The House of Obertenghi were a prominent Italian noble family of Longobard origin descended from Viscount

Adalbert III Adalbert of Saxony (8 May 1467 in Meissen – 1 May 1484 in Aschaffenburg) was administrator of the Archdiocese of Mainz as ''Adalbart III''. Adalbert was the son of Elector Ernest of Saxony and his wife Elisabeth of Bavaria-Munich. In orde ...

, first

Margrave of Milan The March of Genoa or Eastern Liguria was created in 961 by Holy Roman Emperor Otto I. The formal history of the march began around 951 after Berengar of Ivrea became the king of Italy. At that time Berengar completed the reorganization of the mili ...

History

Marches of the Kingdom of Italy in the 900s

The family held the titles of Marquis of

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

and

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

, Count of Luni,

Tortona Tortona (; , ; ) is a ''comune'' of Piemonte, in the Province of Alessandria, Italy. Tortona is sited on the right bank of the Scrivia between the plain of Spinetta Marengo, Marengo and the foothills of the Ligurian Apennines. Its ''frazione'' of ...

, Genoa and Milan and regent of the March that took the family's name in the 10th century, the "Marca Obertenga", which encompassed most of the territories of present-day

Northwest Italy Northwest Italy ( or just ) is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), a first level NUTS region and a European Parliament constituency. Northwest encompasses four of the ...

and parts of

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. The dynasty is the progenitor of the widely powerful and prestigious

House of Este The House of Este ( , , ) is a European dynasty of North Italian origin whose members ruled parts of Italy and Germany for many centuries. The original House of Este's elder branch, which is known as the House of Welf, included dukes of Bavaria ...

, as well the

House of Welf The House of Welf (also Guelf or Guelph) is a European dynasty that has included many German and British monarchs from the 11th to 20th century and Emperor Ivan VI of Russia in the 18th century. The originally Franconian family from the Meuse-Mo ...

, parent house of the Hanover dynasty. Other cadet lines include two of the most ancient

Italian noble families Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

, the House of Malaspina and the

House of Pallavicini The Pallavicini (plural, often used in the singular Pallavicino for individual members) are an Italian noble family whose name dates back to the 11th century. The first known representative of this name was Oberto il Pelavicino († 1148), a des ...

. Early in 951,

Berengar II of Italy Berengar II ( 900 – 4 August 966) was the king of Italy from 950 until his deposition in 961. He was a scion of the Anscarid and Unruoching dynasties, and was named after his maternal grandfather, Berengar I. He succeeded his father as ma ...

finished the reorganisation of the Italian feudal structure begun by his predecessor

Hugh Hugh is the English-language variant of the masculine given name , itself the Old French variant of '' Hugo (name)">Hugo'', a short form of Continental Germanic Germanic name">given names beginning in the element "mind, spirit" (Old English ). ...

. He named three new

Margrave Margrave was originally the Middle Ages, medieval title for the military commander assigned to maintain the defence of one of the border provinces of the Holy Roman Empire or a monarchy, kingdom. That position became hereditary in certain Feudal ...

s to three new territories: Margraviate of Turin, Margraviate of Western Liguria and Margraviate of Eastern Liguria: *

Arduin Glaber Arduin Glaber (,'' Glabrione'', or'' il Glabro'', meaning "the Bald"; died c. 977) was count of Auriate from c. 935, count of Turin from c. 941/942, and Margrave of Turin from c. 950/964. He placed his dynasty, the Arduinici, on a firm foundatio ...

was elevated from count to

margrave of Turin The March or Marquisate of Turin was a territory of medieval Italy from the mid-10th century, when it was established as the Arduinic March (). It comprised several counties in Piedmont, including the counties of Turin, Auriate, Albenga and, proba ...

(

Torino Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

Ivrea Ivrea (; ; ; ) is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. Situated on the road leading to the Aosta Valley (part of the medieval Via Francigena), it straddles the Dora Baltea and is ...

Maritime Alps The Maritime Alps ( ; ) are a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps. They form the border between the regions of France, French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur and the regions of Italy, Italian regions of Piedmont and Liguria ...

Nice Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one million Ventimiglia Ventimiglia (; , ; ; ) is a resort town in the province of Imperia, Liguria, northern Italy. It is located west of Genoa, and from the French-Italian border, on the Gulf of Genoa, having a small harbour at the mouth of the Roia river, w ...

Sanremo Sanremo, also spelled San Remo in English and formerly in Italian, is a (municipality) on the Mediterranean coast of Liguria, in northwestern Italy. Founded in Roman times, it has a population of 55,000, and is known as a tourist destination ...

); the '' Marca Arduinica'' or mark of the

Arduinici The Arduinici were a nobility, noble Franks, Frankish family that immigrated to Italy in the early tenth century, possibly from Neustria. They were descended from and take their name after one Arduin (Hardouin). The first of the Arduinici to ente ...

. *

Aleramo, Marquis of Montferrat Aleram (; died 991) was the first Marquis of Montferrat and Liguria (the '' marca Aleramica'') in Northern Italy until his death. He was son of William I of Montferrat and is mentioned in documents for the first time in 933 when he received a fie ...

, he named margrave of

Western Liguria The March (also ''margraviate'' or ''marquisate'') of Montferrat was a frontier march of the Kingdom of Italy during the Middle Ages and a state of the Holy Roman Empire. The margraviate was raised to become the Duchy of Montferrat in 1574. ...

(

Vercelli Vercelli (; ) is a city and ''comune'' of 46,552 inhabitants (January 1, 2017) in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, around 600 BC. ...

Monferrato Montferrat ( , ; ; , ; ) is a historical region of Piedmont, in northern Italy. It comprises roughly (and its extent has varied over time) the modern provinces of Alessandria and Asti. Montferrat is one of the most important wine district ...

Ceva Ceva, the ancient Ceba, is a small Italy, Italian town in the province of Cuneo, region of Piedmont, east of Cuneo. It lies on the right bank of the Tanaro River, Tanaro on a wedge of land between that river and the Cevetta stream. History In th ...

Acqui Terme Acqui Terme (; ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Alessandria, Piedmont, northern Italy. It is about south-southwest of Alessandria. It is one of the principal winemaking communes of the Italian DOCG wine Brachetto d'Acqui. The c ...

Oneglia Oneglia ( or ) is a former town in northern Italy on the Ligurian coast, in 1923 joined to Porto Maurizio to form the Comune of Imperia (city), Imperia. The name is still used for the suburb.Roy Palmer Domenico, ''The regions of Italy: a refere ...

Albenga Albenga (; ) is a city and ''comune'' situated on the Gulf of Genoa on the Italian Riviera in the Province of Savona in Liguria, northern Italy. Albenga has the nickname of ''city of a hundred spires''. The economy is mostly based on tourism, loc ...

); the ''

Marca Aleramica The March (also ''margraviate'' or ''marquisate'') of Montferrat was a frontier march of the Kingdom of Italy during the Middle Ages and a state of the Holy Roman Empire. The margraviate was raised to become the Duchy of Montferrat in 1574. ...

'' or mark of the

Aleramici The Aleramici were a Northern Italian noble and royal dynasty of Frankish origin which ruled various northwestern Italian territories in Piedmont and Liguria from the 10th to the 14th century, also reigning over the Kingdom of Jerusalem and th ...

. *

Oberto I Oberto I Obizzo (also known as Otbert) (born around 910; died 15 October 975) was an Italian count palatine and margrave and the oldest known member of the Obertenghi family. Biography Oberto I inherited the countship of Milan in 951 from his fath ...

margrave of Milan The March of Genoa or Eastern Liguria was created in 961 by Holy Roman Emperor Otto I. The formal history of the march began around 951 after Berengar of Ivrea became the king of Italy. At that time Berengar completed the reorganization of the mili ...

and count of Luni (

and Eastern Liguria at this time contained the counties of

, Luni,

Bobbio Bobbio (Emilian language#Dialects, Bobbiese: ; ; ) is a small town and ''comune'' in the province of Piacenza in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. It is located in the Trebbia River valley southwest of the town Piacenza. There is also an abbey and a ...

Piacenza Piacenza (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Piacenza, eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with more ...

and

Parma Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...

); the ''

Marca Obertenga The March of Genoa or Eastern Liguria was created in 961 by Holy Roman Emperor Otto I. The formal history of the march began around 951 after Berengar of Ivrea became the king of Italy. At that time Berengar completed the reorganization of the mil ...

'' or mark of the Obertenghi.

Family tree

Family heads

* 940951: Adalbert III, (Regent) Margrave of Milan

Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages, a group of Low Germanic languages also commonly referred to as "Frankish" varieties * Francia, a post-Roman ...

noble, reputed son of

Guy, Margrave of Tuscany Guy (also ''Guido'' or ''Wido''; raised Leo; called the Philosopher) (died 3 February 929) was the son of Adalbert II of Tuscany with Bertha, daughter of Lothair II of Lotharingia. After the death of his father Adalbert II in 915, he was the Coun ...

. * 951975: Otbert I, Margrave of Milan, Count of Genoa son of Adalbert; forefather of the dynasty, which name took from. * 9751002: Adalbert IV, Margrave of Milan, Count of Genoa first-born son of Otbert I; grandfather of Adalbert II ''Pelavicino'', founder of the

Pallavicini family The Pallavicini (plural, often used in the singular Pallavicino for individual members) are an Italian nobility, Italian noble family whose name dates back to the 11th century. The first known representative of this name was Oberto il Pelavicino ...

. * 10021014: Otbert II, Margrave of Milan, Count of Genoa second-born son of Otbert I; deposed and imprisoned by Emperor

Henry II Henry II may refer to: Kings * Saint Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor (972–1024), crowned King of Germany in 1002, of Italy in 1004 and Emperor in 1014 *Henry II of England (1133–89), reigned from 1154 *Henry II of Jerusalem and Cyprus (1271–1 ...

due to his support for

Arduin of Ivrea Arduin (; – 14 December 1015) was an Italian nobleman who was king of Italy from 1002 until 1014. In 990 Arduin became margrave of Ivrea and in 991 count of the Sacred Palace of the Lateran in Rome. In 1002, after the death of Emperor Otto ...

. Father of Obizzo I (third-born son), forefather of the

Malaspina family The House of Malaspina was a noble Italian family of Longobard origin that descended from Boniface I, Margrave of Tuscany, Boniface I, through the Obertenghi line, that ruled Lunigiana from the 13th to the 14th centuries, and the Province of Mas ...

. * 10141024: Hugh, Margrave of Milan, Count of Genoa first-born son of Odbert II. Appointed by Emperor Henry II, he fell out after his death. Died childless. * 10241029: Albert Azzo I, Margrave of Milan, Count of Genoa second-born son of Odbert II. First

marquis of Este The House of Este ( , , ) is a European dynasty of North Italian origin whose members ruled parts of Italy and Germany for many centuries. The original House of Este's elder branch, which is known as the House of Welf, included dukes of Bavaria ...

in 1011. * 10291097: Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan, Count of Genoa son of Albert Azzo. Last of the Obertenghi main branch. Succeeded by: ** From his marriage with

Kunigunde of Altdorf Kunigunde of Altdorf (also known as ''Cunegonde'' or ''Chuniza''; – 31 August 1054) was a member of the Swabian line of the Elder House of Welf. She was also the ancestress of the younger House of Guelph, a cadet branch of the House of Este ...

Welf I Welf I or Welfo (died before 876) was a Swabian nobleman. He was a member of the Elder House of Welf. Welf was probably a son of Conrad I of Auxerre, and seems to have taken over his father's offices in Swabia, namely: count of Alpgau, count ...

, founder of the Younger

. ** From his marriage with Gersende, Countess of Maine, Faulk I, still Margrave of Milan and founder of the

. ** Another son with Gersende, Hugh V, inherited the

County of Maine Maine () is one of the traditional provinces of France. It corresponds to the former County of Maine, whose capital was also the city of Le Mans. The area, now divided into the departments of Sarthe and Mayenne, has about 857,000 inhabitant ...

, dying childless.Actus pontificum Cenomannis, cap. XXXII, Gesta Domini Arnaldi Episcopi, p. 377.
/ref>

References

{{reflist

History

Family tree

Family heads

See also

References