Aripert II
Encyclopedia
Aripert II was the king of the Lombards
from 701 to 712. Duke of Turin
and son of King Raginpert
, and thus a scion of the Bavarian Dynasty
, he was associated with the throne as early as 700. He was removed by Liutpert
, who reigned from 700 to 702, with the exception of the year 701, when Raginpert seized the throne. After his father's death, he tried to take the throne, too. He defeated Liutpert and the regent
Ansprand
's men at Pavia
and captured the king, whom he later had strangled in his bath. He seized the capital and forced Ansprand over the Alps
. He was firmly in power by 703.
He thence reigned uninterrupted until his death. His reign was a troubled one. In 703, Faroald
, duke of Spoleto, attacked the Exarchate of Ravenna
, but Aripert refused to assist him, for he wanted good relations with papacy and empire
. He tried nevertheless to assert his authority over Spoleto and Benevento
in the Mezzogiorno
. He nursed friendship with Pope John VI
by donating vast tracts of land in the Cottian Alps
to the Holy See. This friendship helped him little, for he had many rebellions to deal with and many Slovene
raids into Venetia.
In 711, Ansprand
, whom he had exiled, returned with a large army from the duke of Bavaria, Theudebert
. Many Austrians (the men of Venetia and the east) joined the returning regent and battle was joined by Pavia. Aripert fled to his capital when the tide went against him, but he horded the treasures and tried to cross over into Gaul
by night. He drowned in the River Ticino
and Ansprand was acclaimed sovereign. He was the last Bavarian to wear the Iron Crown
.
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Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
from 701 to 712. Duke of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
and son of King Raginpert
Raginpert
Raginpert was the Duke of Turin and then King of the Lombards briefly in 701. He was the son of Godepert and grandson of Aripert I. He usurped the throne in 701 and removed Liutpert, his grandnephew, putting his son Aripert in line for the succession...
, and thus a scion of the Bavarian Dynasty
Bavarian Dynasty
The Bavarian dynasty was those kings of the Lombards who were descended from Garibald I, the Agilolfing duke of Bavaria. They came to rule the Lombards through Garibald's daughter Theodelinda, who married the Lombard king Authari in 588...
, he was associated with the throne as early as 700. He was removed by Liutpert
Liutpert
Liutpert was the Lombard king of Italy from 700 and to 702, with interruption. Upon succeeding his father, King Cunincpert, at a young age, he ruled together with his tutor, Ansprand, the duke of Asti...
, who reigned from 700 to 702, with the exception of the year 701, when Raginpert seized the throne. After his father's death, he tried to take the throne, too. He defeated Liutpert and the regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
Ansprand
Ansprand
Ansprand was king of the Lombards briefly in 712. Before that he was the duke of Asti and regent during the minority of Liutpert . He was defeated at Novara by Raginpert and exiled during the subsequent war over the succession, fleeing to the court of Theudebert, duke of Bavaria, in 702.In 711,...
's men at Pavia
Pavia
Pavia , the ancient Ticinum, is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It is the capital of the province of Pavia. It has a population of c. 71,000...
and captured the king, whom he later had strangled in his bath. He seized the capital and forced Ansprand over the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
. He was firmly in power by 703.
He thence reigned uninterrupted until his death. His reign was a troubled one. In 703, Faroald
Faroald II of Spoleto
Faroald II was the duke of Spoleto from 703, when he succeeded his own father Thrasimund I.Faroald attacked and took Classis, the port of Ravenna, but he was ordered to return it by King Liutprand. Faroald also founded and endowed the monastery of San Pietro in Valle at Ferentillo...
, duke of Spoleto, attacked the Exarchate of Ravenna
Exarchate of Ravenna
The Exarchate of Ravenna or of Italy was a centre of Byzantine power in Italy, from the end of the 6th century to 751, when the last exarch was put to death by the Lombards.-Introduction:...
, but Aripert refused to assist him, for he wanted good relations with papacy and empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
. He tried nevertheless to assert his authority over Spoleto and Benevento
Benevento
Benevento is a town and comune of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, 50 km northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill 130 m above sea-level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino and Sabato...
in the Mezzogiorno
Mezzogiorno
The Midday is a wide definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the southern half of the Italian state, encompassing the southern section of the continental Italian Peninsula and the two major islands of Sicily and Sardinia, in addition to a large number of minor islands...
. He nursed friendship with Pope John VI
Pope John VI
Pope John VI was a Greek pope from Ephesus who reigned during the Byzantine Papacy from October 30, 701 to January 11, 705. His papacy was noted for military and political breakthroughs on the Italian peninsula. He succeeded to the papal chair two months after the death of Pope Sergius I, and his...
by donating vast tracts of land in the Cottian Alps
Cottian Alps
The Cottian Alps are a mountain range in the southwestern part of the Alps. They form the border between France and Italy...
to the Holy See. This friendship helped him little, for he had many rebellions to deal with and many Slovene
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
raids into Venetia.
In 711, Ansprand
Ansprand
Ansprand was king of the Lombards briefly in 712. Before that he was the duke of Asti and regent during the minority of Liutpert . He was defeated at Novara by Raginpert and exiled during the subsequent war over the succession, fleeing to the court of Theudebert, duke of Bavaria, in 702.In 711,...
, whom he had exiled, returned with a large army from the duke of Bavaria, Theudebert
Theodbert of Bavaria
Theodbert was the duke of Bavaria in some capacity or other from 702 to his death. He was the eldest son of Duke Theodo of Bavaria and Folchaid. He was first associated with his father as duke in 702, ruling from Salzburg...
. Many Austrians (the men of Venetia and the east) joined the returning regent and battle was joined by Pavia. Aripert fled to his capital when the tide went against him, but he horded the treasures and tried to cross over into Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
by night. He drowned in the River Ticino
Ticino
Canton Ticino or Ticino is the southernmost canton of Switzerland. Named after the Ticino river, it is the only canton in which Italian is the sole official language...
and Ansprand was acclaimed sovereign. He was the last Bavarian to wear the Iron Crown
Iron Crown of Lombardy
The Iron Crown of Lombardy is both a reliquary and one of the most ancient royal insignia of Europe. The crown became one of the symbols of the Kingdom of Lombards and later of the medieval Kingdom of Italy...
.
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