Gundeberga or Gundeperga, (591- after 653), was queen of the Lombards in 626-652 by marriage to the kings Arioald, (king of the Lombards; 626-636) and his successor Rothari, (king of the Lombards; 636-652).[1] She acted as Regent during the minority of her stepson Rodoald after the death of her second husband in 652.[2]

Gundeberga
Queen consort of the Lombards
Tenure626 - 652
Born591
Province of Monza and Brianza
Diedafter 653
Burial
SpouseArioald
Rothari
HouseBavarian dynasty (cognatic)
FatherAgilulf
MotherTheodelinda

Life edit

She was the daughter of Theodelinda and her second husband, the Lombard king Agilulf.[3][1] As her mother was the daughter of duke Garibald I of Bavaria, Gundeberga is considered part of the Bavarian Dynasty of Lombard royalty.

She married Arioald, (king of the Lombards; 626-636), becoming queen of Lombardy. After the death of her husband in 636, she married his successor Rothari, (king of the Lombards; 636-652).[1] She became the stepmother of Rodoald. Upon the death of her second husband Rothari in 652, he was succeeded by his son Rodoald. Since Rodoald was too young to rule in accordance with Lombard custom, Gundeberga formally acted as his regent.

Rodoald died in 653. It is known that Gundeberga survived his death, but her later life is not known.

We do not know the exact year of her death, but only that she was buried in Pavia in the church of San Giovanni Domnarum, which she founded.[4]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Pohl, Walter (2001). Werkstätte der Erinnerung. Vienna.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. ^ Alberto Magnani, "Gundeperga, una regina longobarda a Pavia", "Bollettino della Società Pavese di Storia Patria", CIV/2004.
  3. ^ Peters, Edward (2003). History of the Lombards: Translated by William Dudley Foulke. University of Pennsylvania Press.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. ^ Majocchi, Piero. "The politics of memory of the Lombard monarchy in Pavia, the kingdom's capital". Materializing Memory. Archaeological material culture and the semantics of the past. Retrieved 29 July 2022.