Saint Adelaide of Italy
Saint Adelaide of Italy (born c. 931 AD in Burgundy, Kingdom of Burgundy; died December 16, 999 AD in Seltz, Alsace) was the Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, wife of Emperor Otto I the Great, and one of the most powerful women of the 10th century. She survived captivity, ruled an empire, promoted monasteries, and retired to found a convent. She was declared a saint by Pope Urban II in 1097 and is the patron of empresses, widows, and those who have lost children. Her feast day is December 16.
Stored in Cargo: Saint Adelaide of Italy
| Saint Adelaide of Italy | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | December 16 |
| Profession | Queen of Italy; Empress of the Holy Roman Empire (wife of Otto I the Great); Empress Dowager (regent for Otto III); monastic benefactor; convent foundress; widow; exile |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church; Ottonian empire; Cluniac reform (benefactress and friend of Saint Odilo); 10th-century German Catholicism; Empress of the Holy Roman Empire; patron of German monasticism |
| Patronage | Empresses; second marriages; widows; those who suffer exile; prisoners; stepparents; those who suffer conflict with their children; abuse victims (her captivity); Italy; Germany |
| Attributes | Imperial crown; royal or imperial robes; a church model (her monastic foundations); a small ship (her captivity escape); a cross; the Ottonian imperial court; the convent of Seltz |
| Birthplace | Burgundy, Kingdom of Burgundy (modern France) |
| Death Place | Seltz, Alsace (modern France) |
| Cause of Death | Natural death; died December 16, 999 AD, at the convent of Seltz in Alsace, which she had founded; she was approximately 68 years old; she had spent her final years in prayer and charitable works after the turbulent political events of her later life; she died peacefully; her body was later translated to Hanau in Germany |
| Primary Shrine | No single surviving major shrine; venerated at Magdeburg Cathedral (where Otto I is buried); Seltz (her death and foundation); various German monasteries she endowed; December 16 feast observed throughout Germany and Austria |
| Liturgical Class | Optional Memorial (Roman Rite); December 16; Feast in Germany and Austria |
| Historic Class | Double (December 16) in 1962 calendar |
Biography
Adelaide was born c. 931 in Burgundy, daughter of King Rudolf II of Burgundy. At age 15 she married King Lothar of Italy. Lothar died in 950, probably poisoned. Berengar II seized power and imprisoned Adelaide at Garda to force her to marry his son; she escaped through a tunnel.
She appealed to Otto I of Germany, who came to Italy, defeated Berengar, married Adelaide, and became Emperor. They had several children together.
After Otto I's death (973 AD) she was Empress Dowager. She had a difficult relationship with her daughter-in-law Theophanu (Byzantine wife of Otto II). After conflicts and temporary exile she exercised the regency for her grandson Otto III from 991 to 994 AD.
She retired to charitable life, supporting Cluniac monasteries and founding the convent of Seltz in Alsace. Her close friend Saint Odilo of Cluny wrote her biography c. 1000 AD.
She died December 16, 999 AD, at Seltz. Pope Urban II declared her a saint in 1097.
Significant locations
Legend
Birth location: Burgundy, Kingdom of Burgundy (modern France)
Death location: Seltz, Alsace (modern France)
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Parishes
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Shrines
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Known shrines
- Magdeburg Cathedral — where Otto I is buried; she co-founded the archbishopric there.
- Seltz, Alsace — her convent and place of death.
Feast day
December 16
Veneration
Saint Adelaide was Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, survived captivity and exile, supported the Cluniac reform, and retired to found a convent at Seltz. Patron of empresses and widows. Declared a saint 1097. Feast December 16.
Prayers
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