented during the Late Empire, the population had become militarized and were thus available for military use.[14] The existence of the remaining Roman infrastructure that could be used for military purposes, such as roads, strongholds and fortified cities meant that the reformed strategies of the Late Romans would still be relevant. Civilian men who lived either in or near a walled city or strong point were required to learn how to fight and defend the areas in which they lived. These men were rarely used in the course of Carolingian grand strategy because they were used for defensive purposes, and the Carolingians were for the most part on the offensive most of the time. Another class of civilians were required to serve in the military which included going on campaigns. Depending on one's wealth, one would be required to render different sorts of service, and “the richer the man was, the greater was his military obligation for service.” For example, if rich, one might be required as a knight. Or one might be required to provide a number of fighting men. In addition to those who owed military service for the lands they had, there were also professional soldiers who fought for the Carolingians. If the holder of a certain amount of land was ineligible for military service (women, old men, sickly men or cowards) they would still owe military service. Instead of going themselves, they would hire a soldier to fight in their place. Inst..
Master Index | Pedigree Chart | Descendency Chart
Please send genealogical corrections, additions, or comments to Michael Matthew Groat PhD
Created by GIMMWebService Version 1.0.3 (Program Information), Copyright 2023 © Michael Groat
(Web design layout and pedigree indentation subroutine) Copyright 1996 © Randy Winch (gumby@edge.net) and Tim Doyle (tdoyle@doit.com)
(Internal GEDCOM data structures and GEDCOM file parsing) Copyright 2014-2021 © Giulio Genovese (giulio.genovese@gmail.com)

Like the program that you see? Any support is appreciated!

Paypal