Berengario II d' Ivrea, King of Italy
- Born: Abt 900, Italy
- Married: Between 930 and 931
- Died: 6 Aug 966, Bamberg
Research Notes:
Liutprand names Berengar as son of "Adelberto Eporegiĉ civitatis marchione [et]
Gisla Berengarii regis filia". He took part in the battle of Firenzuola against his maternal grandfather.
He succeeded his father in [923/24] as BERENGARIO II Marchese d'Ivrea. In [940], he was forced to flee Ivrea by Ugo King of Italy who abolished the March of Ivrea. He was invited to the court of King Ugo, who intended to blind him, but was warned by Ugo's son Lothar and made his escape. He found refuge with Hermann Duke of Swabia, and later settled at the court of Otto I King of Germany. After returning to Italy in 945, he defeated King Ugo who was declared deposed by a diet at Milan, although Berengario allowed him to retain the title of king and himself assumed the title summus consiliarius.
He was proclaimed BERENGARIO II King of Italy by a general diet at Pavia 15 Dec 950, after the death of Lothar King of Italy. However, King Otto invaded Italy, on the pretext of King Berengario's mistreatment of Adelais, the wife of his predecessor King Lothar, and himself took the title King of Italy at Pavia 23 Sep 951. Having submitted to Otto, Berengario proposed himself as viceroy in Italy, which was accepted by the council of Augsburg Aug 952. Berengario reasserted his independence. Otto sent his son Liudolf to reimpose order, but the latter died there of fever in 957. After several further years of tyrannical rule, Otto invaded Italy again in Aug 961 in response to requests for his intervention from Pope John XII and Hubert [de Provence] Duke of Spoleto, one of Berengario's main vassals. He forced Berengario's retreat to the fortress of San Giulio near Montefeltro in 962. He finally captured Berengario in 963, and took him as a prisoner to Bamberg, where he died soon after.
The necrology of Fulda records the death "966 2 Non Aug" of "Berenger rex". Regino records the death of Berengario and his burial at Regensburg. 1
Marriage Information:
Berengario married Willa d' Arles, daughter of Boso de Vienne, comte d' Arles and Willa de Haute-Bourgogne, between 930 and 931. (Willa d' Arles was born about 910 and died after 6 Aug 966.)
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