Bertha of Swabia

Bertha of Swabia
Queen consort of Burgundy
Tenure922 – 11 July 937
Queen consort of Italy
Tenure922 – 926
12 December 937 – 10 April 948
Bornc. 907
Diedafter January 2, 966
Burial
Payerne Priory
SpouseRudolph II of Burgundy
Hugh of Italy
IssueAdelaide, Holy Roman Empress
Conrad I of Burgundy
HouseHunfridings
FatherBurchard II, Duke of Swabia
MotherRegelinda of Zürich
ReligionCatholic Church

Bertha of Swabia (French: Berthe; German: Berta; c. 907 AD – after January 2, 966), a member of the Alemannic Hunfriding dynasty, was queen of Burgundy from 922 until 937 and queen of Italy from 922 until 926, by her marriage with King Rudolph II. She was again queen of Italy during her second marriage with King Hugh from 937 until his death in 948.

Life

Bertha was the daughter of Duke Burchard II of Swabia and his wife Regelinda. In 922, she was married to the Burgundian king Rudolph II.[1] The Welf rulers of Upper Burgundy had campaigned the adjacent Swabian Thurgau region several times, and the marriage was meant as a gesture of reconciliation. With her husband Rudolph, Bertha founded the church of Amsoldingen.[2]

Rudolph died in 937,[3] whereupon Bertha married King Hugh of Italy in what is today Colombier on 12 December 937.[4] This marriage was not a happy one; when Hugh died in 947, Bertha returned to Burgundy.[3]

Between 950 and 960, Bertha founded Payerne Priory, where she was buried.[3] Up to today she is venerated as "Good Queen Bertha" (La reine Berthe) in the Swiss Romandy region, mainly in Vaud, and numerous myths and legends have evolved about her life.[5]

Queen Bertha and the spinners. Painting of 1888.

Issue

Bertha and Rudolph had:

References

  1. ^ a b Reuter & McKitterick 1999, p. 699.
  2. ^ Rumpf 1977, p. 182.
  3. ^ a b c d Rumpf 1977, p. 187.
  4. ^ Reuter & McKitterick 1999, p. 353.
  5. ^ Rumpf 1977, p. 181-195.

Sources

  • Reuter, Timothy; McKitterick, Rosamond, eds. (1999). "Appendix". The New Cambridge Medieval History: Volume 3, c.900-c.1024. Cambridge University Press.
  • Rumpf, Marianne (1977). "The Legends of Bertha in Switzerland". Journal of the Folklore Institute. 14 (3). Translated by Hellenberg, Anthony; Tucker, Elizabeth: 181–195. doi:10.2307/3814073. JSTOR 3814073.