Herimannus names "puer Ludowicus" son of Boson "ex filia Ludowici Italiæ imperatoris" when recording that he was adopted by Emperor Karl III after his father's death. The Annales Bertiniani name "Richardus frater Bosonis" when recording that, after the capture of Vienne by the forces of King Carloman, he took “uxorem Bosonis et filiam eius” back to “comitatum suum Augustudensem” in 882, which suggests that Louis was born after the siege of Vienne. The Annales Fuldenses record the death in 887 of "Buosone", leaving a young son by "filia Hludowici Italici regis" but does not name him. His parentage is confirmed by the charter dated 6 Jun 903 under which "Hludovicus…imperator augustus" confirmed privileges which Charles II "le Chauve" King of the West Franks had ceded to "fideles nostri Liutfridus, Hugo atque Teutbertus comites" at the request of "Adalelmo comite et eius coniugi Rotlindi", the charter naming "rex genitor nostri Boso". "Ludovico" is named as brother of Engelberga in the latter's donation to Cluny dated Jan 917. He was adopted by his maternal great-uncle Emperor Karl III "der Dicke/le Gros" at Kirchen-am-Rhein end May 887, at the request of his mother, rendering him eligible to be elected king according to the rules of Carolingian succession.
He was elected LOUIS King [of Provence] at Valence in 890 by the Archbishops of Lyon, Arles, Vienne and Embrun, ruling over Provence and Viennois under the regency of his mother. He was called to Italy in 896 by opponents of Berengario King of Italy, captured Pavia, expelled Berengario, and was elected LOUIS III King of Italy at Pavia 12 Oct 900, crowned the same day. He claimed the imperial crown from Pope Benedict IV, and was crowned Emperor LUDWIG III in Rome 15 or 22 Feb 901, although this was only recognised in Lombardy and Tuscany. He was expelled from Pavia by King Berengario in Jul 902, whereupon he returned to Vienne, but continued to call himself emperor. He was recalled to Italy in 905 by Adalbero II Marchese of Tuscany and reconquered the kingdom, but was captured by King Berengario at Verona and blinded 21 Jul 905. Regino records that "Hludowicus filius Bosonis" expelled "Berengarium" from Italy in 905. He was freed and returned to Provence, where he continued to reign at Vienne, but in name only as Hugues Comte d'Arles was appointed governor. "Ludowicus imperator augustus" restored property to the church of Avignon at the request of "comes nosterque propinquus Boso" by charter dated to [907/10].
Betrothed Anna, daughter of Emperor Leon VI & his second wife Zautzina.... The basis for this betrothal is a letter written by Nikolaos Mystikos, which Settipani quotes in French translation, recalling the writer's admonishing Emperor Leon VI for his unsuitable third marriage (dated to Spring 900), excused because of "l'accord…conclu avec le Franc…tu lui destinais comme épouse ta fille unique…[au] cousin de Berta auquel il est arrivé l'infortune que l'on sait". The date, the relationship with "Berta" (assuming, as Settipani proposes, that this is Berta daughter of Lothaire II King of Lotharingia who married Adalberto Marchese of Tuscany), and "l'infortune" (his blinding) are consistent with "le Franc" being identified with Louis III King of Italy (his title in 900). Settipani assumes that the marriage actually took place. However, the translation only refers to a proposed marriage ("…tu lui destinais…") and provides no proof that the marriage ever happened or, if it did occur, that the bride ever left Byzantium for Provence. Anna is not named in any of the surviving charters of Emperor Louis, nor has any mention of her been found in any of the primary sources so far consulted. As this would have been the first marriage between the families of the eastern and western emperors (no previous betrothals having resulted in marriage), this absence from contemporary western documentation is therefore striking. It also contrasts sharply with the extensive records which relate the Byzantine origin of Theophano, wife of Emperor Otto II (even though Theophano's precise ancestry is unrecorded), although it is recognised that Anna´s career was cut short by premature death in contrast to Theophano´s. Traditional genealogies show Emperor Louis III's son, Charles Constantin, as the child of this alleged first marriage of Emperor Louis, presumably because of his grandiose name. However, another possible explanation is that the name was a symbol of the emperor's hope that his son would one day unite the two successor parts of the ancient Roman empire, in the name of his illustrious predecessors Emperors Charlemagne and Constantine I "the Great", completely independent of his maternal ancestry. Tougher suggests that Anna was legitimate, born after her parents' marriage, and that the marriage to King Louis did not take place. If he is correct about her legitimacy at birth, this excludes her from being the mother of King Louis's son Charles Constantin, if the latter's birth date is correctly estimated below. Anna was crowned Augusta in Constantinople in [899/900], after the death of her mother and before the third marriage of her father.....
Married Adelais, daughter of ---. "Hludowicus…imperator augustus" granted property at Tressin, Viennois to "fideli nostro Girardo" at the request of "coniux nostra Adalaida" by charter dated 18 Jan 915. Her origin is not known. According to Poupardin, she was Adelais, relative [maybe niece] of Rudolf I King of Upper Burgundy [Welf]. Presumably this is based on the two charters dated 28 Mar 943 and 18 May 943 under which "Carolus comes" is named "consanguineus noster" by Conrad I King of Burgundy. The potential problem with this is the apparently impossible marriage of King Louis with his own niece. The solution would be either that Adelais was the daughter of King Rudolf by an earlier otherwise unrecorded marriage, or that King Rudolf's known wife Willa was not the daughter of Boson King [of Provence]. The problem is discussed fully by Settipani. The discussion proceeds on the basis that Adelais was in some way related to King Rudolf, but the precise basis for this speculation does not appear to be clearly stated. The estimated date for this relatively obscure marriage is based on its having taking place during the ex-emperor's period of exile in Vienne, before his recall to Italy, at a time when he would not have been considered a great marriage prospect by more prominent prospective fathers-in-law. Another difficulty is that “consanguineus” in the 943 charters could indicate a more remote relationship than second cousin. 1
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