Lothair II (926/8 – 22 November 950), often ''Lothair of Arles'', was the

King of Italy King of Italy ( it, links=no, Re d'Italia; la, links=no, Rex Italiae) was the title given to the ruler of the Kingdom of Italy after the fall of the Western Roman Empire. The first to take the title was Odoacer, a barbarian military leader ...

from 947 to his death. He was of the noble Frankish lineage of the Bosonids, descended from

Boso the Elder Boso (or Boson) "the Elder" ( 800 – 855) was a Frankish Count of Turin and Count of Valois of the Bosonid dynasty. Family and issue He was married to Engeltrude. They had the following issue: * Boso, Count of Valois (d. 874) * Teutberga (d. b ...

. His father and predecessor was

Hugh of Provence Hugh (c. 880–947), known as Hugh of Arles or Hugh of Provence, was the king of Italy from 926 until his death. He belonged to the Bosonid family. During his reign, he empowered his relatives at the expense of the aristocracy and tried to estab ...

, great-grandson of Lothair II, King of Lotharingia, and his mother was a German princess named Alda (or Hilda). Although he held the title of ''rex Italiae'', he never succeeded in exercising power there. He was betrothed in 931 and married, 12 December 947, to the fifteen-year-old

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

, Odilo of Cluny gives her age at her marriage as "in her sixteenth year." the spirited and intelligent daughter of

Rudolph II of Burgundy Rudolph II (c. 11 July 880 – 11 July 937), a member of the Elder House of Welf, was King of Burgundy from 912 until his death. He initially succeeded in Upper Burgundy and also ruled as King of Italy from 922 to 926. In 933 Rudolph acquired t ...

and

Bertha of Swabia Bertha of Swabia (french: Berthe; german: Berta; AD – after January 2, 966), a member of the Alemannic Hunfriding dynasty, was queen of Burgundy from 922 until 937 and queen of Italy from 922 until 926, by her marriage with King Rudolph II. S ...

. Their marriage was part of a political settlement designed to conclude a peace between her father and his. In 933, Hugh of Arles had given up his kingdom (Provence) to his inveterate enemy Rudolph II, who merged the two kingdoms into a new Kingdom of Burgundy, but died in 937. The couple had a daughter, Emma, born as early as 948, who was married in 966 to the Carolingian

Lothair of France Lothair (french: Lothaire; la, Lothārius; 941 – 2 March 986), sometimes called Lothair II,After the emperor Lothair I. IIICounting Lothair II of Lotharingia, who ruled over modern Lorraine and Belgium. or IV,Counting Lothair II of Ita ...

. Lothair's power in Italy was nominal. From the time of the successful uprising of the nobles in 945, when Hugh was forced into exile, Berengar of Ivrea kept all real power and patronage in his hands. Lothair died at

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) 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 ...

, perhaps poisoned by Berengar, who attempted to cement his usurped political power in Lombardy by forcing Lothair's widow to marry his son Adalbert. Instead she entreated the protection of Otto I of Germany, whom she married. Lothair figures briefly in the part related to Adelaide in the ''Gesta Ottonis'', an epic poem about Otto I of Germany, an epic poem about written ca. 960 by Hroswitha of Gandersheim.

References

Bibliography

*Pierre Riché. ''Les Carolingiens, une famille qui fit l'Europe''. Paris: 1983. (in French) *Jean-Charles Volkmann. ''Bien Connaître les généalogies des rois de France''. (in French) *"Lothar II." ''Encyclopædia Britannica''. Retrieved April 25, 2007, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article-9049021.
"Lothar koenig von Italien"
Genealogical references (in German). {{DEFAULTSORT:Lothair 02 of Italy 920s births 950 deaths Year of birth uncertain 10th-century kings of Italy Bosonids Frankish kings Frankish warriors