Berengar I of Italy
King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor, opposed by many claimants.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Berengar I (c. 845 – 7 April 924) was a Carolingian descendant who became King of Italy in 887 and Holy Roman Emperor in 915, holding both titles until his death. He is commonly called Berengar of Friuli because he governed the March of Friuli from 874 until at least 890, though he had lost that territory by 896. His 36-year rule was troubled: he faced seven different rivals for the Italian throne, and Magyar raiders began striking Western Europe during his reign. After he died, the imperial throne sat empty for 38 years until the German king Otto I was crowned emperor in 962.
Born around 845, likely at Cividale, Berengar came from the Unruoching family, named for his grandfather Unruoch II of Friuli. His parents were Eberhard of Friuli and Gisela, daughter of Louis the Pious and his second wife Judith, making Berengar a Carolingian on his mother’s side. As margrave, he married Bertila, daughter of Suppo II, to secure an alliance with the powerful Supponids. Bertila later ruled beside him as a *consors*, a title that marked her informal power and influence, not just a wife (*coniunx*).
When his older brother Unruoch III died in 874, Berengar took over the March of Friuli. This gave him a key position in the Carolingian Empire, since the march bordered Croats and other Slavs who constantly threatened Italy. He controlled several counties in northeastern Italy and acted as a channel between Friuli’s men and the emperor, as well as a means for the emperor to exert authority in the region. He also influenced the church of Friuli; in 884–885, he intervened with the emperor on behalf of Haimo, Bishop of Belluno.
After Emperor Louis II died in 875, Charles the Bald invaded Italy and had himself crowned king and emperor. Ludwig the German sent first his youngest son Charles the Fat, then his eldest son Carloman, with armies that included Italian magnates led by Berengar, to take the kingdom. They succeeded only after Charles the Bald died in 877. Berengar’s march lay close to Bavaria, which Carloman already ruled under his father, which may explain their cooperation.
In 883, Guy III of Spoleto was accused of treason at an imperial synod at Nonantula in late May. He returned to Spoleto and allied with the Saracens. Emperor Charles the Fat sent Berengar with an army to strip Guy of Spoleto. Berengar succeeded, but then an epidemic swept Italy, affecting the empero
- born
- c. 845, probably at Cividale
- died
- 7 April 924
- field
- Monarchy, Margrave of Friuli, King of Italy, Holy Roman Emperor
- nationality
- Carolingian (on his mother's side)
- known_for
- Long reign as King of Italy, election after deposition of Charles the Fat, imperial interregnum after his death
Lore & Background
Berengar was a son of Eberhard of Friuli and Gisela, a daughter of Louis the Pious and his second wife Judith, making him of Carolingian extraction on his mother's side. He succeeded his older brother Unruoch III in the March of Friuli in 874, obtaining a key position in the Carolingian Empire bordering the Croats and other Slavs. He married Bertila, daughter of Suppo II, securing an alliance with the Supponid family; she later ruled alongside him as a consors, denoting informal power and influence. In 884–885, he intervened with the emperor on behalf of Haimo, Bishop of Belluno. In 883, Emperor Charles the Fat sent Berengar with an army to deprive Guy III of Spoleto of his duchy; Berengar was successful before an epidemic ravaged Italy and forced his retirement. In 886, a feud with Liutward, Bishop of Vercelli, over Berengar's sister led to Berengar's attack on Vercelli and plundering of the bishop's goods; they were reconciled shortly before Liutward was dismissed from court in 887. By this war, Berengar lost the favor of his cousin the emperor, but made peace at the assembly at Waiblingen in early May 887 by dispensing great gifts.
Reader's Guide
Berengar I's significance lies in his long but troubled reign as King of Italy and Holy Roman Emperor, a period characterized by constant competition from rival claimants and external threats from Magyar raiders. His rule began after the deposition of Charles the Fat, marking the fragmentation of Carolingian authority in Italy. Despite his Carolingian lineage through his mother, Berengar was never able to secure undisputed control, facing seven other claimants and losing control of his base in Friuli by 896. His death in 924 was followed by an imperial interregnum that lasted 38 years until Otto I was crowned emperor in 962, highlighting the instability of the Italian kingdom and the Holy Roman Empire in the early 10th century. Berengar's reign illustrates the shift from Carolingian unity to regional power struggles, with his alliances and conflicts with figures like Guy of Spoleto, Arnulf of Germany, and Lambert shaping the political landscape of post-Carolingian Italy.
Did You Know?
- Berengar was of Carolingian extraction on his mother's side, being a grandson of Louis the Pious.
- His wife Bertila ruled alongside him as a consors, a title denoting informal power and influence, not merely a coniunx (wife).
- In 886, Berengar attacked Vercelli and plundered the bishop's goods in a feud over his sister.
- After Berengar's death, an imperial interregnum lasted 38 years until Otto I was crowned emperor in 962.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Berengar I of Italy?
He was a Carolingian-descended nobleman who ruled as King of Italy from 887 and was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 915, holding both titles until his death in 924. He is frequently called Berengar of Friuli because he administered the March of Friuli during the 870s and 880s.
How did Berengar I become King of Italy?
He was elected to the Italian throne in 887 after Charles the Fat was deposed, drawing on his Carolingian bloodline through his mother to bolster his claim. His prior experience as a regional margrave in Friuli also gave him a power base in northeastern Italy.
What was Berengar I's reign like?
His 36-year rule was defined by persistent instability, as he faced seven separate rivals pressing claims to the Italian crown. He also lived to see the first Magyar incursions into Western Europe, adding a new layer of military pressure to an already fractured political landscape.
Why is Berengar I of Italy important in medieval history?
He was the last ruler of Carolingian descent to sit on both the Italian and imperial thrones before a 38-year vacancy in the imperial title. His long, contested reign serves as a clear example of how Carolingian central authority had fragmented into competing regional claims by the late ninth century.
What happened to the imperial title after Berengar I died?
The Holy Roman Emperor throne sat empty for 38 years following his death on 7 April 924. The title was not restored until Otto I of Germany was crowned emperor in 962, ending what is often called the imperial interregnum.
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