EFL - Enciclopedia delle Famiglie Lombarde

Figlio illegittimo '''From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia''' Berna rd (797, Vermandois, Normandy – 17 April 818, Milan, Lombardy) was t he King of Italy from 810 to 818. He plotted against his uncle, Empero r Louis the Pious, when the latter's ''Ordinatio Imperii'' made Bernar d a vassal of his cousin Lothair. When his plot was discovered, Loui s had him blinded, a procedure which killed him. Bernard was the ille gitimate son of King Pepin of Italy, the second legitimate son of th e Emperor Charlemagne. In 810, Pepin died from an illness contracted a t a siege of Venice; although Bernard was illegitimate, Charlemagne al lowed him to inherit Italy. Bernard married Cunigunda of Laon in 813 . They had one son, Pepin, Count of Vermandois. Prior to 817, Bernar d was a trusted agent of his grandfather, and of his uncle. His right s in Italy were respected, and he was used as an intermediary to manag e events in his sphere of influence - for example, when in 815 Louis t he Pious received reports that some Roman nobles had conspired to murd er Pope Leo III, and that he had responded by butchering the ringleade rs, Bernard was sent to investigate the matter. A change came in 817 , when Louis the Pious drew up an ''Ordinatio Imperii'', detailing th e future of the Frankish Empire. Under this, the bulk of the Frankis h territory went to Louis' eldest son, Lothair; Bernard received no fu rther territory, and although his Kingship of Italy was confirmed, h e would be a vassal of Lothair. This was, it was later alleged, the wo rk of the Empress, Ermengarde, who wished Bernard to be displaced in f avour of her own sons. Resenting Louis' actions, Bernard began plottin g with a group of magnates: Eggideo, Reginhard, and Reginhar, the las t being the grandson of a Thuringian rebel against Charlemagne, Hardra d. Anshelm, Bishop of Milan and Theodulf, Bishop of Orléans, were als o accused of being involved: there is no evidence either to support o r contradict this in the case of Theodulf, whilst the case for Anshel m is murkier.[1][2] Bernard's main complaint was the notion of his be ing a vassal of Lothair. In practical terms, his actual position had n ot been altered at all by the terms of the decree, and he could safel y have continued to rule under such a system. Nonetheless, "partly tru e" reports came to Louis the Pious that his nephew was planning to se t up an 'unlawful' - i.e. independent - regime in Italy.[1] Louis th e Pious reacted swiftly to the plot, marching south to Chalon. Bernar d and his associates were taken by surprise; Bernard travelled to Chal on in an attempt to negotiate terms, but he and the ringleaders were f orced to surrender to him. Louis had them taken to Aix-la-Chapelle, wh ere they were tried and condemned to death. Louis 'mercifully' commute d their sentences to blinding, which would neutralise Bernard as a thr eat without actually killing him; however, the process of blinding (ca rried out by means of pressing a red-hot stiletto to the eyeballs) pro ved so traumatic that Bernard died in agony two days after the procedu re was carried out. At the same time, Louis also had his half-brother s Drogo, Hugh and Theoderic tonsured and confined to monasteries, to p revent other Carolingian off-shoots challenging the main line. He als o treated those guilty or suspected of conspiring with Bernard treate d harshly: Theodulf of Orleans was gaoled, and died soon afterwards; t he lay conspirators were blinded, the clerics deposed and imprisoned ; all lost lands and honours. [1][3][4] '''Legacy''' His Kingdom o f Italy was reabsorbed into the Frankish empire, and soon after bestow ed upon Louis' eldest son Lothair. In 822, Louis made a display of pub lic penance at Attigny, where he confessed before all the court to hav ing sinfully slain his nephew; he also welcomed his half-brothers bac k into his favour. These actions possibly stemmed from guilt over hi s part in Bernard's death. It has been argued by some historians tha t his behaviour left him open to clerical domination, and reduced hi s prestige and respect amongst the Frankish nobility.[1] Others, howev er, point out that Bernard's plot had been a serious threat to the sta bility of the kingdom, and the reaction no less a threat; Louis' displ ay of penance, then, "was a well-judged gesture to restore harmony an d re-establish his authority."[5] '''References''' 1^ a b c d McKitt erick, Rosamond, The Frankish Kingdoms under the Carolingians 2^ Rich e, Pierre, The Carolingians, p. 148 3^ Riche, Pierre, The Carolingian s, p. 148 4^ McKitterick, Rosamond, The New Cambridge History, 700-90 0 5^ McKitterick, Rosamond, The New Cambridge History, 700-900 '''So urces''' McKitterick, Rosamond, ''The Frankish Kingdoms under the Car olingians'' Riche, Pierre, ''The Carolingians'' McKitterick, Rosamon d, ''The New Cambridge History, 700-900'' http://fmg.ac/Projects/Med Lands/ITALY,%20Kings%20to%20962.htm BERNARD, illegitimate son of PEPI N I King of Italy & his mistress --- ([797]-Milan 17 Aug 818, bur Mila n, San Ambrosio). Thegan's ''Vita Hludowici Imperatoris'' names "Bernh ardus filius Pippini ex concubina" [1]. Bernard is named only son of P ippin by Einhard [2]. Regino names "Bernhardus filius Pippin rex Itali æ" when recording his death in 818 [3]. Settipani cites a litany of S t Gallen which lists Bernard among Carolingians of illegitimate birt h [4]. He was brought up at Kloster Fulda. His paternal grandfather se nt him back to Italy in autumn 812, granting him the title "rex Langob ardorum" in Apr 813. Einhard's ''Annales'' that "Walanem filium Bernha rdi patruelis sui" was sent to Italy in 812 as guardian for "Bernhardu m filium Pippin nepotem suum [Karoli imperatoris]" [5]. He was confirm ed 11 Sep 813 at Aix-la-Chapelle as BERNARD I King of Italy, as vassa l of the emperor, ruling under the regency of Adalhard abbé de Corbi e [6]. Although he swore allegiance to his uncle Emperor Louis I "le P ieux" on the latter's accession in 814, the emperor passed the ''Ordin atio Imperii'' in Jul 817 which failed to mention Bernard's royal stat us, effectively depriving him of any role in government and of his roy al title. Bernard rebelled unsuccessfully in Dec 817. He was tricked i nto returning to France to ask for the emperor's forgiveness at Chalon -sur-Saône, but was taken to Aix-la-Chapelle where he was sentenced t o death. The ''Annales Xantenses'' record that "Bernhardus rex Langoba rdorum" was blinded in 818 [7]. Thegan's ''Vita Hludowici Imperatoris' ' records that "Bernhardus filius Pippini ex concubina" was blinded an d died on the third day which followed this [8]. After his death, Ital y was once more placed under the direct rule of the emperor [9]. [1 ] ''Thegani Vita Hludowici Imperatoris'' 22, MGH SS II, p. 596. [2] E inhard 19, p. 454. [3] ''Reginonis Chronicon'' 818, MGH SS I, p. 567 . [4] Settipani, p. 211 footnote 142, which does not give the citatio n for the source. [5] ''Einhardi Annales'' 812, MGH SS, p. 199. [6 ] RFA 812 and 813, p. 95. [7] ''Annales Xantenses'' 817, MGH SS II, p . 224. [8] ''Thegani Vita Hludowici Imperatoris'' 22 and 23, MGH SS I I, p. 596. [9] Settipani (1993), pp. 212-3.