The Bosonids were a dynasty of Carolingian era dukes, counts, bishops and knights descended from Boso the Elder. They married into the Carolingian dynasty and produced kings and an emperor of the Frankish Empire.

The first great scion of the dynasty was Boso, count of Arles and of other Burgundian counties in the mid-9th century. Boso rose in favour as a courtier of Charles the Bald. He was even appointed viceroy in Italy in 875. After the death of Charles' son Louis the Stammerer, Boso refused to recognise Louis' sons Carloman and Louis III as kings of France, and proclaimed himself king of Provence in 879 at Vienne, with the support of the nobility. Boso strove throughout the rest of his life to maintain his title in the face of Emperor Charles the Fat. He died in 887 and was succeeded by his son, Louis the Blind, under the regency of his wife Ermengard, a daughter of the Emperor Louis II.

Louis was adopted by Charles the Fat and legitimised in his royal title. With this legal basis, he sought to take the place of his Carolingian relatives on the imperial and Italian thrones in 900. He was crowned in Pavia and then in Rome, but could not actually hold on to power there.

Genealogy

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Bosonids, Bivinids, and their relatives, with the names of kings and emperors bolded[1]
Boso the ElderEngeltrude
Louis II of Italy
emperor
Richildis (wife of Bivin of Gorze)Teutberga
queen of Lotharingia
Lothair II
king of Lotharingia
Waldrada
mistress, later wife
Hucbert
count of Valois
Boso
count in Italy
Ermengard of Italy
queen of Provence
Boso
king of Provence
Richildis
empress
Richard the Justiciar
duke of Burgundy
Bertha of Lotharingia
countess of Arles
Theobald
count of Arles
EngelbergaLouis the Blind
emperor
Rudolph
king of Western Francia
Hugh the BlackHugh of Italy
king of Italy
Boso
margrave of Tuscany
Charles Constantine
count of Vienne
Lothair II of Italy
king of Italy
Adelaide of ItalyHubert
duke of Spoleto
Eudokia of Italy
Byzantine princess
Romanos II
Byzantine emperor
Willa
queen of Italy
Berengar II of Italy
king of Italy
Emma of Italy
queen of West Francia
Lothair of France
king of West Francia
Hugh of Tuscany
margrave of Tuscany
Adalbert of Italy
king of Italy
Rozala of Italy
queen of West Francia
Louis V of France
last Carolingian king of West Francia

Further reading

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  • Constance B. Bouchard, "The Bosonids or Rising to Power in the Late Carolingian Age" French Historical Studies 15.3 (Spring 1988), pp. 407–431. JSTOR 286367

Sources

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  1. ^ Riché, Pierre (1993). Peters, Edward (ed.). The Carolingians: A Family Who Forged Europe. Middle Ages Series. Translated by Allen, Michael Idomir. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 370.