Adelaide of Susa (also ''Adelheid'', ''Adelais'', or ''Adeline''; – 19 December 1091) was the countess of part of the

March of Ivrea The March of Ivrea was a large frontier county (march) in the northwest of the medieval Italian kingdom from the late 9th to the early 11th century. Its capital was Ivrea in present-day Piedmont, and it was held by a Burgundian family of marg ...

and the Marchioness of Turin in Northwestern Italy from 1034 to her death. She was the last 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 ...

. She is sometimes compared to her second cousin and close contemporary,

Matilda of Tuscany Matilda of Tuscany (; or ; – 24 July 1115), or Matilda of Canossa ( ), also referred to as ("the Great Countess"), was a member of the House of Canossa (also known as the Attonids) in the second half of the eleventh century. Matilda was on ...

Biography

Early life

Born in Turin to

Ulric Manfred II of Turin Ulric Manfred II (; 975 992 – 29 October 1033 or 1034) or Manfred Ulric (') was the count of Turin, count of county of Turin, Turin and marquis of Susa, marquis of marquisate of Susa, Susa in the early 11th century. He was the last ...

and

Bertha of Milan Bertha of Milan or Bertha of Luni (c. 997-c. 1040), was a countess margravine of Turin by marriage to Ulric Manfred II of Turin, and regent in Turin and Susa for her daughter Adelaide of Susa in 1033. She is sometimes identified with the Bertha w ...

around 1014/1020, Adelaide's early life is not well known. Adelaide had two younger sisters, Immilla and

Bertha Bertha is a female Germanic name, from Old High German ''berhta'' meaning "bright one". It was usually a short form of Anglo Saxon names ''Beorhtgifu'' meaning "bright gift" or ''Beorhtwynn'' meaning "bright joy". The name occurs as a theonym, s ...

. She may also have had a brother, whose name is not known, who predeceased her father. Thus, upon Ulric Manfred II's death (in December 1033 or 1034), Adelaide inherited the bulk of her father's property. This included property in the counties of

Turin 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 ...

(especially in the

Susa Valley The Susa Valley (; ; ; ; ) is a valley in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont region of northern Italy, located between the Graian Alps in the north and the Cottian Alps in the south. It is one of the longest valleys of the Italian Alps. ...

Auriate {{No footnotes, date=June 2020 Auriate was a county in medieval Italy on the eastern slopes of the Western Alps lying between Cuneo and Saluzzo. The county existed from the late ninth century to the middle of the tenth. The name of the county survi ...

, and

Asti Asti ( , ; ; ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) of 74,348 inhabitants (1–1–2021) located in the Italy, Italian region of Piedmont, about east of Turin, in the plain of the Tanaro, Tanaro River. It is the capital of the province of Asti and ...

. Adelaide also inherited property, but probably not comital authority, in the counties of

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 ...

Alba ''Alba'' ( , ) is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is also, in English-language historiography, used to refer to the polity of Picts and Scots united in the ninth century as the Kingdom of Alba, until it developed into the Kingd ...

, Bredulo and

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 ...

. It is likely that Adelaide's mother, Bertha, briefly acted as regent for Adelaide after Ulric Manfred's death.

Marriages

Since the margravial title primarily had a military purpose at the time, it was not considered a suitable position for a woman.

Emperor Conrad II Conrad II (, – 4 June 1039), also known as and , was the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire from 1027 until his death in 1039. The first of a succession of four Salian emperors, who reigned for one century until 1125, Conrad ruled the kingdom ...

therefore arranged a marriage between Adelaide and his stepson, Herman IV, in 1036 or 1037. Herman was then invested as margrave of Turin. However, in 1038, Herman died of the plague while fighting for Conrad II in

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

. Adelaide remarried in order to secure her vast possessions. Probably in 1041, and certainly before 19 January 1042, Adelaide married

Henry, Marquess of Montferrat Henry (c.1020-c.1044/5) was a member of the Aleramid dynasty. He was a younger son of William III of Montferrat and Waza. From 1042, he was co-ruler of the March of Montferrat with his older brother Otto II of Montferrat. Probably in 1041, cert ...

. Henry died around 1045 leaving Adelaide a widow for the second time. Immediately, a third marriage was undertaken, this time to

Otto of Savoy Otto (; ; 1023 – 1057/1060) was count of Savoy from around 1051 until his death. Through marriage to Adelaide, the heiress of Ulric Manfred II, he also administered the march of Susa from around 1046 until his death. Family He was a younger ...

(1046). Adelaide had three sons with Otto:

Peter I Peter I may refer to: Religious hierarchs * Saint Peter (c. 1 AD – c. 64–68 AD), a.k.a. Simon Peter, Simeon, or Simon, apostle of Jesus * Pope Peter I of Alexandria (died 311), revered as a saint * Peter I of Armenia (died 1058), Catholicos ...

, Amadeus II, and

Otto Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants '' Audo'', '' Odo'', '' Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity". The name is recorded fr ...

. They also had two daughters:

, who married

Henry IV of Germany Henry IV (; 11 November 1050 – 7 August 1106) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 to 1105, King of Germany from 1054 to 1105, King of Italy and Burgundy from 1056 to 1105, and Duke of Bavaria from 1052 to 1054. He was the son of Henry III, Holy R ...

, and

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

, who married

Rudolf of Rheinfelden Rudolf of Rheinfelden ( – 15 October 1080) was Duke of Swabia from 1057 to 1079. Initially a follower of his brother-in-law, the Salian emperor Henry IV, his election as German anti-king in 1077 marked the outbreak of the Great Saxon Revolt a ...

(who later opposed Henry as

King of Germany This is a list of monarchs who ruled over East Francia, and the Kingdom of Germany (), from Treaty of Verdun, the division of the Francia, Frankish Empire in 843 and Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, the collapse of the Holy Roman Empire in ...

Widowhood and rule

After the death of her husband Otto, c.1057/60, Adelaide ruled the

March 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, pro ...

and the

County of Savoy The County of Savoy () was a feudal state of the Holy Roman Empire which emerged, along with the free communes of Switzerland, from the collapse of the Burgundian Kingdom in the 11th century. It was the cradle of the future Savoyard state. s ...

alongside her sons Peter and Amadeus. It is sometimes incorrectly reported that Adelaide abandoned Turin as the capital and began to reside permanently at

Susa Susa ( ) was an ancient city in the lower Zagros Mountains about east of the Tigris, between the Karkheh River, Karkheh and Dez River, Dez Rivers in Iran. One of the most important cities of the Ancient Near East, Susa served as the capital o ...

. Adelaide is documented far more frequently at the margravial palace in Turin than anywhere else. In 1070 Adelaide captured and burned the city of Asti, which had rebelled against her.

Relationship with empire

In 1069 Henry IV tried to repudiate Adelaide's daughter, Bertha, causing Adelaide's relationship with the imperial family to cool. However, through Bertha's intervention, Henry received Adelaide's support when he came to Italy to submit to

Pope Gregory VII Pope Gregory VII (; 1015 – 25 May 1085), born Hildebrand of Sovana (), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 22 April 1073 to his death in 1085. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. One of the great ...

and

Canossa Canossa ( Reggiano: ) is a ''comune'' and castle town in the Province of Reggio Emilia, Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy. It is where Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV did penance in 1077 and stood three days bare-headed in the snow to reverse his excom ...

. In return for allowing him to travel through her lands, Henry gave Adelaide

Bugey The Bugey (, ; Arpitan: ''Bugê'') is a historical region in the department of Ain, eastern France, located between Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saôn ...

. Adelaide and her son Amadeus then accompanied Henry IV and Bertha to Canossa, where Adelaide acted as mediator, alongside Matilda and

Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan Alberto Azzo II (January/February 997 in Modena – 20 August 1097 in Modena), Margrave of Milan, and Liguria, Count of Gavello, Padua, Rovigo, Lunigiana, Monselice, and Montagnana, was a powerful nobleman in the Holy Roman Empire. He is consi ...

, among others. Bishop

Benzo of Alba Benzo of Alba (died ) was an Italian bishop. He was an opponent of Gregorian reform who supported Henry IV of Germany in the Investiture Controversy. Benzo's date of birth is unknown but he was probably born in northern Italy. Benzo began his care ...

sent several letters to Adelaide between 1080 and 1082 encouraging her to support Henry IV in the Italian wars which formed part of the

Investiture Controversy The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest (, , ) was a conflict between church and state in medieval Europe, the Church and the state in medieval Europe over the ability to choose and install bishops (investiture), abbots of monasteri ...

.For English translations of these letters, se
Epistolae: Medieval Women's Latin Letters
. For discussion, see
Creber, ‘The Princely Woman and the Emperor'
Following this, Adelaide's dealings with Henry IV became closer. She offered to mediate between him and Matilda of Tuscany, and may even have joined him on a campaign in southern Italy in 1084.

Relationship with the Church

Adelaide made many donations to monasteries in the March of Turin. In 1064 she founded the monastery of Santa Maria at

Pinerolo Pinerolo (; ; ; ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, northwestern Italy, southwest of Turin on the river Chisone. The Lemina torrent has its source at the boundary between Pinerolo and San Pietro Val di Lemi ...

. Adelaide received letters from many of the leading churchmen of the day, including

Pope Alexander II Pope Alexander II (1010/1015 – 21 April 1073), born Anselm of Baggio, was the head of the Roman Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 1061 to his death in 1073. Born in Milan, Anselm was deeply involved in the Pataria reform mo ...

Peter Damian Peter Damian (; or '; – 21 or 22 February 1072 or 1073) was an Italian Gregorian Reform, reforming Order of Saint Benedict, Benedictine Christian monasticism, monk and cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal in the circle of Pope Leo ...

, and

. These letters indicate that Adelaide sometimes supported

Gregorian reform The Gregorian Reforms were a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the circle he formed in the papal curia, c. 1050–1080, which dealt with the moral integrity and independence of the clergy. The reforms are considered to be na ...

, but that at other times she did not. Peter Damian (writing in 1064) and Gregory VII (writing in 1073), relied upon Adelaide to enforce

clerical celibacy Clerical celibacy is the requirement in certain religions that some or all members of the clergy be unmarried. Clerical celibacy also requires abstention from deliberately indulging in sexual thoughts and behavior outside of marriage, because thes ...

and protect the monasteries of

Fruttuaria 300px, Bell tower of the abbey. Fruttuaria is an abbey in the territory of San Benigno Canavese, about twenty kilometers north of Turin, northern Italy. History The foundation of the abbey was patronized by Guglielmo da Volpiano, who donated the ...

and San Michele della Chiusa. By contrast, Alexander II (writing c.1066/7) reproached Adelaide for her dealings with

Guido da Velate Guido da Velate (also Guy or Wido) (died 1071) was the Archbishop of Milan from 1045 until his death, though he had simoniacally abdicated in 1067. He had been chosen as successor to Aribert by the people in opposition to the choice of the noble ...

the

simoniac Simony () is the act of selling church offices and roles or sacred things. It is named after Simon Magus, who is described in the Acts of the Apostles as having offered two disciples of Jesus payment in exchange for their empowering him to imp ...

Archbishop of Milan The Archdiocese of Milan (; ) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in Italy which covers the areas of Milan, Monza, Lecco and Varese. It has long maintained its own Latin liturgical rite usage, the Amb ...

Death

Adelaide died in December 1091. According to a later legend, she was buried in the parochial church of

Canischio Canischio is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about north of Turin. Canischio borders the following municipalities: Sparone, Cuorgnè, Alpette, San Colombano Belmonte, Pratigl ...

(''Canisculum'') in a small village on the

Cuorgnè Cuorgnè (; or ' ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about north of Turin. Cuorgnè is located at the mouth of the Orco Valley, and borders the following municipalities: C ...

in the Valle dell'Orco, where she had supposedly been living incognito for twenty-two years before her death. The medieval historian

Charles William Previté-Orton Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was ...

called this story "absurd". In the cathedral of Susa, in a niche in the wall, there is a statue of

walnut A walnut is the edible seed of any tree of the genus '' Juglans'' (family Juglandaceae), particularly the Persian or English walnut, '' Juglans regia''. They are accessory fruit because the outer covering of the fruit is technically an i ...

wood, beneath a bronze veneer, representing Adelaide genuflecting in prayer. Above it is the inscription: ''Questa è Adelaide, cui l'istessa Roma Cole, e primo d'Ausonia onor la noma''. Ritratto di Adelaide di Susa moglie di Oddone - Google Art Project

Ritratto di Adelaide di Susa moglie di Oddone - Google Art Project

Family and children

Due to a late Austrian source, Adelaide and

Herman IV, Duke of Swabia Herman IV (c. 1015-July 1038) was the Duke of Swabia (1030–1038). He was the second son of Ernest I and Gisela of Swabia. He was one of the Babenberg dukes of Swabia. Herman became duke in 1030 following the death of his older brother Ernest ...

are sometimes mistakenly said to have had children together. This was not the case. Herman was on campaign for much of his short marriage to Adelaide and he died without heirs. Nor did Adelaide have children with her second husband, Henry. Adelaide and

had five children: *

Peter I of Savoy Peter I (c. 1048 – 9 August 1078) was count of Savoy and margrave of Turin jointly with his brother Amadeus II of Savoy from c. 1060 to 1078. He ruled only nominally, as true power was in the hands of his mother, Adelaide of Susa. Peter pres ...

(c. 1048 – 1078), married Agnes, daughter of

William VII, Duke of Aquitaine William VII (born Peter, ''Pierre-Guillaume'') (1023 – autumn 1058), called the Eagle (''Aigret'') or the Bold (''le Hardi''), was the duke of Aquitaine and count of Poitou (as William V) between 1039 and his death, following his half-brother Od ...

.Previte-Orton, p.231. *

Amadeus II of Savoy Amadeus II ( – 26 January 1080) was the count of Savoy from 1078 to 1080. His life is obscure and few documents mention him. During his rule, he was overshadowed by his mother, but he had good relations with the papacy and, for a time, the Holy ...

(c. 1050 – 1080) *Otto *

Bertha of Savoy Bertha of Savoy (21 September 1051 – 27 December 1087), also called Bertha of Turin, was Queen of Germany from 1066 and Holy Roman Empress from 1084 until 1087 as the first wife of Emperor Henry IV. Life Bertha of Savoy was a daughter ...

(1051 – 1087), married

Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV (; 11 November 1050 – 7 August 1106) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 to 1105, King of Germany from 1054 to 1105, King of Italy and List of kings of Burgundy, Burgundy from 1056 to 1105, and Duke of Bavaria from 1052 to 1054. He was t ...

, June 1066. * Adelaide of Savoy, married

Rudolf von Rheinfelden Rudolf of Rheinfelden ( – 15 October 1080) was Duke of Swabia from 1057 to 1079. Initially a follower of his brother-in-law, the Salian emperor Henry IV, his election as German anti-king in 1077 marked the outbreak of the Great Saxon Revolt a ...

Legacy

Adelaide is a featured figure on

Judy Chicago Judy Chicago (born Judith Sylvia Cohen; July 20, 1939) is an American feminist artist, art educator, and writer known for her large collaborative art installation pieces about birth and creation images, which examine the role of women in history ...

's installation piece ''

The Dinner Party ''The Dinner Party'' is an installation artwork by American feminist artist Judy Chicago. There are 39 elaborate place settings on a triangular table for 39 mythical and historical famous women. Sacajawea, Sojourner Truth, Eleanor of Aquitaine, ...

'', being represented as one of the 999 names on the '' Heritage Floor.''Chicago, 121. She is affiliated with the place setting of

Eleanor of Aquitaine Eleanor of Aquitaine ( or ; ; , or ; – 1 April 1204) was Duchess of Aquitaine from 1137 to 1204, Queen of France from 1137 to 1152 as the wife of King Louis VII, and Queen of England from 1154 to 1189 as the wife of King Henry II. As ...

References

Sources

* *H. Bresslau, ''Jahrbücher des Deutschen Reichs unter Konrad II.'', 2 vols. (1884), accessible online at
archive.org
*Chicago, Judy. ''The Dinner Party: From Creation to Preservation''. London: Merrell (2007). *F. Cognasso, 'Adelaide' in
Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani
'- Volume 1 (1960) *A. Creber, 'Breaking Up Is Hard To Do: Dissolving Royal and Noble Marriages in Eleventh-Century Germany', ''German History'' 37:2 (2018), pp. 149–171.
A. Creber, ‘The Princely Woman and the Emperor: Imagery of Female Rule in Benzo of Alba’s ''Ad Heinricum IV'',’
''Royal Studies Journal'' 5:2 (2018), 7-26.
A. Creber, ‘Women at Canossa. The Role of Elite Women in the Reconciliation between Pope Gregory VII and Henry IV of Germany (January 1077),’
''Storicamente'' 13 (2017), article no. 13, pp. 1–44. *A. Creber, 'Mirrors for Margraves: Peter Damian's Different Models for Male and Female Rulers,’ ''Historical Reflections/Réflexions Historiques'', 42:1 (2016), 8-20. *V. Fumagalli, 'Adelaide e Matilde, due protagoniste del potere medievale,’ in ''La contessa Adelaide e la società del secolo XI'', a special edition of ''Segusium'' 32 (1992), 243-257 *E. Goez, 'Ein neuer Typ der europäischen Fürstin im 11. und frühen 12.Jahrhundert?’ in B. Schneidmüller and S. Weinfurter, eds., ''Salisches Kaisertum und neues Europa. Die Zeit Heinrichs IV. und Heinrichs V.'' (Darmstadt, 2007), pp. 161–193. *S. Hellmann, ''Die Grafen von Savoyen und das Reich: bis zum Ende der staufischen Periode'' (Innsbruck, 1900), accessible online (but without page numbers) at

*R. Merlone, 'Prosopografia aleramica (secolo X e prima metà dell'XI),' ''Bollettino storico-bibliografico subalpino'', LXXXI, (1983), 451-585. *C.W. Previté-Orton, ''The Early History of the House of Savoy (1000–1233)'' (Cambridge, 1912), accessible online at:
archive.org
*D. Schwennicke, '' Europäische Stammtafeln: Stammtafeln zur Geschichte der Europäischen Staaten'' (Marburg, 1978). *G. Sergi, 'I poli del potere pubblico e dell'orientamento signorile degli Arduinici: Torino e Susa, in ''La contessa Adelaide e la società del secolo XI'', a special edition of ''Segusium'' 32 (1992), pp. 61–76 *G. Sergi, ''I confini del potere. Marche e signorie fra due regni medievali'' (1995). *G. Sergi, 'Matilde di Canossa e Adelaide di Torino: contatti, confronti, valutazioni tipologiche,’ in ''Matilde di Canossa e il suo tempo. Atti del XXI congresso internazionale di studio Sull’alto Medioevo'' (Spoleto, 2016), pp. 57–74.

External links

''Women's Biography: Adelaide of Turin and Susa''
(Brief biography of Adelaide, plus English translations of letters to Adelaide, and legal documents issued by Adelaide)

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Adelaide of Susa 11th-century births 1091 deaths Year of birth uncertain House of Babenberg 11th-century women regents Marquesses of Turin Marchionesses of Montferrat Countesses of Savoy Duchesses of Swabia 11th-century Italian women Aleramici Regents of Savoy Women in medieval European warfare Women in 11th-century warfare 11th-century Italian nobility Women in war in Italy Remarried duchesses consort Mothers of Savoyard monarchs 11th-century regents Regents in the Holy Roman Empire

Biography

Early life

Marriages

Widowhood and rule

Relationship with empire

Relationship with the Church

Death

Family and children

Legacy

See also

References

Sources

External links