Leo of Vercelli

Leo von Vercelli (* ???; † 1026 ) was bishop of the northern Italian city of Vercelli from 998 .

No information is available about origin and education. As an important advisor to Emperor Otto III. Not only did he help shape his conception of rule ( Renovatio Imperii Romanorum ), he also enforced the imperial claims against the antipope Johannes Philagathos and in his own diocese with all his might. After the death of Otto III. Leo had to defend his position in his own diocese against attacks by the margrave and later Italian king Arduin of Ivrea by force of arms. However, even Emperor Heinrich II could hardly support Leo's position, although the latter asked him for help.

literature

• Hermann Bloch : Contributions to the history of Bishop Leo von Vercelli and his time. In: New archive of the Society for Older German History 22, 1897, 11-136.
• Heinrich Dormeier : Emperor and episcopal rule in Italy: Leo von Vercelli. In: Michael Brandt and Arne Eggebrecht (eds.): Bernward von Hildesheim and the age of the Ottonians. Catalog of the exhibition Hildesheim 1993. Mainz 1993, vol. 1, pp. 103–112.
• Jörg Jarnut :  Leo. In: New German Biography (NDB). Volume 14, Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1985, ISBN 3-428-00195-8 , p. 240 f. ( Digitized version ).
• Fedele Savio: Gli antichi vescovi d'Italia dalle origini al 1300 . Fratelli Bocca, Milan 1898, pp. 463-465.

Web links

• Leo episcopus Vercellensis in the repertory "Historical Sources of the German Middle Ages"