Obertenghi

The House of Obertenghi were a prominent Italian noble family of Longobard origin descended from Viscount Adalbert III, first Margrave of Milan.

Obertenghi
Marcher noble family
Parent family	Bonifaci (disputed, since the Bonifaci were of Frankish descent)
Country	Kingdom of Italy (HRE)
Etymology	Descendant from Oberto I[1]
Place of origin	Probably Pavia or Lombardy
Founded	940 (940)
Founder	Adalberto the Margrave[2]
Current head	Currently no one is the Head of this dynasty because of the Lex Langobardorum, so every descendant of the various branches has equal rights in being the Head of the House of Obertenghi as the others
Final ruler	Albert Azzo II
Titles	List Count of Genoa (940–1097) Margrave of Milan[2] (940–1097) Count palatine of Pavia[1] (953–1097) Marquis of Este (1011–1097) Margrave of Ancona (1013–1093)
Dissolution	1097 (1097)
Cadet branches	House of Este House of Welf House of Hannover House of Cavalcabò Marquises of Gavi Lupi of Soragna Meli-Lupi of Soragna Visconti Viscounts of Manesseno House of Spinola House of De Castro Malocelli Embriaco Viscounts of Carmandino Visconti delle Isole House of Fieschi House of Confalonieri House of Lacon-Massa Marquises of Massa House of Malaspina House of Pallavicini

History

Obertenghi tower

March of Ivrea, Marca Arduinica, Marca Aleramica and Marca Obertenga, subdivision of the Kingdom of Lombardy made by Berengar II of Italy in the 10th century

The family held the titles of Marquis of Milan and Genoa, Count of Luni, Tortona, Genoa and Milan and regent of the March that took the family's name in the 10th century, the "Marca Obertenga", which encompassed most of the territories of present-day Northwest Italy and parts of Switzerland. The dynasty is the progenitor of the widely powerful and prestigious House of Este, as well the House of Welf, parent house of the Hanover dynasty.^[3] Other cadet lines include the two of the most ancient Italian noble families, the House of Malaspina and the House of Pallavicini.^[4] Early in 951, Berengar II of Italy finished the reorganisation of the Italian feudal structure begun by his predecessor Hugh. He named three new Margraves to three new territories: Margraviate of Turin, Margraviate of Western Liguria and Margraviate of Eastern Liguria:

• Arduin Glaber was elevated from count to margrave of Turin (Torino, Ivrea, Maritime Alps, Nice, Ventimiglia, Sanremo); the Marca Arduinica or mark of the Arduinici.
• Aleramo, Marquis of Montferrat, he named margrave of Western Liguria (Vercelli, Monferrato, Ceva, Acqui Terme, Oneglia, Albenga); the Marca Aleramica or mark of the Aleramici.
• Oberto I^[5][6] margrave of Milan and count of Luni (Milan and Eastern Liguria at this time contained the counties of Genoa, Luni, Tortona, Bobbio, Piacenza and Parma); the Marca Obertenga or mark of the Obertenghi.

Family tree

Obertenghi Family[7]
Adalberto the Margrave il Margravio or Adalberto III (10th century – 951?) unknown Oberto I (?-975) unknown Ambroso Bishop of Aleria (?-988) Oberto II Railenda Adalberto I Adelaide Adalberto III unknown Anselmo Guglielmo Berta Oberto Obizzo Ugo Alberto Azzo I Adele Oberto Obizzo I Bertha Ulric Manfred II Adalberto IV Anselmo Oberto III Adalberto VI

Family heads

• 940–951: Adalbert III, (Regent) Margrave of Milan^[2] – Frankish noble, reputed son of Guy, Margrave of Tuscany.^[8]
• 951–975: Otbert I, Margrave of Milan, Count of Genoa^[1] – son of Adalbert; forefather of the dynasty, which name took from.
• 975–1002: Adalbert IV, Margrave of Milan, Count of Genoa – first-born son of Otbert I; grandfather of Adalbert II Pelavicino, founder of the Pallavicini family.^[9]
• 1002–1014: Otbert II, Margrave of Milan, Count of Genoa – second-born son of Otbert I; deposed and imprisoned by Emperor Henry II due to his support for Arduin of Ivrea. Father of Obizzo I (third-born son), forefather of the Malaspina family.
• 1014–1024: Hugh, Margrave of Milan, Count of Genoa – first-born son of Odbert II. Appointed by Emperor Henry II, he fell out after his death. Died childless.^[2]
• 1024–1029: Albert Azzo I, Margrave of Milan, Count of Genoa – second-born son of Odbert II. First marquis of Este in 1011.^[10]
• 1029–1097: Albert Azzo II, Margrave of Milan, Count of Genoa – son of Albert Azzo. Last of the Obertenghi main branch.^[11] Succeeded by:
  • From his marriage with Kunigunde of Altdorf, Welf I, founder of the Younger House of Welf.^[12]
  • From his marriage with Gersende, Countess of Maine, Faulk I, still Margrave of Milan and founder of the House of Este.^[13]
  • Another son with Gersende, Hugh V, inherited the County of Maine, dying childless.^[14]

See also

• Kingdom of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)