Ermengarde of Tours

Ermengarde of Tours (c. 810 – 20 Mar 851) was a Carolinian Empress consort and queen of Italy. She was daughter of Hugh of Tours^[1] and Ava of Morvois.

Ermengarde of Tours
Empress of the Carolingian Empire
Tenure	October 821 – 20 Mar 851
Queen consort of Italy
Tenure	October 821 – 20 Mar 851
Queen consort of Middle Francia
Tenure	August 843 – 20 Mar 851
Born	c. 810
Died	20 March 851 (aged 40- 41) Erstein, France
Spouse	Lothair I
Issue	Louis II of Italy Helletrud Bertha Ermengarde Gisla Lothair II Rotrud Charles of Provence
House	Etichonids
Father	Hugh of Tours
Mother	Ava of Morvois

In October 821 in Thionville, Ermengarde married the Carolingian Emperor Lothair I of the Franks (795–855).^[1]

Ermengarde used her bridal gift to found the abbey Erstein in the Elsass,^[2] in which she is buried. Ermengarde died in 851.^[3]

Lothair and Ermengarde had:

• Louis II of Italy^[1]
• Helletrud (Hiltrud) (c. 826–after 865/866)^[4] m. Count Berengar (d. before 865/866)
• Bertha (c. 830–after 7 May 852, probably 877),^[4] became before 847 Abbess of Avenay, perhaps Äbtissin of Faremoutiers
• A daughter of unknown name (b. probably 826/830), called Ermengarde in later sources, kidnapped 846 by Gilbert, Count of the Maasgau, who then married her
• Gisla (c. 830–860)^[4] 851–860 Abbess of San Salvatore in Brescia
• Lothair II^[1]
• Rotrud (baptized 835/840 in Pavia)^[4] m. around 850/851 Lambert, Margrave of Brittany, Count of Nantes (Widonen), who died 1 May 852
• Charles of Provence^[3]

Appearance

The contemporary poet Sedulius Scottus wrote "Men despise the zither's harmonious music whenever they hear your angelic and golden voice... Your face shines like ivory and blushes like a rose, and excels the beauty of Venus and the nymphs. A dazzling crown of golden hair adorns you, and splendid topaz, as a glittering diadem... Your milk-white neck glistens with beauty, shining with the lustre of lilies or ivory. Your soft white hands dispense myriad gifts, whence they sow on earth to reap in heaven.^[5]