Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Trier, Trier, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany; Duchess
• Appointments / Titles: Princess of the Franks
• FSID: LCX5-2HB

Notes:

Chrotrude's parentage has never been positively confirmed. She was either the daughter of Lambert of Hesbaye, or the daughter of Leudwin of Treves - see Wikipedia article.

Rotrude (Chrodtrudis) (or Crotude, Chrotrude, or Ruadtrud; died 724) was the first wife of Charles Martel, Mayor of the Palace and de facto ruler of Francia from 718 to 741. She was the mother of Pepin the Short, King of the Franks, and therefore the grandmother of Charlemagne. Rotrude is believed to be the daughter of Lambert, Count of Hesbaye

Rotrude and Charles had five children:
Carloman, Mayor of the Palace
Pepin the Short, King of the Franks and father of Charlemagne
Hiltrude, Duchess Consort of Bavaria, married to Odilo, Duke of Bavaria
Landrade
Auda of France, married to Thierry IV, Count of Autun.

After Rotrude’s death in 724, Charles married Swanachild and had one child Grifo. Charles also had a mistress Ruodhaid with whom he had numerous children.

The only indication of Chrotrud's family membership arises from the information that Wido, lay abbot of Saint-Wandrille († executed 739), a close relative, propinquus, was Karl Martell's. Wido is mentioned as early as 715 as the brother of Bishop Milo of Trier and Reims and as the son of St. Liutwin. If one translates propinquus as brother-in-law and relates the connection to Chrotrud, she becomes a daughter of Liutwin and a member of the Widonen. This line of thought was published by Anton Halbedel in 1915 and has since been taken up several times, but it is only a h y p o t h e s i s .

Rotrude (Chrodtrudis) (or Crotude, Chrotrude, or Ruadtrud; died 724) was the first wife of Charles Martel, Mayor of the Palace and de facto ruler of Francia from 718 to 741. She was the mother of Pepin the Short, King of the Franks, and therefore the grandmother of Charlemagne. Rotrude is believed to be the daughter of Lambert, Count of Hesbaye, although this designation is not without controversy, as discussed below. She is also referred to as Rotrude of Treves.

Traditionally, the information available about the family background of Rotrude was the indication that Wido (Guy), Count of Hornbach and Lay Abbot of Fontenelle, was a propinquus of Martel. This kinship term, vague enough, means a close relationship with women: a brother, a cousin by women or a cousin by marriage. Wido is the brother of Milo, Bishop of Trier, and son of Saint Leudwinus, Bishop of Trier.

Christian Settipani, in his work on the ancestors of Charlemagne, details an analysis by Anton Halbedel, first issued in 1915, and echoed by historians Joseph Depoin, Maurice Chaume and Szabolcs de Vajay. According to this analysis, the word propinquus implies "brother", so that Wido was Rotrude’s brother. Rotrude has therefore often been identified as the daughter of Saint Leudwinus.

However, in Settipani’s Addendum to the Ancestors of Charlemagne,[1] he returns to this problem, reflecting thoughts of the medieval history professor Richard Gerberding, who believed that Rotrude’s background was related directly to the Robertians. He noted that Charles Martel had three wives and that Wido may be a relative of the other two.

Settipani concludes that Rotrude was the daughter of Lambert, Count of Hesbaye, and so sister of Robert I, Duke of Neustria. In addition, Rotrude’s sister was named Landrada and was married to Sigramnus, Count of Hesbaye. Landrada and Sigramnus were parents of Saint Chrodegang, Bishop of Metz. Note that Rotrude and Charles had daughter also named Landrade, who is often erroneously identified as the wife of Sigramnus.[2]

Rotrude and Charles had five children:

Carloman, Mayor of the Palace
Pepin the Short, King of the Franks and father of Charlemagne
Hiltrude, Duchess Consort of Bavaria, married to Odilo, Duke of Bavaria
(perhaps) Landrade
(perhaps) Auda of France, married to Thierry IV, Count of Autun.
After Rotrude’s death in 724, Charles married Swanachild and had one child Grifo. Charles also had a mistress Ruodhaid with whom he had numerous children.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotrude_of_Hesbaye

Chrotrude married Martel, King Charles in 721 in Quierzy, Aisne, Picardie, France. Charles (son of von Herstal, Pippin II and von Herstal, Chalpaida) was born on 23 Aug 686 in Herstal, Liege, Belgium; was christened in 688 in Herstal, Liege, Belgium; died on 20 Oct 741 in Quierzy, Aisne, Picardie, France; was buried on 22 Oct 741 in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Île-de-France, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LHKK-QWT

Notes:

Auda of France
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Auda, Aida, Alda, Aldana or Adalne (722 – before 755?) was a daughter of Charles Martel and probably Rotrude, and was the mother of Saint William of Gellone.

Marriage and children
She was married to Thierry IV, count of Autun in 742 and in 750, son of Theodoric, count, and descendant of Bertrada of Prüm. From this marriage were born:

Theodoen (d. bef. 826), count of Autun, mentioned in 804
Thierry, mentioned in 782 and in 804.
Adalhelm
William, count of Toulouse and founder of the Abbey of Gellone.
Abba and Berta, mentioned as nuns in 804. One of them was probably married to a Nibelungid, Childebrand II or Nibelung II.

Aude married d'Autun, Thierry I in 742. Thierry was born in UNKNOWN; died on 14 Dec 804. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Nickname: The Short
• FSID: 9MWY-PTR
• Residence: Basilica of St Denis, Paris, Île-de-France, France
• Appointments / Titles: Between 741 and 751, Kingdom of Neustria (Historical); On the death of Charles Martel in 741, Pepin succeeding his father as the Mayor of the Palace of Neustria while his older brother Carloman became Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia.
• Appointments / Titles: Between 751 and 24 Sep 768, Soissons, Aisne, Picardie, France; Elected King of the Franks by an assembly of Frankish nobles in 751, Pepin was anointed King of the Franks by Boniface, Archbishop of Mainzin, in Soissons.
• Religion: 752, Metz, Moselle, Lorraine, France; Appointed Archbishop of Metz
• Appointments / Titles: 754, Basilica of St Denis, Paris, Île-de-France, France; In 754 Pepin was anointed King a second time by Pope Stephen II in Paris at the Basilica of St Denis. In the lavish ceremony the Pope also bestowed upon him the additional title of Patrician of the Romans. This is the first recorded crowning of a civil ruler by a Pope.

Notes:

Pepin the Short
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Pepin the Short
King of the Franks
Reign 751 – 24 September 768
Predecessor Childeric III
Successor Charlemagne and Carloman I
Mayor of the Palace of Neustria
Reign 741–751
Predecessor Charles Martel
Successor Merged into crown
Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia
Reign 747–751
Predecessor Carloman
Successor Merged into crown
Born 714
Died 24 September 768 (aged 54)
Saint-Denis
Burial Basilica of St Denis
Spouse Bertrada of Laon
Issue Charlemagne
Carloman I
Gisela
Dynasty Carolingian
Father Charles Martel
Mother Rotrude of Hesbaye
Religion Roman Catholicism
Signature Pepin the Short's signature
Pepin the Short[a] (German: Pippin der Jüngere, French: Pépin le Bref, c. 714 – 24 September 768) was the King of the Franks from 751 until his death in 768. He was the first of the Carolingians to become king.[b][2]

The younger son of the Frankish prince Charles Martel and his wife Rotrude, Pepin's upbringing was distinguished by the ecclesiastical education he had received from the monks of St. Denis. Succeeding his father as the Mayor of the Palace in 741, Pepin reigned over Francia jointly with his elder brother Carloman. Pepin ruled in Neustria, Burgundy and Provence, while his older brother Carloman established himself in Austrasia, Alemannia and Thuringia. The brothers were active in suppressing revolts led by the Bavarians, Aquitanians, Saxons and the Alemanni in the early years of their reign. In 743, they ended the Frankish interregnum by choosing Childeric III, who was to be the last Merovingian monarch, as figurehead king of the Franks.

Being well disposed towards the church and papacy on account of their ecclesiastical upbringing, Pepin and Carloman continued their father's work in supporting Saint Boniface in reforming the Frankish church, and evangelising the Saxons. After Carloman, who was an intensely pious man, retired to religious life in 747, Pepin became the sole ruler of the Franks. He suppressed a revolt led by his half-brother Grifo, and succeeded in becoming the undisputed master of all Francia. Giving up pretense, Pepin then forced Childeric into a monastery and had himself proclaimed king of the Franks with support of Pope Zachary in 751. The decision was not supported by all members of the Carolingian family and Pepin had to put down a revolt led by Carloman's son, Drogo, and again by Grifo.

As king, Pepin embarked on an ambitious program to expand his power. He reformed the legislation of the Franks and continued the ecclesiastical reforms of Boniface. Pepin also intervened in favour of the papacy of Stephen II against the Lombards in Italy. He was able to secure several cities, which he then gave to the Pope as part of the Donation of Pepin. This formed the legal basis for the Papal States in the Middle Ages. The Byzantines, keen to make good relations with the growing power of the Frankish empire, gave Pepin the title of Patricius. In wars of expansion, Pepin conquered Septimania from the Islamic Umayyads, and subjugated the southern realms by repeatedly defeating Waiofar and his Gascon troops, after which the Gascon and Aquitanian lords saw no option but to pledge loyalty to the Franks. Pepin was, however, troubled by the relentless revolts of the Saxons and the Bavarians. He campaigned tirelessly in Germany, but the final subjugation of these tribes was left to his successors.

Pepin died in 768 and was succeeded by his sons Charlemagne and Carloman. Although unquestionably one of the most powerful and successful rulers of his time, Pepin's reign is largely overshadowed by that of his more famous son, Charlemagne.

Contents
1 Assumption of power
2 First Carolingian King
3 Expansion of the Frankish realm
4 Legacy
5 Family
6 Notes
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links
Assumption of power
Pepin's father Charles Martel died in 741. He divided the rule of the Frankish kingdom between Pepin and his elder brother, Carloman, his surviving sons by his first wife: Carloman became Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia, Pepin became Mayor of the Palace of Neustria. Grifo, Charles's son by his second wife, Swanahild (also known as Swanhilde), demanded a share in the inheritance, but he was besieged in Laon, forced to surrender and imprisoned in a monastery by his two half-brothers.

In the Frankish realm the unity of the kingdom was essentially connected with the person of the king. So Carloman, to secure this unity, raised the Merovingian Childeric to the throne (743). Then in 747 Carloman either resolved to or was pressured into entering a monastery. This left Francia in the hands of Pepin as sole mayor of the palace and dux et princeps Francorum.

At the time of Carloman's retirement, Grifo escaped his imprisonment and fled to Duke Odilo of Bavaria, who was married to Hiltrude, Pepin's sister. Pepin put down the renewed revolt led by his half-brother and succeeded in completely restoring the boundaries of the kingdom.

Under the reorganization of Francia by Charles Martel, the dux et princeps Francorum was the commander of the armies of the kingdom, in addition to his administrative duties as mayor of the palace.[3]

Coronation in 751 of Pepin the Short by Boniface, Archbishop of Mainz
First Carolingian King
As mayor of the palace, Pepin was formally subject to the decisions of Childeric III who had only the title of King but no power. Since Pepin had control over the magnates and actually had the power of a king, he now addressed to Pope Zachary a suggestive question:

In regard to the kings of the Franks who no longer possess the royal power: is this state of things proper?
Hard pressed by the Lombards, Pope Zachary welcomed this move by the Franks to end an intolerable condition and lay the constitutional foundations for the exercise of the royal power. The Pope replied that such a state of things is not proper. In these circumstances, the de facto power was considered more important than the de jure authority.

After this decision the throne was declared vacant. Childeric III was deposed and confined to a monastery. He was the last of the Merovingians.

Pepin was then elected King of the Franks by an assembly of Frankish nobles, with a large portion of his army on hand. The earliest account of his election and anointing is the Clausula de Pippino written around 767. Meanwhile, Grifo continued his rebellion, but was eventually killed in the battle of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in 753.

Pepin was assisted by his friend Vergilius of Salzburg, an Irish monk who probably used a copy of the "Collectio canonum Hibernensis" (an Irish collection of canon law) to advise him to receive royal unction to assist his recognition as king.[4] Anointed a first time in 751 in Soissons, Pepin added to his power after Pope Stephen II traveled all the way to Paris to anoint him a second time in a lavish ceremony at the Basilica of St Denis in 754, bestowing upon him the additional title of patricius Romanorum (Patrician of the Romans) and is the first recorded crowning of a civil ruler by a Pope.[5] As life expectancies were short in those days, and Pepin wanted family continuity, the Pope also anointed Pepin's sons, Charles (eventually known as Charlemagne), who was 12, and Carloman, who was 3.

Expansion of the Frankish realm

Muslim troops leaving Narbonne in 759, after 40 years of occupation

Pepin's expedition to Septimania and Aquitaine (760)
Pepin's first major act as king was to go to war against the Lombard king Aistulf, who had expanded into the ducatus Romanus. After a meeting with Pope Stephen II at Ponthion, Pepin forced the Lombard king to return property seized from the Church.[6] He confirmed the papacy in possession of Ravenna and the Pentapolis, the so-called Donation of Pepin, whereby the Papal States were established and the temporal reign of the papacy officially began.[6] At about 752, he turned his attention to Septimania. The new king headed south in a military expedition down the Rhone valley and received the submission of eastern Septimania (i.e. Nîmes, Maguelone, Beziers and Agde) after securing count Ansemund's allegiance. The Frankish king went on to invest Narbonne, the main Umayyad stronghold in Septimania, but could not capture it from the Iberian Muslims until seven years later in 759,[7] when they were driven out to Hispania.

Aquitaine still remained under Waiofar's Gascon-Aquitanian rule, however, and beyond Frankish reach. Duke Waiofar appears to have confiscated Church lands, maybe distributing them among his troops. In 760, after conquering the Roussillon from the Muslims and denouncing Waiofar's actions, Pepin moved his troops over to Toulouse and Albi, ravaged with fire and sword most of Aquitaine, and, in retaliation, counts loyal to Waiofar ravaged Burgundy.[8] Pepin, in turn, besieged the Aquitanian-held towns and strongholds of Bourbon, Clermont, Chantelle, Bourges and Thouars, defended by Waiofar's Gascon troops, who were overcome, captured and deported into northern France with their children and wives.[9]

In 763, Pepin advanced further into the heart of Waiofar's domains and captured major strongholds (Poitiers, Limoges, Angoulême, etc.), after which Waiofar counterattacked and war became bitter. Pepin opted to spread terror, burning villas, destroying vineyards and depopulating monasteries. By 765, the brutal tactics seemed to pay off for the Franks, who destroyed resistance in central Aquitaine and devastated the whole region. The city of Toulouse was conquered by Pepin in 767 as was Waiofar's capital of Bordeaux.[10]

As a result, Aquitanian nobles and Gascons from beyond the Garonne too saw no option but to accept a pro-Frankish peace treaty (Fronsac, c. 768). Waiofar escaped but was assassinated by his own frustrated followers in 768.

Legacy

Allegoric depiction of Pepin
Pepin died during a campaign, in 768 at the age of 54. He was interred in the Basilica of Saint Denis in modern-day Metropolitan Paris. His wife Bertrada was also interred there in 783. Charlemagne rebuilt the Basilica in honor of his parents and placed markers at the entrance.

The Frankish realm was divided according to the Salic law between his two sons: Charlemagne and Carloman I.

Historical opinion often seems to regard him as the lesser son and lesser father of two greater men, though a great man in his own right. He continued to build up the heavy cavalry which his father had begun. He maintained the standing army that his father had found necessary to protect the realm and form the core of its full army in wartime. He not only contained the Iberian Muslims as his father had, but drove them out of what is now France and, as important, he managed to subdue the Aquitanians and the Gascons after three generations of on-off clashes, so opening the gate to central and southern Gaul and Muslim Iberia. He continued his father's expansion of the Frankish church (missionary work in Germany and Scandinavia) and the institutional infrastructure (feudalism) that would prove the backbone of medieval Europe.

His rule, while not as great as either his father's or son's, was historically important and of great benefit to the Franks as a people. Pepin's assumption of the crown, and the title of Patrician of Rome, were harbingers of his son's imperial coronation which is usually seen as the founding of the Kingdom of France. He made the Carolingians de jure what his father had made them de facto—the ruling dynasty of the Franks and the foremost power of Europe. Known as a great conqueror, he was undefeated during his lifetime.

Family
Pepin married Leutberga from the Danube region. They had five children. She was repudiated some time after the birth of Charlemagne and her children were sent to convents.

In 741, Pepin married Bertrada, daughter of Caribert of Laon. They are known to have had eight children, at least three of whom survived to adulthood:

Charles (2 April 742 – 28 January 814), (Charlemagne)
Carloman (751 – 4 December 771)
Gisela (757–810)
Pepin, died in infancy.
Chrothais, died young, buried in Metz.
Adelais, died young, buried in Metz.

Family/Spouse: de Laon, Queen Bertrada II. Bertrada was born on 1 Apr 720 in Laon, Aisne, Picardie, France; was christened on 2 Apr 720 in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Île-de-France, France; died on 12 Jul 783 in Choisy, Oise, Picardie, France; was buried on 16 Jul 783 in Basilica of St Denis, Paris, Île-de-France, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: LHKK-QWT

Notes:

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/FRANKSMaiordomi.htm#AldaMTheodericAutun

Family/Spouse: von Autun, Theoderic I. Theoderic was born in 715 in Autun, Saône-et-Loire, Bourgogne, France; died in 793. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: 9M9K-2FB

Notes:

Adalhelm of Autun
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Adalhelm of Autun was a Frankish nobleman of the 8th and 9th centuries from the Wilhelmid family, son of Thierry IV and the Carolingian Alda.

He was called as a witness in the charters of the foundation of the abbey of Gellone by his brother William, 15 December 804. Two other brothers signed these charters: Theodoen and a Thierry who is not mentioned in any charters.

That is the only ascertainable information about Adalhelm himself. On the basis of onomastics, two children have been assigned to him:

Waldrada, wife of Adrian, Count of Orléans, count palatine of the Agilolfing family, brother of Hildegard, wife of Charlemagne.
Bernard I , count of Poitiers in 815 and in 825.

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• House: House of Carolingians
• FSID: LZ62-TSV
• Appointments / Titles: Between 768 and 814; King of the Franks
• Military: 1 Jul 772; The Saxons resisted and the war lasted about 30 years conquered pagan Saxony
• Appointments / Titles: 774; King of the Lombards
• Military: Oct 782, Verdun, Meuse, Lorraine, France; the campaign against the Saxons to his east lead to the Massacre of Verden
• Appointments / Titles: Between 800 and 814; Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire

Notes:

Charlemagne, also Charles I, Charles the Great, Carolus Magus, Charles le Grand and Karl de Grosse
Originally he was named Charles, after his Frankish grandfather Charles Martel, it was not until much later that historians began calling him Charles the Great or Charles le Magne which evolved into Charlemagne.
Charlemagne was the oldest son of Pepin the Short and Bertrada of Laon, born before their canonical marriage, on 2 April 742, most likely at Aachen. Charlemagne was technically an illegitimate child, since he was born out of wedlock; Pepin and Bertrada were bound by a private contract or Friedelehe at the time of his birth, but did not marry until 744.
He became king in 768 following his father's death, initially as co-ruler with his brother Carloman I. Carloman's sudden death in December 771 under unexplained circumstances left Charlemagne the sole ruler of the Frankish Kingdom. He continued his father's policy towards the papacy and became its protector, removing the Lombards from power in northern Italy and leading an incursion into Muslim Spain.

Charles I, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and Emperor of the Romans from 800. During the Early Middle Ages, he united the majority of western and central Europe. He was the first recognized emperor to rule from western Europe since the fall of the Western Roman Empire three centuries earlier. The expanded Frankish state that Charlemagne founded is called the Carolingian Empire. He was later canonized by Antipope Paschal III.

In his role as a zealous defender of Christianity, Charlemagne gave money and land to the Christian church and protected the popes. As a way to acknowledge Charlemagne’s power and reinforce his relationship with the church, Pope Leo III crowned Charlemagne emperor of the Romans on December 25, 800, at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

As emperor, Charlemagne proved to be a talented diplomat and able administrator of the vast area he controlled. He promoted education and encouraged the Carolingian Renaissance, a period of renewed emphasis on scholarship and culture. He instituted economic and religious reforms, and was a driving force behind the Carolingian miniscule, a standardized form of writing that later became a basis for modern European printed alphabets. Charlemagne ruled from a number of cities and palaces, but spent significant time in Aachen. His palace there included a school, for which he recruited the best teachers in the land.

In addition to learning, Charlemagne was interested in athletic pursuits. Known to be highly energetic, he enjoyed hunting, horseback riding and swimming. Aachen held particular appeal for him due to its therapeutic warm springs.

Charlemagne had eighteen children with eight of his ten known wives or concubines. Nonetheless, he had only four legitimate grandsons, the four sons of his fourth son, Louis. In addition, he had a grandson (Bernard of Italy, the only son of his third son, Pepin of Italy), who was illegitimate but included in the line of inheritance. Among his descendants are several royal dynasties, including the Habsburg, Capetian and Plantagenet dynasties. By consequence, most if not all established European noble families ever since can genealogically trace some of their background to Charlemagne.

In 813, Charlemagne called Louis the Pious, king of Aquitaine, his only surviving legitimate son, to his court. There Charlemagne crowned his son as co-emperor and sent him back to Aquitaine. He then spent the autumn hunting before returning to Aachen on 1 November. In January, he fell ill with pleurisy and on 28 January 814 Charlemagne died, in the seventy-second year of his age and the forty-seventh of his reign.He was buried that same day, in Aachen Cathedral.
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I have included the 'Royal Ancestry" information below in cooperation with other members here, but would like to point out it is not the ONLY or even the best source of information on Charlemagne. Most of the information found in it originally came from "Vita Karoli Magni" written by Eginhard, who was Charlemagne's own court biographer and actually knew, and lived among, Charlemagne's family.
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“Royal Ancestry: A Study in Colonial & Medieval Families,” Douglas Richardson (2013):
“CHARLEMAGNE, King of the Franks, 768-814, King of the Langobards, 773-814, Emperor of the Romans, 800-814, son of Pépin (nicknamed "le Bref”), King of the Franks, by Bertrade, daughter of Charibert, Count of Laon. On the death of his father in 768, he became King of the Franks jointly with his brother, Carloman, and was crowned 9 October 768 at Noyon. He married (1st c.769-770, daughter of Desiderius, king of the Lombards. They had no issue. He married (2nd) before 30 April 771 HILDEGARDE, daughter of Gerold I, Count in Vinzgau, by Imma (or Emma), daughter of Count Nebi (or Hnabi). They had four sons, Charles, Pépin [King of Italy], Louis (I) [King of Aquitaine, Emperor], and Lothair, and five daughters, Adelaide (or Adelheid), Rotrude, Berthe, Gisele, and Hildegarde. On the death of his brother, Carloman, in 771, he reunited his father's possessions. He conquered the kingdom of the Lombards in 773. He used the title "rex Francorum et Langobardorum" from 5 June 774, adding "atque patricius Romanorum" from 16 July 774. His wife, Hildegarde, died at Thionville (Moselle) 30 April 783, and was buried in the church of the abbey of Saint Arnoul at Metz. He married (3rd) at Worms in October 783 FASTRADA, daughter of Radulf, Count in Franconia. They had two daughters, Theodrade [Abbess of Argenteuil] and Hiltrude. His wife, Fastrada, died at Frankfurt 10 August 794, and was buried in the basilica of Saint-Alban in Mainz. He married (4th) c.794-796 LIUTGARDE, an Alamannian. They had no issue. By various mistresses, he had four illegitimate sons, Pépin, Dreux [Bishop of Metz], Hugues, and Thierry (or Theodoric), and three illegitimate daughters, Chrothais, Rothlldis (or Rouhaut) [Abbess at Faremoutiers], and Adaltrude. His wife, Liutgarde, died at Tours 4 June 800, and was buried in the church of Saint-Martin in Tours. He was crowned Emperor of the Romans at St. Peter's, Rome 25 December 800. CHARLEMAGNE, Emperor of the Romans, died at Aachen 28 January 814, and was buried at Aix-la-Chapelle.
Guerard Cartulaire de l’Abbeye de Saint-Berlin (Coll. des Cartulaires de France 3) (1840): 55-56 (Chartulatium Sithiense, Pars Prima, Folquini Lib. I.). Henaux Charlemagne d'après les Traditions liégeoises (1878). Eginhard Life of Charlemagne (1880). Monumenta Germaniæ Historica SS XIII (1881): 219. (Annales Necrologici Prumienses [necrology of Prüm]: "Anno Domini incarn. 814. Karolus imperator 5 Kal. Feb. [28 Jan.] feliciter diem ultimum clausit, anno etatis suae circiter 71."). Cutts Charlemagne (1882). Monumenta Germaniæ Historica (Necrologia Germaniæ 1) (1888): 273 (Necrologium Augiæ Divitis: kat Ianuarius [28 January] - Karolus imperator."). Birch Cat. Seals in the British Museum 5 (1898): 111 (seal of Charlemagne dated A.D. 774- Oval: impression from an oval intaglio engraved stone. A bust, draped, turned to the right in profile. Legend: + XPE PROTEGE CAROLVM REGE FRANC.), 111 (seal of Charlemagne dated A.D. 812 - Oval: impression of an antique oval intaglio gem. Bust of Jupiter Serapis, with the modius on his head, in profile to the left. No legend.). Hodgkin Life of Charlemagne (1902). Halphen Recueil d'Annales Angevines et Vendômoises (1903): 52 (Annales de Vendôme sub A.D. 814: "Inclitus imperator Karolus migravit ad Christum feliciter, amen, v kalendas feburarii [28 January]."). Russell Charlemagne, First of the Moderns (1930). Scholz & Rogers Carolingian Chronicles: Royal Frankish Annals & Nithard's Histories (1970): 61 (Royal Frankish Annals sub A.D. 783: "The worthy Lady Queen Hildegard died on April 30, which fell that year on the eve of the Ascension of the Lord."). Banfield Charlemagne (1986). Winter Descs. of Charlemagne (800-1400) (1987): I, II.1-II.18. Settipani & von Kerrebrouck La Préhistoire des Capetians (1993). Collins Charlemagne (1998). Becher Charlemagne (2003). Bhote Charlemagne: The Life & Times of an Early Medieval Emperor (2005). Story Charlemagne: Empire & Society (2005). Wilson Charlemagne: A Biography (2005). Einhard and Notker the Stammerer Two Lives of Charlemagne (2008). McKitterick Charlemagne: The Formation of a European Identity (2008).
Children of Charlemagne, by Hildegarde:
i. PÉPIN (or PIPPIN), King of Italy [see next].
ii. LOUIS, King of Aquitaine, Emperor, married (1st) ERMENGARDE OF HASPENGAU; (2nd) JUDITH OF ALTORF [see Line B, Gen. 2 below].”

Charlemagne married von Vinzgau, Hildegard in 771. Hildegard (daughter of of Kraichgau, Gérold I and of Alemannia, Imma) was born on 2 Apr 757 in Aachen, Aachen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany; was christened on 2 Apr 757 in Kingdom of the Franks; died on 30 Apr 783 in Thionville, Moselle, Lorraine, France; was buried on 1 May 783 in Metz, Moselle, Lorraine, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: L19Q-3DY
• Appointments / Titles: Between 790 and 811; 2nd Duke of Toulouse
• Life Event: 29 Jun 806, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, Hérault, Languedoc-Roussillon, France; Lived as a hermit in the Gellone monastery which he founded

Notes:

When Wilhelm von Gellon Herzog von Aquitanien was born about 0750, in Royaume, Tournai, Hainaut, Belgium, his father, Theoderic I Graf von Autun, was 35 and his mother, Aldana, was 32. He married Kunigunde in 0779. They were the parents of at least 3 sons and 1 daughter. In 806, at the age of 56, his occupation is listed as lebte als einsiedler in dem von ihm gegründeten kloster gellone in Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, Hérault, Languedoc-Roussillon, France. He died in May 0815, in Hérault, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, at the age of 65, and was buried in Aniane, Hérault, Languedoc-Roussillon, France.

The abbey of Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert in the Gellone valley (30 kilometers northwest of Montpellier) owes its name to Guilhem, a French knight of the medieval period. Born sometime in the late 8th century, Guilhem was the grandson of Charles Martel, the Duke of Aquitane, and one of the Emperor Charlemagne's chosen knights. He fought bravely against the Saracens (Muslims) of Spain and became famous as the hero of medieval ballads due to his knightly prowess and chivalrous character. A devout Christian who ended his days (died 812 AD) in the monastery at Gellone, he endowed the abbey with a relic of the True Cross, given to him by Charlemagne. Because of this relic, the monastery soon prospered and became an important place of pilgrimage in southern France.
With the development of the great medieval pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela (the shrine of Saint James in northwestern Spain) in the 10th century, Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert became a recognized stage on one of the four major routes leading to Compostela. By the middle of the 11th century this influx of pilgrims to the Gellone valley enabled the monks to rebuild their monastery on a larger scale, using the architectural techniques of the early Romanesque style. The present abbey church dates from that period.
The life of the monastery continued, influenced from time to time by national events and the wider crosscurrents of history until its slow decline in the 18th century and its suppression during the French Revolution in 1790. In the 19th century the abbey was vandalized and fragments of its buildings are found scattered all over the region, even as far away as the Cloisters museum, north of New York City. Reconstructed in the 20th century, today the abbey is the parish church of the small, picturesque village of Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert. No archaeological evidence has come to light indicating the sanctity of the site in pre-Christian times.
Biographical information about Guilhem
William a grandson of Charles Martel. He was born in France around the middle of the 8th century. His mother Aldana was a daughter of Charles Martel, so he was a cousin of Charlemagne. As a close kinsman of Charlemagne he spent his youth in the imperial court. William was made Count of Toulouse in 790, and Charlemagne placed his young son (Louis the Pious, who was to inherit Aquitaine), in his wardship. He was the second count of Toulouse and held the title from 790 until 811.
The following detailed information on Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert can be found on the Languedoc website.
Guilhem dedicated the next thirteen years to sustaining the southern frontiers of the Frankish empire. He was renowned as one of the most valiant warriors of his time. He married twice; his second wife, the Lady of Orange was apparently the widow of a Saracen Lord that he killed and whose estates he seized. Guilhem's exploits became famous and he evolved into the hero of medieval ballads of knightly prowess and chivalry. He is the hero of the Chanson de Guillaume, an early chanson de geste, and of several later sequels.
In 804 Guilhem retired to the Abbey of Aniane. (For many centuries it was regarded as entirely laudable for men to abandon their wives and families to become monks). In 806 he headed a group of monks who set off to found the Abbey of Gellone (now Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert). Before his death, Charlemagne had given the young Guilhem a reliquary, which was believed to contained pieces of the True Cross. (Hundreds of such bogus relics were in circulation even before the Crusades). Guilhem left this one to his Abbey, where it remains to this day. The jewelled reliquary is carried through the village in procession once a year on the 3rd May - St Guilhem's feast day. Replicas made of biscuit are available in the Abbey Church. The faithful claim that they provide protection against lightening.
Guilhem is known by several different names, some of them reflecting his appearance, some his conquests, some his later religious life, and some merely confusion with other semi legendary Guilhems. He was Guilhem the short nosed - French Guillaume au Court Nez, or the Marquis au court nez - a disfigurement incurred during his battle with that pesky Moorish giant who lived in the castle at Gellone. He was also Guillaum de Narbonne; Guillaume Fierabrace, Guillaume d'Orange, and Guilhem de Gellone and Saint Guilhem.
According to the book Holy Blood Holy Grail Guilhem was the son of "Theodoric, king of the Jews of Septimania" crowned in 768. Through him the bloodline of Jesus became the bloodline of Frankish royalty. This fantasy was later incorporated into the plot of the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code.
The town of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert
The town Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert lies in the Gellon valley just North of Gignac, east of the new A75 motorway, about 30 kilometres Northwest of Montpellier. It is really more of a village with a population of around 250.
The village has retained its medieval personality with old houses in amber stone, an ancient tower, and a shady square with a fountain and traditional plain trees. It sprawls organically along the Verdus stream, surrounded by cliffs, verdant with thyme, oak and pine trees. The prison tower is a vestige of the medieval village and still dominates it. It is a simple square crenelated tower, pierced by a simple window.
Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert is counted among the Plus Beaux Villages (most beautiful villages) of France, classed, since 1999 a National Site. It is home to numerous artists, many of whom may be found in their studios around the square.
Overlooking the village, on the side of the cliff, is a castle of Visigoth origin. It was only ever a modest fortress but has attracted colourful stories involving Visigoths, Saracens and troubadours. According to legend this castle was once the abode of a Saracen giant, called Don Juan, who was defeated in improbable circumstances by the eponymous Guilhem in single combat.
The Abbey of Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert
The Abbey is located in the town of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert in the Gellone Valley not far from Montpellier, in the Hérault département. It is a Benedictine foundation dedicated to Saint-Sauveur. It was founded in 804 by Guilhem of Orange, Duke of Aquitaine and second Count of Toulouse, a member of Charlemagne's court, later known as Saint Guilhem.
As the medieval pilgrimage route to the shrine of Saint James of Compostella in Spain developed in the 10th century, the monastery of Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert became a staging point on one of the four main routes through Europe leading to it. Like all such staging points it benefited financially from its more than usually gullible pilgrim visitors. By the middle of the 11th century the monks were rich enough to rebuild their monastery on a larger scale in the latest Romanesque style. The present abbey church dates from this period.
By the twelfth century, the abbey had been renamed in honour of its founder. And as the site in the Gellone Valley had been selected because it was a virtual desert, we now know it at the Abbey of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert. By 1206, a new cloister had been built at Saint-Guilhem incorporating columns and pilasters which are now located in an American museum. Many of them recall classical Roman columns, but they depart from classical models in their variety of design.
During the 14th to 16th centuries, progressively declined. Under the 'commende' system the abbot was nominated by the king, who selected from among the members of the high clergy (rather than being elected by the monks of the community). The system inevitably led to abuse and for centuries successive Abbots from aristocratic families accumulated titles and neglected their monastic duties.
Like other French religious buildings, Saint-Guilhem suffered in the Wars of Religion during and after the Reformation. In 1569 the Abbey was pillaged by Protestants and sculptures were damaged. Furniture and fittings were sold off to pay for repairs, and for a garrison to protect the Abbey. By 1670 the monastery was in a state of advanced decay. The monks called upon the congregation of Saint-Maur to undertake repair work to save the buildings from ruin and re-establish the monastic life.
The abbey declined in the 18th century. In 1783, it was attached to the bishopric of Lodeve, losing its independence. Monks from Saint-Maur occupied the monastery until the French Revolution, by which time the community had been reduced to six monks. It was suppressed in 1790 during the French Revolution, and the buildings sold ominously to a stonemason. The abbey church escaped vandalism as it became a parish church, but the rest was vandalised. Various businesses were established in the cloister, including a spinning business and a tannery. Private houses were established in the buildings around the cloister and the cloister itself which was used as a stone quarry.
Fragments of the abbey may be found all over the region, and even much further away. You can see some of those columns of the cloister dating from before 1206 in the Cloisters museum, north of New York (part of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art). It is difficult to know who best deserves the title of Most Cretinous Philistine - the people who sold them, those who bought them, or those who now decline to return them. The cumulative damage of these various acts of vandalism was so severe that it is now impossible to determine the number and sequence of its columns - or even the dimensions of the cloister.
In 1840, the abbey was taken in hand by the Monuments Historiques. Restoration since 1960 has tried to restore the original aspect of the building. A new cloister has been built. Since the end of the 1970s, a community of monks from Carmel Saint Joseph has made the abbey their home.
The abbey is one of several World Heritage sites in the Languedoc. In 1987, the Abbey of Gellone was classed as a French Historical Monument. On the 5 December, 1998, it was classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO as part of the "Paths of Saint James" - the pilgrimage routes of St-Jacques de Compostela.

Wilhelm married de Gellone, Kunigunde in 779. Kunigunde was born in 755 in Kingdom of the Franks; died in 795 in Somme, Picardie, France; was buried in 795 in Kingdom of the Franks. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: GSKM-N8S

Notes:

Adalhelm of Autun
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Adalhelm of Autun was a Frankish nobleman of the 8th and 9th centuries from the Wilhelmid family, son of Thierry IV and the Carolingian Alda.

He was called as a witness in the charters of the foundation of the abbey of Gellone by his brother William, 15 December 804. Two other brothers signed these charters: Theodoen and a Thierry who is not mentioned in any charters.

That is the only ascertainable information about Adalhelm himself. On the basis of onomastics, two children have been assigned to him:

Waldrada, wife of Adrian, Count of Orléans, count palatine of the Agilolfing family, brother of Hildegard, wife of Charlemagne.
Bernard I , count of Poitiers in 815 and in 825.

Family/Spouse: d'Orléans, Adrien. Adrien (son of of Kraichgau, Gérold I and of Alemannia, Imma) was born in 755; died on 10 Nov 821. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• FSID: L8PY-4HG
• Life Event: Between 781 and 810; King of Lombardy & Italy
• Appointments / Titles: 15 Apr 781; King of Italy
• Appointments / Titles: 25 Dec 800; Crowned King of the Franks at Rome

Notes:

Pippin König von Italien
Children ( Mistress or wife? )

1. BERNARD ([797]-Milan 17 Aug 818, bur Milan, San Ambrosio). Thegan's Vita Hludowici Imperatoris names "Bernhardus filius Pippini ex concubina"[627]. He was confirmed 11 Sep 813 at Aix-la-Chapelle as BERNARD I King of Italy.

Einhard, who names these daughters, makes no mention of whether they were legitimate or not. If they were illegitimate, it is not known whether they were full sisters of Bernard.

2. ADELAIS ([798]-after 810). "Adailhaidem, Atulam, Guntradam, Berthaidem ac Theoderadam" a

3.ADULA ([800/810]-after 810).

4. GUNTRADA ([800/810]-after 810).

5. BERTAIDE ([800/810]-after 810).

6.THEODRADA ([800/810]-after 810). "

http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/ITALY,%20Kings%20to%20962.htm#PepinIItalyB

Pépin d'Italie1, né en 777, mort à Milan le 8 juillet 810, est un des fils de Charlemagne, roi d'Italie de 781 à 810.

Il est le troisième fils de Charlemagne et le second d'Hildegarde de Vintzgau. Il est baptisé par le pape Adrien Ier avec le prénom de Carloman.

En 781, Charlemagne, roi des Lombards (rex Langobardorum) depuis 774, décide de faire de Carloman un « roi d'Italie » et de Louis, né en 778, un « roi d'Aquitaine ». Tous deux sont couronnés par le pape à Rome le 15 avril 781. C'est à cette occasion que Charlemagne décide de donner à Carloman le nom de Pépin ; dans la nomenclature, il est appelé Pépin Ier d'Italie, Charlemagne conservant le titre de roi des Lombards.

En raison de son jeune âge, Carloman est placé sous la tutelle d'Adalhard, abbé de Corbie, cousin de Charlemagne ; par la suite, ses tuteurs seront Waldo de Reichenau et Rotchild2.

En 787, bien qu'âgé de 10 ans, Pépin participe à une campagne militaire contre le duc Tassilon de Bavière. Charlemagne mêne lui-même une petite armée sur Augsbourg et débouche en Alémanie. Une autre vient du nord, composée d’Austrasiens, Saxons et Thuringiens. Pépin monte par la vallée de l'Adige à la tête d’une troisième armée. Menacé par des forces supérieures, Tassilon se rend sans combattre.

En 793, Pépin d'Italie mène une campagne contre le duc de Bénévent Grimoald, petit-fils du dernier roi lombard, Didier, qui refuse de se soumettre à son autorité.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Translated:

Pepin of Italy

Pepin of Italy1, born in 777, died in Milan on July 8, 810, was one of the sons of Charlemagne, king of Italy from 781 to 810.

He was the third son of Charlemagne and the second of Hildegard of Vintzgau. He was baptized by Pope Adrian I with the name Carloman.

In 781, Charlemagne, king of the Lombards (rex Langobardorum) since 774, decided to make Carloman a "king of Italy" and Louis, born in 778, a "king of Aquitaine. Both were crowned by the pope in Rome on April 15, 781, at which time Charlemagne decided to give Carloman the name of Pepin; in the nomenclature, he was called Pepin I of Italy, with Charlemagne retaining the title of king of the Lombards.

Because of his young age, Carloman was placed under the guardianship of Adalhard, abbot of Corbie, cousin of Charlemagne; later, his guardians would be Waldo of Reichenau and Rotchild2.

In 787, although he was ten years old, Pepin took part in a military campaign against Duke Tassilon of Bavaria. Charlemagne himself led a small army to Augsburg and into Alemania. Another army came from the north, composed of Austrasians, Saxons and Thuringians. Pepin went up through the Adige valley at the head of a third army. Threatened by superior forces, Tassilon surrendered without fighting.

In 793, Pepin of Italy led a campaign against the duke of Benevento Grimoald, grandson of the last Lombard king, Didier, who refused to submit to his authority.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A9pin_d%27Italie

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: King of Italy
• House: Carloginian
• Nickname: The Pious
• FSID: LZT6-KB5
• Appointments / Titles: Between 781 and 814; King of Aquitaine
• Appointments / Titles: Between 814 and 840; Emperor of the West
• Appointments / Titles: Between 814 and 840; King of the Franks
• Residence: 19 Jun 840, Ingelheim am Rhein, Mainz-Bingen, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany; Rheinhausen Hesse (house by the river); (present Rheinhessen)

Notes:

Louis the Pious (16 April 778–20 June 840), also called the Fair and the Debonaire, was the King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aquitaine from 781. As the only surviving son of Charlemagne and Hildegard, he became the sole ruler of the Franks after his father's death in 814, a position which he held until his death, save for the period 833–834, during which he was deposed.

Louis married firstly Ermengarde of Hesbaye in c. 794. Children:
1 Lothair (795–855), king of Middle Francia
2 Pepin (797–838), king of Aquitaine
3 Adelaide (b. c. 799)
4 Rotrude (b. 800)
5 Hildegard (or Matilda) (b. c. 802)
6 Louis the German (c. 806–876), king of East Francia

Louis married secondly Judith of Bavaria. Children:
1 Gisela, married Eberhard of Friuli
2 Charles the Bald, king of West Francia

By an unknown concubine (probably Theodelinde of Sens) [citation needed], he had two illegitimate children:
1 Arnulf of Sens
2 Alpais

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_the_Pious
Louis the Pious (778 – 20 June 840), also called the Fair, and the Debonair, was the King of the Franks and co-emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813. He was also King of Aquitaine from 781. As the only surviving adult son of Charlemagne

Louis married of Bavaria, Judith in Feb 819. Judith (daughter of of Bavaria, Duke Welf I and of Sachsen, Heilwig) was born on 19 Feb 797 in Altdorf, Landshut, Bayern, Germany; died on 19 Apr 843 in Tours, Indre-et-Loire, Centre, France; was buried on 19 Apr 843 in Basilica of Saint Martin, Tours, Indre-et-Loire, Centre, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Family/Spouse: de Hesbaye, Empress Ermengarde. Ermengarde was born on 28 May 778 in Belgium; was christened on 5 Oct 816 in Kingdom of the Franks; died on 3 Oct 818 in Angers, Maine-et-Loire, Pays de la Loire, France; was buried on 4 Oct 818 in Erstein Abbey, Erstein, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Appointments / Titles: Count of Vivarais
• FSID: 949D-L4R

Family/Spouse: Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]