Obertenghi

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Obertenghi
Marcher noble family
Arms of the house of Este (1).svg
Coat of arms of the Obertenghi, Marquesses of Milan
Parent familyBonifaci (disputed, since the Bonifaci were of Frankish descent)
Country Banner of the Holy Roman Emperor (after 1400).svg Kingdom of Italy
EtymologyDescendant from Oberto I [1]
Place of originProbably Pavia or Lombardy
Founded940 (940)
Founder Adalberto the Margrave [2]
Current headNone; under the Lex Langobardorum, all descendants of its branches hold equal rights to the headship.
Final ruler Albert Azzo II
Titles
List
Dissolution1097 (1097)
Cadet branches

The House of Obertenghi was a powerful Italian noble family of Longobard origin that rose to prominence in the 10th and 11th centuries. It traced its lineage to Viscount Adalbert III, a Frankish noble and the first Margrave of Milan, who established the family's authority in Northern Italy. The dynasty played a foundational role in the creation of the Marca Obertenga , a vast frontier territory of the Holy Roman Empire that encompassed much of present-day Northwest Italy and parts of Switzerland. The Obertenghi were the progenitors of several important dynasties, including the House of Este, the House of Welf, and later the House of Hanover.

Contents

History

The Torre degli Obertenghi in Arcola, Liguria, traditionally associated with the Obertenghi family. Torre degli Obertenghi 1.jpg
The Torre degli Obertenghi in Arcola, Liguria, traditionally associated with the Obertenghi family.
The Marca d'Ivrea, Marca Arduinica, Marca Aleramica, Marca Obertenga, and Marca di Tuscia -- subdivisions of the Kingdom of Italy created by Berengar II of Italy in the 10th century. The map also shows Genoa and regions later transferred to Tuscia. Marches of the Kingdom of Italy in the 900s.png
The Marca d'Ivrea, Marca Arduinica , Marca Aleramica , Marca Obertenga , and Marca di Tuscia — subdivisions of the Kingdom of Italy created by Berengar II of Italy in the 10th century. The map also shows Genoa and regions later transferred to Tuscia.

The family held the titles of Marquis of Milan and Genoa, Count of Luni, Tortona, Genoa, and Milan, and served as regents of the march that bore their name in the 10th century, the Marca Obertenga. This territory encompassed most of present-day Northwest Italy and parts of Switzerland.

The dynasty is the progenitor of the widely powerful and prestigious House of Este as well as the House of Welf, the parent house of the Hanoverian dynasty. [3]

Other cadet lines include two of the most ancient Italian noble families: the House of Malaspina and the House of Pallavicini. [4]

In 951, Berengar II of Italy completed the reorganisation of the Italian feudal structure begun by his predecessor, Hugh of Italy. He appointed three new margraves to govern newly defined frontier territories:

Family heads

Family tree

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Provero, Luigi (2013). "Oberto I". Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani. Vol. LXXIX. Treccani.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Litta, Pompeo (1832). Este (d'). Famiglie celebri italiane. Milan: Giuseppe Ferrario.
  3. Currò Troiano, Carmelo; Caputo, Don Salvatore. International Commission and Association of Nobility (ed.). Memories of the House of Este in England (PDF). Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  4. Pivano, Silvio (1935). "Obertenghi". In Treccani (ed.). Enciclopedia Italiana.
  5. "OBERTO I". Treccani.it. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  6. "Oberténghi". Treccani.it. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
  7. Chiappini, Luciano (1967). Dall'Oglio (ed.). Gli Estensi.
  8. Formentini, Ubaldo (1960). "Adalberto". In Treccani (ed.). Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani. Vol. I.
  9. Chiappini (1967), p. 18.
  10. Bertolini, Margherita Giuliana (1960). "Alberto Azzo". In Treccani (ed.). Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani. Vol. I.
  11. Monumenta Germanica Historica, Scriptores, tomus XIII, Genealogia Welforum, p. 764
  12. Orderici Vitalis, Historia Ecclesiastica, tomus unicus, pars III, liber VIII, cap. XI, col. 589
  13. Actus pontificum Cenomannis, cap. XXXII, Gesta Domini Arnaldi Episcopi, p. 377
  14. "Oberténghi". treccani.it. Retrieved 29 June 2021.