Beatrix of Lorraine

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Mathilde's mother, Vita Mathildis des Donizio, around 1115. Vatican City, FOT, Ms. Vat. Lat. 4922, fol. 30v.

Beatrix of Lorraine (* probably 1017; † April 18, 1076), also known as Beatrix of Tuszien, was the wife of Margrave Boniface of Tuszien . After the death of her husband, she acted as regent of the margraviate of Tuscany on behalf of her son Friedrich and after his death on behalf of her daughter Mathilde . After her second marriage to Gottfried the Bearded , she became the duchess of Lower Lorraine in 1054.

childhood

Beatrix was born between 1013 and 1026 as the daughter of Duke Friedrich II of Upper Lorraine († 1026) from the family of the Wigeriche and Mathilde of Swabia († 1031/1032) in Mantua. After Beatrix had lost both parents, she was adopted by the Empress Gisela von Schwaben († 1043), her aunt, and came to the court of Konrad II with her sister Sophie . With the death of her father and her brother Friedrich III. a few years later the agnatic lineage of the Bar family died out.

First marriage

In 1037 Beatrix married Boniface of Canossa , Lord of Canossa, Count of Reggio, Modena, Mantua and Brescia, Margrave of Tuszien and probably also Duke of Spoleto and Margrave of Camerino (* 985, murdered May 6, 1052). Boniface came from the powerful margrave family of Attoni (also known as Canossa) and ruled over today's Tuscany and the central Po . The marriage between Beatrix and Boniface was of a political nature and also secured the interests of Konrad II. The alliance between the emperor and Boniface, who as a feudal lord exercised his control over large and politically important areas of northern Italy and central Italy, was supposed to be the imperial supremacy in the southern part of the Consolidate what is rich and thus ensure its cohesion. Beatrix, who with her sister was the sole heir of her father, brought a considerable fortune and numerous lands in Lorraine as dowry.

Seal of Beatrix of Lorraine, 1073

She had three children with him:

  • Friedrich († probably July 1056)
  • Beatrix († 1053 before December 17)
  • Mathilde (* probably 1046; † July 24, 1115)

Second marriage

After the murder of Boniface, Beatrix took over the reign of her daughter Mathilde in the extensive estates in Italy. In spring 1054 she married Gottfried the Bearded , Duke of Lower Lorraine († 1069), who had already risen against the emperor several times and was then deposed by him in 1055. Since the emperor did not get the duke in his hand, Beatrix and Mathilde were arrested and taken to Germany as hostages. After the reconciliation in 1056, the couple was able to dispose of their goods in Italy again.

After Gottfried's death at the end of 1069, Mathilde took over her inheritance, this time as a grown woman, but made her mother a co-regent.

Beatrix's role in the investiture dispute

Beatrix, together with her daughter and Empress Agnes, acted as mediator in the context of the dispute between Gregory VII and Henry IV . and played an active role in their reconciliation. The correspondence between Gregory VII, Beatrix and Mathilde suggests that your intervention in the investiture dispute was partly due to her long friendship with the Pope, her inclination for the reform papacy and her kinship with Heinrich. On the other hand, the geographical strategic position of the Canusiner territory between the HRR. and the Papal States played a not inconsiderable role in including the Canossa in the investiture controversy. Beatrix's role as mediator was not limited to purely written mediation, but traveled to Germany to negotiate personally with Heinrich on behalf of the Pope. The Pope attributed the temporary reconciliation between Gregory VII and Henry IV in 1073 and 1075 to the mediation and work of Beatrix, Mathilda and Agnes.

Regency and Political Role

Although Bonifaz is listed in numerous documents as her husband or muntwalt, Beatrix enjoyed an independence that was unusual for the time since her first marriage and had her private fortune, which can be inferred from various documents about the purchase and leasing of land. The death of her first husband and the assumption of the rule of the Canossa territory seems to have fundamentally strengthened their autonomy and their political supremacy. In the documents from the time of her reign, Beatrix used the titles comitissa, marchionissa and ducatrix without mentioning the cheerfulness of her second husband Gottfried, with one exception . This appears to be particularly noteworthy in view of the fact that up to the 11th century very few women were allowed to bear the title of their husband. In the time of her second widowhood and in the years as co-regent at her daughter's side, Beatrix continued to refer to herself in the documents as comitissa and marchionissa , which could indicate the consolidation or at least the continuity of her position and her powers. The figure of Beatrix von Canossa as princess and as a political actor exemplarily represents the emergence of a new form of female rule among the women of the high nobility. Beatrix was able to assert herself as an independent ruler after the death of Boniface and later as Gottfried's wife. They also succeeded in maintaining the Canusin rule over their politically heterogeneous areas without great losses.

death

Beatrix of Lorraine remained as co-regent at her daughter Mathilde's side until her death in 1076. She was buried in Pisa Cathedral.

The Frassinoro Monastery on the Foce della Radici Apennine pass goes back to a donation by Beatrix of Lorraine on August 29, 1071 .

literature

  • Alison Creber: Women at Canossa. The role of royal and aristocratic women in the reconciliation between Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV of Germany . In: V. Eads and T. Lazzari (eds.): Storicamente . Matilda 900: Remembering Matilda of Canossa Wide World, No. 13 , 2017, p. 1-44 (English).
  • Dieter von der Nahmer : Beatrix von Tuszien , In: Lexikon des Mittelalters, Vol. 1, Munich and Zurich 1980, pp. 1745–1746.
  • Elke Goez : Beatrix of Canossa and Tuszien. An investigation into the history of the 11th century (= Konstanz working group for medieval history. Lectures and research. Special vol. 41). Thorbecke, Sigmaringen 1995, ISBN 3-7995-6750-X (also: Erlangen-Nürnberg, University, dissertation) ( digitized version ).
  • Margherita Giuliana Bertolini: Beatrice di Lorena, marchesa e duchessa di Toscana . In: Dizionario biografico degli italiani . tape 7 . Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 1970 (Italian).
  • Maria Magdalena, tailor; Noble women of the 11th century as patrons and donors using the example of Judith von Flandern, Beatrix and Mathilde von Tuszien, Margaret of Scotland and Adela von Blois , phil. Mag. Vienna 2009.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Maria Magdalena Schweifer: Noble women of the 11th century as patrons and donors using the example of Judith von Flandern, Beatrix and Mathilde von Tuszien, Margareta von Scottland and Adela von Blois . University of Vienna 2009, p. 26 .
  2. ↑ Maria Magdalena Schweifer: Noble women of the 11th century as patrons and donors using the example of Judith von Flandern, Beatrix and Mathilde von Tuszien, Margareta von Scottland and Adela von Blois . University of Vienna 2009, p. 25 .
  3. ↑ Von der Nahmer, D .: Beatrix von Tuszien . In: Lexicon of the Middle Ages . tape 1 . Artemis & Winkler, Munich / Zurich 1980, p. 1745 .
  4. ^ Margherita Giuliana Bertolini: Beatrice di Lorena, marchesa e duchessa di Toscana . In: Dizionario biografico degli italiani . tape 7 . Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 1970.
  5. ^ Alison Creber: Women at Canossa. The role of royal and aristocratic women in the reconciliation between Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV of Germany . In: V. Eads and T. Lazzari (eds.): Storicamente . Matilda 900: Remembering Matilda of Canossa Wide World, No. 13 , 2017, p. 1-44 .
  6. ^ Margherita Giuliana Bertolini: Beatrice di Lorena, marchesa e duchessa di Toscana. In: Dizionario biografico degli italiani . tape 7 . Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana, Rome 1970.
  7. ^ Alison Creber: Women at Canossa. The role of royal and aristocratic women in the reconciliation between Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV of Germany . In: V. Eads and T. Lazzari (eds.): Storicamente . Matilda 900: Remembering Matilda of Canossa Wide World, No. 13 , 2017, p. 1-44 .
  8. ↑ Schweifer, Maria Magdalena: Noble women of the 11th century as patrons and donors using the example of Judith of Flanders, Beatrix and Mathilde of Tuszien, Margaret of Scotland and Adela of Blois . University of Vienna 2009, p. 26 .
  9. ^ Elke Goez: Beatrix von Canossa and Tuszien. An investigation into the history of the 11th century . Thorbecke, Sigmaringen 1995, p. 75-76 .
  10. ^ Elke Goetz: Beatrix von Canossa and Tuszien. An investigation into the history of the 11th century . Thorbecke, Sigmaringen 1995, p. 72-73 .
  11. ^ Elke Goetz: Beatrix von Canossa and Tuszien. An investigation into the history of the 11th century . Thorbecke, Sigmaringen 1995, p. 79 .
personal data
SURNAME Beatrix of Lorraine
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Regent of the margravates of Tuscia and Camerino and of the Duchy of Spoleto
DATE OF BIRTH around 1017
DATE OF DEATH April 18, 1076