Theodelinda facts for kids
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Theodelinda (born around 570 AD, died 628 AD) was a very important queen of the Lombards, a Germanic people who ruled much of Italy. She became queen by marrying two different Lombard kings, first Autari and then Agilulf. After her second husband died, she became a regent (someone who rules for a child king) for her young son, Adaloald. She even continued to rule alongside him when he grew up, from 616 to 626 AD.
For more than 30 years, Theodelinda had a lot of power and influence across the Lombard kingdom. This kingdom covered most of Italy, from the Apennine Mountains to the Alps. Theodelinda was born a Catholic Christian. She even convinced her first husband, King Autari, to change from his old beliefs to Christianity.
Early Life
Theodelinda was the daughter of Garibald I of Bavaria, who was a duke. Her mother was Waldrada.
She was born a Bavarian princess. Her family was very important, and her mother's side was even related to an earlier Lombard king named Waco. This connection was from seven generations before, according to old stories.
First Marriage to King Authari
In 588 AD, Theodelinda married Authari, who was the King of the Lombards. He was the son of King Cleph.
Some people believe that Pope Gregory I (a very important religious leader) might have wanted this marriage to happen. He hoped it would connect a Catholic Bavarian princess with the Arian Lombards. Arianism was a different type of Christianity that many Lombards followed. The Pope had tried similar things before to bring different groups together.
Theodelinda's time with King Authari was short because he died in 590 AD.
Second Marriage to King Agilulf
Theodelinda was so respected in the Lombard kingdom that after Authari died, she was asked to stay in power. She was even allowed to choose the next king!
Some historians, like Roger Collins, are not sure if this story is completely true. They think that political deals or even force might have played a part in her choice. But whatever the real reason, just two months after Authari's death, Theodelinda chose Agilulf to be her next husband and the new king. They got married.
After marrying Agilulf, Theodelinda worked hard to bring Nicene Christianity (which is what Catholics believe) back to a strong position in Italy. This was important because it was different from Arian Christianity, which was popular among some Lombards. Theodelinda's influence reached across most of Italy.
Even though her husband Agilulf remained an Arian Christian, he allowed their son to be baptized as a Catholic. However, some of the Lombard dukes (important leaders) were not happy. They thought King Agilulf was becoming too much like the people they had conquered. Agilulf did not let Theodelinda's faith stop him from making his own decisions about fighting the Byzantines (another powerful empire).
Theodelinda often wrote letters to Pope Gregory. Some of these letters, written between 590 and 604 AD, were recorded by a historian named Paul the Deacon. Some of their letters talked about her husband's conversion to Catholicism. To help spread the Catholic faith, she also welcomed Catholic missionaries into her kingdom.
Pope Gregory wanted to encourage her strong Catholic beliefs. He sent her special gifts, like silver containers, a box for the Gospels (holy books), and a golden cross from Byzantium. The cross had jewels on it and was a symbol of the "coming Kingdom of God."
Ruling as Regent
Before King Agilulf died in 616 AD, he named Theodelinda as a co-ruler for their son, Adaloald. This meant she would rule alongside him. Even when Adaloald became an adult, she continued to be a co-ruler of the kingdom.
Theodelinda was queen of the Lombards for about 35 years. To show her strong faith, she built a Catholic cathedral in Monza (near Milan) and gave it many rich gifts. She also supported the Catholic faith by helping to build monasteries, which are places where monks live. One was at Bobbio, and another was later built at Pedona.
Inside the cathedral at Monza, there is a beautiful sculpture of a mother hen and her chicks, made of gilded silver. This was probably another gift from Pope Gregory.
