Constanze of Sicily
Encyclopedia
Constance of Sicily was the Queen consort
of Conrad II of Italy.
and Eremburga of Mortain. Her maternal grandfather was "William, Count of Mortain" (probably William Warlenc).
She was a sister of (among others) Mauger, Count of Troina
. She was an older, paternal half-sister of Simon, Count of Sicily
and Roger II of Sicily
.
by his first wife Bertha of Savoy
.
Her husband had been King of Germany since 1087 and King of Italy
since 1093. However in the conflict between Henry IV and Pope Urban II
, Conrad chose to side with the Pope against his father. Shortly after the Council of Piacenza
, Conrad swore an oath of loyalty to Urban II in Cremona
and served as the Pope's strator
, leading the Pope's horse as a symbolic gesture of humility.
Their marriage was arranged by Urban II who was at the time pursuing an alliance with the Count of Sicily. The marriage would produce no known children.
Following three years of conflict with his son, Henry IV retaliated by setting the matter at the Reichstag
of Mainz
in April 1098. Conrad was deposed and replaced as King of Germany and Italy with his younger brother Henry V
.
Conrad II could hardly influence the political events of Italy following his deposition. His main ally Urban II died on 29 July 1099, removing chances for his restoration. Conrad himself died on 27 July 1101. Constance never remarried and lived the following decades in relative obscurity.
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of Conrad II of Italy.
Family
She was a daughter of Roger I of SicilyRoger I of Sicily
Roger I , called Bosso and the Great Count, was the Norman Count of Sicily from 1071 to 1101. He was the last great leader of the Norman conquest of southern Italy.-Conquest of Calabria and Sicily:...
and Eremburga of Mortain. Her maternal grandfather was "William, Count of Mortain" (probably William Warlenc).
She was a sister of (among others) Mauger, Count of Troina
Mauger, Count of Troina
Mauger was the third eldest and probably eldest legitimate son of Roger I of Sicily. He was the son of his second wife, Eremburga of Mortain. His father made him count of Troina, but little else of him is known. He died after 1098, but when is uncertain and if he outlived his father he made no...
. She was an older, paternal half-sister of Simon, Count of Sicily
Simon, Count of Sicily
Simon of Hauteville , called Simon de Hauteville in French and Simone D'Altavilla in Italian, was the eldest son and successor of Roger the Great Count, count of Sicily, and Adelaide del Vasto, under whose regency he reigned....
and Roger II of Sicily
Roger II of Sicily
Roger II was King of Sicily, son of Roger I of Sicily and successor to his brother Simon. He began his rule as Count of Sicily in 1105, later became Duke of Apulia and Calabria , then King of Sicily...
.
Marriage
In 1095, Constanze married Conrad II of Italy. He was son and heir of Henry IV, Holy Roman EmperorHenry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
by his first wife Bertha of Savoy
Bertha of Savoy
Bertha of Savoy , also called Bertha of Turin, was the first wife of Emperor Henry IV, and was German Queen and Holy Roman Empress. She is buried in the cathedral of Speyer.-Life:...
.
Her husband had been King of Germany since 1087 and King of Italy
King of Italy
King of Italy is a title adopted by many rulers of the Italian peninsula after the fall of the Roman Empire...
since 1093. However in the conflict between Henry IV and Pope Urban II
Pope Urban II
Pope Urban II , born Otho de Lagery , was Pope from 12 March 1088 until his death on July 29 1099...
, Conrad chose to side with the Pope against his father. Shortly after the Council of Piacenza
Council of Piacenza
The Council of Piacenza was a mixed synod of ecclesiastics and laymen of the Roman Catholic Church, which took place from March 1 to March 5, 1095, at Piacenza....
, Conrad swore an oath of loyalty to Urban II in Cremona
Cremona
Cremona is a city and comune in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po River in the middle of the Pianura Padana . It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local City and Province governments...
and served as the Pope's strator
Strator
Ancient: strator: an officer on the staff of a legatus, a Roman provincial governor. His precise duties are uncertain, but must have had something to do with the procurement and supply of horses, as the word is derived from Lat. sternere . He may thus have been in charge of a mansio, a Roman...
, leading the Pope's horse as a symbolic gesture of humility.
Their marriage was arranged by Urban II who was at the time pursuing an alliance with the Count of Sicily. The marriage would produce no known children.
Following three years of conflict with his son, Henry IV retaliated by setting the matter at the Reichstag
Reichstag (Holy Roman Empire)
The Imperial Diet was the Diet, or general assembly, of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire.During the period of the Empire, which lasted formally until 1806, the Diet was not a parliament in today's sense; instead, it was an assembly of the various estates of the realm...
of Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
in April 1098. Conrad was deposed and replaced as King of Germany and Italy with his younger brother Henry V
Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry V was King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor , the fourth and last ruler of the Salian dynasty. Henry's reign coincided with the final phase of the great Investiture Controversy, which had pitted pope against emperor...
.
Conrad II could hardly influence the political events of Italy following his deposition. His main ally Urban II died on 29 July 1099, removing chances for his restoration. Conrad himself died on 27 July 1101. Constance never remarried and lived the following decades in relative obscurity.