De-Facto Co-Ruler of the Holy Roman Empire
Born: c.840 AD, Present-day Germany
Died: c.890 AD, Present-day Piacenza, Italy
Also Known As: Engelberga
Angelberga was married to Louis II of Italy and served as Carolingian empress until her husband’s death. They had two daughters together. Angelberga would rule in her husband’s place when he traveled on campaigns, and she was very active politically during his life and after his death.
During his reign, documents were signed with both of their names, and coins were minted with both of their images. At times, the pair would go on campaign together, and Angelberga reportedly led troops into battle in central and southern Italy.
For reasons that do not survive in the historical record, Louis and Angelberga divorced around 872. However, despite him remarrying, Angelberga was reinstated as empress before Louis died in 875. After Louis’s death, the new emperor feared Angelberga’s influence and had her banished to Switzerland. She did not stay away long, however. Angelberga returned to Italy and lived out the end of her life in the convent she had founded in Piacenza, Italy.
Just remember that with historical figures, such as Angelberga, from a time period that is not as well-documented as historians would like are sometimes hard to research. Every source disagrees somewhat with something to do with Angelberga’s life story. So basically what I am trying to say is take all of this with a grain of salt, but she definitely ruled as Empress and was definitely a woman who went above and beyond what most were able to do in her time period, and for that she should always be remembered.