Arduin of Italy

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Arduin of Ivrea (955 – 1015), was Margrave of Ivrea and self-proclaimed King of Italy. He was the son of Dado, Count of Pombia.

Arduin succeeded to the northern Italian Margravate of Ivrea in 990 on dubious grounds. He was excommunicated for the murder of the Bishop of Vercelli in 997.

He proclaimed himself King of Italy after the death of Otto III in 1002. At first he was "elected by the Lombards in Pavia and was called 'caesar' by all", according to the chronicler Arnulf of Milan ^[1]. He made the rounds of the kingdom with the Archbishop of Milan publicly at his side, while Henry II was acclaimed King of the Germans. The territorial magnates professed to favour him but secretly were in favour of Henry, according to Arnulf. His enemies in the church sided with the new emperor. Henry sent his duke, Otto of Carinthia, whom he made count of Verona, to face Arduin, who was successful in the pitched battle of Fabrica: "he slaughtered many and put the rest to flight outside the boundaries of the kingdom".

Henry returned with a strong force that left Germany in March 1004 and arrived at Trent on 9 April 1004. He met Arduin outside Verona, where Arduin was disappointed in his expected support and gave way. Henry entered Pavia, and had himself crowned king, 14 May 1004, in San Michele in Pavia then burned the city that had given shelter to Arduin. This had its effect: "all of Italy was horrified by this and likewise extremely fearful. As confidence in Arduin waned from this time on, Henry's power prevailed everywhere." (Arnulf, I.16). Arduin took revenge on those who had been unfaithful to him. According to Arnulf, he

"captured the city of Vercelli, besieged Novara, invaded Como, and destroyed many other places opposed to him. In the end [1014-15], worn down by labor and sickness and deprived of his kingdom, he was content with the monastery named Fruttuaria alone. There, after the regalia had been placed upon the altar and he had donned the habit of a pauper, he fell asleep in his own time [14 December 1015]".

After his death the Margravate of Ivrea, which had given the Ottonian emperors so much trouble (see Berengar of Ivrea) was dissolved.

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