#canossa

'Ideal head of a warrior (Count of Canossa)'

Anonymous artist after Michelangelo Buonarroti [1475-1564], Italy (c. 1550-80), Drawing (Black chalk).

Matilda of Tuscany

Matilda of Canossa (c. 1046-1115), the Countess of Tuscany (r. 1055-1115) and Vice-Queen of Italy (r. 1111-1115), was the final head of the noble House of Canossa following the deaths of her father in 1052 and her elder brother in 1055. One of the most influential women of medieval Europe, Matilda is noted for her military and political prowess, her ceaseless patronage of the Christian Church, and her defense of Papal authority. Though a vassal of the Holy Roman Empire, Matilda often acted independently. Her conflict with the imperial state included a nearly lifelong military conflict with Henry IV (1050-1106), the German king (r. 1056-1105) and Holy Roman Emperor (r. 1084-1105).

Most of Matilda’s holdings, including her family’s ancestral castle of Canossa, were located across the plains of the Po Valley in northern Italy, an invaluable intersection of trade routes between the Italian peninsula and Italy’s northern neighbors beyond the Alps. In the southern part of Matilda domain beyond the Po Valley was the Duchy of Tuscany, rugged with mountains in its north, rural hills throughout, and vital roads connecting to Rome. With these possessions and an impenetrable alliance with the Christian Church, she became an influential political figure in medieval Europe. Matilda was often referred to as the Great Countess (la Gran Contessa) by contemporaries and scholars, despite this title being lesser than her truer title, that of the Margravine of Tuscany. Although she was considered the rightful heir to her father’s northern Italian holdings, Henry IV never recognized her claims to the lands within the Holy Roman Empire.

Early Life

Matilda was a descendent of the House of Canossa, a noble family established by her great-grandfather Atto Adalbert of Lucca (d. 988), a 10th-century Lombard military leader from Lucca and vassal to the German kings of Italy. Adalbert and his son Boniface expanded their domain and by 1027, the Canossa family's influence encompassed the counties of Brescia, Cremona, Ferrara, Mantua, Modena, Reggio Emilia, and Veneto. In 1027, Roman Emperor Conrad II (r. 1027-1039) transferred the Duchy of Tuscany to Boniface. As Schevill explained,

With Tuscany added to his strength ... Boniface completely dominated central and northern Italy; and since he clung to his superior, the emperor, with more consistency than was usual among feudal magnates, he served as the main pivot of the imperial power in Italy in his day. (53)

In 1037, Boniface married Beatrice of Lorraine (c. 1020-1076), a direct descendent of Charlemagne and Conrad’s niece by way of marriage. Matilda was born to Boniface and Beatrice in 1046 after two older siblings: Frederick and Beatrice. Matilda’s place of birth has been disputed, though scholars have suggested Canossa, Lucca, and Mantua. On 6 May 1052, when Matilda was six years old, Boniface was killed by an unknown assailant, likely by an assassin of Holy Roman Emperor Henry III (r. 1046-1056). Frederick inherited the feudal land of their father while Beatrice governed on his behalf. Matilda’s older sister died shortly after Boniface in 1053, though details are unclear.

In 1054, Beatrice married her first cousin Duke Godfrey the Bearded of Upper Lorraine, while Matilda was betrothed to the elder Godfrey’s son, Godfrey the Hunchback. Although Pope Leo IX, another cousin of Beatrice, gave them his blessing to marry, neither received consent from their king, Henry III.

Using the marital transgression to his advantage in 1055, Henry imprisoned Beatrice and Matilda at Bodfeld in current-day central Germany and claimed their holdings. Frederick, the only son and heir to Boniface, is thought to have died in 1055, leaving the young Matilda as the sole child of the Canossa dominion. Since women did not have the right to own, govern, or inherit feudal land under imperial law, Frederick’s death made not Matilda but Henry III, Beatrice’s closest adult male kin, the rightful heir to Boniface.

The mother and daughter remained in captivity until Henry III suddenly died in October 1056. Until the adulthood of Henry’s heir, Henry IV, the widowed Queen Agnes acted as regent to the young king. In exchange for a renewed oath of fealty from Godfrey the Bearded, Agnes freed her deceased husband’s prisoners and authorized the marriage of Godfrey and Beatrice. Godfrey, therefore, controlled the Canossa holdings and established his court in the Duchy of Tuscany, where the family returned by the spring of 1057. Information concerning Matilda’s youth beyond these events is terse.

The marriage of Beatrice to Godfrey the Bearded remained intact despite Henry III’s efforts and was recognized by Queen Agnes. Matilda’s inheritance in Italy was passed to the governance of her stepfather, who, in 1064, also inherited the Duchy of Upper Lorraine. With her role as heir forfeited to her stepfather, Matilda abandoned her ancestral home in Italy in favor of her husband’s in Upper Lorraine. The betrothal to her cousin Godfrey the Hunchback was not fulfilled by marriage until May 1069 when Matilda was 23 years old and the elder Godfrey was expected to die after falling ill. Upon his death, the titles in Italy and Lorraine were transferred to the younger Godfrey. The only child of Matilda by Godfrey was Beatrice, named after her grandmother, but she died shortly after birth, sometime between May and August 1071.

House Canossa in Crusader Kings II

This is the House of my main character in my last CKII run, Matilda of Canossa, Queen of Sardinia, Corsica, Tuscany and Umbria.

She’s married Edgar of Wessex and her’s heir, Angelo of Canossa, now have a claim on English throne.

December 23-24, 2017 Reunion of St. Francis of Assisi Batch 2013 ****incomplete****

Nagkita kita kami ng highschool friends ko ng 6pm kahit 8pm pa yung kitaan dun sa bahay nila Angela kasi may kukunin pa kaming order para sa gathering. Around 7:30pm, nandun na kami sa may bahay nila which is not weird kasi lagi naman kaming maaga sa mga gatherings. I don’t know why. HAHAHAHAHAHA naglaro muna kami ng Jenga kahit gumagawa kami ng sariling rules hahahaha kasi lagi nila ako gusto matalo. Mga bastos na iyan. In the end, sila talo. Ano ano? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Tapos kumain na kami habang nakain, dumadating na yung iba so salu-salo na kami dun sa labas tapos dinala na din namin sa loob kasi umuulan na. Habang nakain na yung iba, nagchichikahan na kami + naglaro na din kami after nila kumain.

May mga umuwi na tapos bago sila umuwi, nagpicture picture pa kaya complete kami dun sa first two photos. Nagchichikahan pa din ang lahat tapos nahati sa dalawang group kasi ung isa naglalaro tapos kami nagchichikahan about sa highschool & college moments namin. Tipong ganto usapan namin,

“Paano kaya kung yung way of thinking natin ngayon ganun yung way of thinking natin noon?” “Kaya nga tayo may "Chubs moment” noon e.“

Tapos kinuwento na nila ung sinasagot sagot ko ung teacher namin sa Economics nung 4th year kami na tumahimik ung buong klase dahil doon sa ginawa ko. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA try ko ichika sa susunod na mga posts.

So ayun nga inabot kami dun sa bahay ng mga 6am(?) ng nagkukwentuhan, naglalaro at nagtatawanan tapos umuwi na din kami.

Pero grabe talaga kasi ngayon lang ulit ako pumunta sa gathering ng section namin, lagi akong absent kasi reasons. HAHAHAHAHAHA sobrang saya lang.