Pepin of Italy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pepin |
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Pepin depicted on a 10th century copy of a manuscript originally made in 829–836.
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| King of Italy | |
| Reign | 781 – 810 |
| Coronation | 781 Rome |
| Predecessor | Charlemagne |
| Successor | Charlemagne and Bernard |
| Born | Carloman 777 |
| Died | 8 July 810 (aged 33) |
| Issue more... |
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| House | Carolingian |
| Father | Charlemagne |
| Mother | Hildegard |
Pepin, also known as Pippin, was a king who ruled Italy from 781 until he passed away in 810. He was born Carloman in 777. He was the third son of the famous emperor Charlemagne and his wife, Queen Hildegard. When he was baptized in 781, Carloman was renamed Pepin. At the same time, he was crowned king of the Lombard Kingdom, which his father had conquered. Pepin ruled Italy from a young age, but he died before his father. His son, Bernard, became king of Italy after him. Pepin's family line continued for a long time, making them the longest-surviving direct male descendants of the Carolingian dynasty.
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Early Life and Becoming King
Carloman was born in 777. He was the second son of Charlemagne and his wife, Hildegard. Carloman had an older brother named Charles the Younger. He also had a half-brother, Pepin the Hunchback, who was Charlemagne's oldest son.
Charlemagne had been the king of the Franks since 768. In 774, he conquered the Kingdom of the Lombards in northern Italy. He did this partly because Pope Adrian I asked for help against the Lombard king Desiderius.
In 781, Charlemagne and Hildegard traveled to Rome. They brought Carloman, his younger brother Louis the Pious, and his sisters Rotrude and Bertha, daughter of Charlemagne. Carloman was four years old. His parents had waited to baptize him so the Pope could do it.
Pope Adrian I baptized Carloman. Then, he crowned Carloman as the king of the Lombards. This title later changed to king of Italy. His brother Louis was crowned as the king of Aquitaine. As part of his baptism, Carloman's name was changed to Pepin. This meant he shared a name with his half-brother. The reason for the name change isn't fully clear. It was likely chosen to honor his grandfather, Pepin the Short. His grandfather was known as a strong supporter of the Pope. This connection was important for the young king who would rule Italy.
Pepin's Rule in Italy
Even though Pepin was only four years old, his crowning was very real. He was sent to Lombardy to live there. He was cared for by advisors chosen by Charlemagne. Important advisors included Adalard of Corbie, Waldo of Reichenau, Duke Rotchild, and Angilbert.
Pepin's main court was in Verona. He also worked from palaces in Mantua and Pavia. Pavia was the traditional capital of the Lombards. Pepin was king in his own right. However, Charlemagne still had a strong influence in Italy, even when Pepin grew up. Sometimes, Charlemagne would even issue laws directly for Italy.
Military Campaigns and Achievements
Once Pepin grew older, he started to lead his own military actions. In 786, he joined his father's campaign against Tassilo III of Bavaria. This showed his early involvement in military matters.
In 796, Pepin led a major campaign. He fought against the Avar Khaganate. He captured their main stronghold. This led to the collapse of the Avar state. It also allowed the Frankish kingdom to expand its territory to the east. Pepin's victory was celebrated in a Latin poem. The poem was called De Pippini regis Victoria Avarica, which means "On King Pepin's Avar Victory".
Pepin also led several attacks against the Duchy of Benevento. In 810, he led a successful campaign against the Republic of Venice. These actions showed his skill as a military leader.
Succession Plans and Pepin's Death
In 806, Charlemagne gathered his sons. He created a plan for how his empire would be divided after his death. This plan was called the Divisio Regnorum, meaning "Division of Kingdoms".
Pepin was confirmed as the ruler of Italy. He also gained most of Bavaria and Alamannia. His brother Louis received Provence, Septimania, and most of Burgundy, in addition to Aquitaine. Charles, as the eldest son in good standing, received the largest share. He would rule Francia itself, along with Saxony, Nordgau, and parts of Alemannia. Charlemagne did not mention who would inherit the title of emperor, which he had gained in 800. The Divisio also planned for the death of any of the brothers. It encouraged peace between them and any nephews who might inherit.
However, Charlemagne's plans for succession did not happen as he expected. Pepin died on July 8, 810. Soon after, his sister Rotrude, his aunt Gisela, Abbess of Chelles, his half-brother Pepin, and his brother Charles also died. These deaths happened between 810 and 811. It is thought that they might have been victims of an epidemic. This sickness had spread from cattle in 810.
After these deaths, Charlemagne made Pepin's son, Bernard, the ruler of Italy. His only surviving son, Louis, became the heir to the rest of the empire. Louis and Bernard were officially named Charlemagne's heirs in September 813. They fully took over after Charlemagne's death in 814.
Family and Descendants
Pepin was married to Theodrada. She was his father's cousin and the sister of his advisor, Adalard. His brother Louis later tried to say that Pepin's marriage was not proper. He did this because Pepin and his wife were closely related. Louis wanted to weaken Bernard's claim to power.
Bernard's male descendants continued to rule as counts of Vermandois in Italy. They ruled into the eleventh century. This was longer than any other male descendants of Charlemagne.
Besides Bernard, Pepin had five daughters. Their names were Adalhaid, Arula, Gundrada, Berthaid, and Theodrada. Adalhaid married Lambert I of Nantes and was the mother of Guy I of Spoleto. After Pepin's death, Charlemagne took his granddaughters into his own home.
Images for kids
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Pepin depicted on a 10th century copy of a manuscript originally made in 829–836.
