Ermengarde of Tours

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Ermengarde of Tours
Empress of the Carolingian Empire
TenureOctober 821 – 20 Mar 851
Queen consort of Italy
TenureOctober 821 – 20 Mar 851
Queen consort of Middle Francia
TenureAugust 843 – 20 Mar 851
Bornc. 810
Died20 March 851 (aged 40- 41)
Erstein, France
Spouse Lothair I
Issue Louis II of Italy
Helletrud
Bertha
Ermengarde
Gisla
Lothair II
Rotrud
Charles of Provence
House Etichonids
Father Hugh of Tours
MotherAva of Morvois

Ermengarde of Tours (c. 810 - 20 Mar 851) was daughter of Hugh of Tours [1] and Ava of Morvois.

Contents

In October 821 in Thionville, Ermengarde married the Carolingian Emperor Lothair I of the Franks (795–855). [1]

Ermengarde used her bridal gift to found the abbey Erstein in the Elsass, [2] in which she is buried. Ermengarde died in 851. [3]

Lothair and Ermengarde had:

Appearance

The contemporary poet Sedulius Scottus wrote "Men despise the zither's harmonious music whenever they hear your angelic and golden voice... Your face shines like ivory and blushes like a rose, and excels the beauty of Venus and the nymphs. A dazzling crown of golden hair adorns you, and splendid topaz, as a glittering diadem... Your milk-white neck glistens with beauty, ahining with the lustre of lilies or ivory. Your soft white hands dispense myriad gifts, whence they sow on earth to reap in heaven. [5]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Riche 1993, p. 149.
  2. Heidecker 2010, p. 117.
  3. 1 2 Heidecker 2010, p. 194.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Bouchard 2001, p. 102.
  5. From Sedulius Scottus, Poem 20, in E. Doyle, Sedulius Scottus: On Christian Rulers and the Poems (Binghamton 1983)

Sources

Royal titles
Preceded by Queen consort of Italy
821–851
Succeeded by
Preceded by Queen of Middle Francia
843–851
Carolingian empress
821–851