Gotofredo (or Gotifredo) I (died 19 September 979) was the

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 ...

from 974 until his death. Gotofredo first appears as ''Gotefredus clericus ac notarius'' ("Gotofredo, cleric and notary") of Archbishop Walpert in July 962, when he was at San Salvatore di Tolla nel Piacento. Gotofredo was later a

subdeacon Subdeacon is a minor orders, minor order of ministry for men or women in various branches of Christianity. The subdeacon has a specific liturgical role and is placed below the deacon and above the acolyte in the order of precedence. Subdeacons in ...

and a supporter of the Ottonians, for whom he acted as a

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

. On 25 June 965, he was present with Burchard III of Swabia at the Battle of the Po, where

Guy of Ivrea Guy (or Guido) (c. 940 – 25 June 965) was the margrave of Ivrea from 950 to his death. In 950, his father, King Berengar II of Italy, appointed him to rule in the familial margraviate. His mother was Willa of Tuscany, his elder brother was Ada ...

was defeated and killed. Guy's younger brother, Conrad Conon, was convinced to leave his family's faction, with the offer 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 ...

, now vacated. Gotofredo, on behalf of

Otto I Otto I (23 November 912 – 7 May 973), known as Otto the Great ( ) or Otto of Saxony ( ), was East Francia, East Frankish (Kingdom of Germany, German) king from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962 until his death in 973. He was the eldest son o ...

, bestowed it on him in 970. According to the notice of his death, he had been archbishop for five years, one month, and twenty-three (or twenty-four) days, which, calculated backwards, places the beginning of his tenure in July or August 974, depending on whether it is dated from his election or

consecration Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...

. His predecessor, Arnulf I, died on 16 April 974. Gotofredo's episcopate was marked by his continued support for the Ottonian dynasty and for German rule of Italy. He died in 979 and was buried in Santa Maria Iemale. He was the last of a series of seven politically active archbishops before a period of quiet descended on the Ambrosian see.

References

{{authority control 979 deaths Archbishops of Milan Year of birth unknown