Alpaïs, Abbess of St-Pierre & Reims

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Alpaïs

Also Known As: "Adelaïde", "Adelheid", "Alpaida", "Alpaïde; Alpais", "Alpheid", "Alpheidis", "Alpis", "Aupais", "Elfride", "Elpheid"
Birthdate:
Death: after 852
Place of Burial: Abbaye Saint-Pierre-les-Dames, Rheims, (Present département de la Marne), (Present Région Champagne-Ardenne), France
Immediate Family:

Daughter of Louis I, The Pious and Unknown Concubine of Louis I
Wife of Bego, Marquis of Septimania, count of Paris
Mother of Susanna; Leuthard II, count of Paris and Eberhard I de Paris, comte de Logenahe
Sister of Arnoul
Half sister of Emperor Lothair I; Pépin I, king of Aquitaine; Berta; Hildegarde d'Aquitaine, Abbesse de Saint-Jean-de-Laon; Louis II, 'The German' and 3 others

Occupation: Abbesse de Saint Pierre le Bas, à Rheims (Abbess in Reims)
Managed by: Sharon Doubell
Last Updated:

About Alpaïs, Abbess of St-Pierre & Reims

Alpais

Married:

Mother:

  • Unknown. If Louis I's child - Her mother may have been Theodelinde of Sens; or Stewart Baldwin thinks it's possible that her mother was Louis's first wife, Ermengarde. If Charlemagne's child, her mother may have been Amaltrude

Children:

  • MALE Leuthard, bur. 3 January, bef. 869, count [of Paris?].
  • MALE Eberhard, d. bef. 8 June 871.

Possible child:

  • FEMALE Susanna;m. Wulfhard. Baldwin thinks Susanna may have been the daughter of Bégon by an earlier wife.

Title:

  • In later life, she became Abbesse de St-Pierre-de-Reims or Abbess of Saint-Pierre-le-Bas in Reims.

Date of death:

  • 23 July, after 852. (Alpaïde emboidered a pillow for the saint's head when the relics of St. Remi were translated in 852, and the necrology of the cathedral of Reims states that she died on 23 July ["Alpheidis Deo sacrata" Werner (1967), 445-6].) Place of death: Unknown.

Alpaida's ancestry is in doubt. She was either the daughter of Charlemagne, or the daughter of Louis the Pious:

Two Sources from the time name Beggo's wife as the emperor's daughter, Alpais:

Biego de amici regis, qui et filiam imperatoris nomine Elpheid duxit uxorem, eo tempore defunctus est. (Beggo, of the king's friends, and who took to wife a daughter of the emperor named Alpais), died at this time (815). [http://www.dmgh.de/de/fs1/object/display/bsb00000870_00051.html?sor... Annales Hildesheimenses (815)]
"Picco, primus de amicis regis, qui et filiam imperatoris duxit uxorem, defunctus est." [ nomine Elpheid ] Ann. Hildesh. (Beggo, first among the king's friends, and who took to wife a daughter of the emperor, died). [Ann. Laur. Min (Cod Fuldensis)]

According to the 10th Century source, Flodard:

Alpaïs, filia imperatoris, d. after 29 May 852, on a 23 September, m. Bego, d. 816, count of Paris. ["Picco, primus de amicis regis, qui et filiam imperatoris [nomine Elpheid] duxit uxorem, defunctus est." Annales Laurissenses Minores, s.a. 816, MGH SS 1: 122; see also Werner (1967), 429-441; "... Quod monasterium Ludowicus imperator Alpheidi, filiae suae, uxori Begonis comitis, dono dedit, ..." Flodoard, iv, 46, MGH SS 13: 595]

Although it is clear that the imperator who was the father of Alpaïs was either Charlemagne or Louis the Pious, there is no general agreement as to which man was her father. -While the testimony of Flodoard would make Louis the father (the imperator in 816 was Louis the Pious), Flodoard was writing a century later, and the 'tighness' of the chronology is a factor for making her a daughter of Charlemagne instead.But the chronological impediment to Louis being the father may have been overstated: If Emperor Louis was her father, it is unlikely that she was born before 793/94, given his known birth date in 778. It would therefore be chronologically tight for her to have had two or three children by her husband before his death in 816, but not impossible: It makes her 23yrs old when he dies. Charlemagne’s wife Hildegard had had 9 children by the time she died at 23 or 24yrs. Unfortunately, no indication has been found in primary sources of the ages of these children when their father died.

So, she is either:

  • Alpaida (b.794) - Charlemagne's daughter by his concubine Amaltrud of Vienne - favoured as the wife of Count Beggue by Christian Settipani (1993. La préhistoire des Capétiens pp. 200-02) a text that is rather inaccessible online. [Sharon's NOTE: It seems worth pointing out that Cawley's Medlands doesn't mention an Alpaida or an Amaltrude. A possible reason is that the Wikipedia concubine, Amaltrud, is the NN concubine of Cawley, whose daughter - Ruodhaid/Rotaide (784) actually looks like the same person as the concubine Madelgard's daughter Rothildis, who Cawley gives as born in the same year (784), and which Wikipedia doesn't duplicate.- Sharon (I have discussed on those profiles the arguments for and against both attributions)]

or she is:

Cawley's Medlands: [ALPAIS ([793/94]-23 Jul 852 or after, bur [Reims]). Flodoard refers to "Ludowicus Alpheidi filie sue uxori Begonis comitis"[219]. The Annales Hildesheimenses name "filiam imperatoris…Elpheid" as the wife of "Bicgo de amici regis" when recording the death of her husband[220]. Settipani discusses the debate about the paternity of Alpais, preferring the theory that Emperor Charles I was her father[221]. If Emperor Louis was her father, it is unlikely that she was born before [793/94], given his known birth date in 778. It would therefore be chronologically tight for her to have had [three] children by her husband before his death in 816.[Sharon 's Note: Not really – it makes her 23yrs old when he dies. Charlemagne’s wife Hildegard had had 9 children by the time she died at 23 or 24yrs] However, no indication has been found in primary sources of the age of these children when their father died. The question of Alpais's paternity is obviously not beyond doubt, but it is felt preferable to show her as the possible daughter of Emperor Louis in view of the clear statement in Flodoard. No indication has been found of the name of Alpais's mother. If Alpais was the daughter of Emperor Louis, it is likely that she was not her husband's only wife in view of Bego's estimated birth date. After her husband died, she became abbess of Saint-Pierre-le-Bas at Reims in [817]. She was still there 29 May 852. m ([806]%29 [as his second wife,] BEGO, son of [GERARD [I] Comte de Paris & his wife Rotrud] ([755/60]-28 Oct 816). He governed the county of Toulouse as "marchio" for Septimania in 806. Comte de Paris in [815], succeeding comte Stephanus.] (Medlands, Carolingians.)
[BEGO ([755/60]-28 Oct 816). The primary source which establishes that Bego was the son of Gerard has not so far been identified. Marquis de Septimanie: Bego governed the county of Toulouse as "marchio" for Septimania from 806. He was chambrier, equivalent to viceroy, for Louis King of Aquitaine (son of Emperor Charlemagne)[65]. Comte de Paris in [815], succeeding comte Stephanus. He founded the Abbey of Saint-Maur-des-Fossés near Paris. The necrology of the abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés records the death "V Kal Nov" of "Begoni comitis"[66].
[m firstly ---. There is no proof of this possible first marriage of Bego. However, as noted below, if his wife Alpais was the daughter of Emperor Louis, there would have been a considerable age difference between her and Bego, which suggests the possibility of an earlier marriage.]
m [secondly] ([806]%29 ALPAIS, illegitimate daughter of [Emperor LOUIS I & his mistress ---] ([793/94]-23 Jul 852 or after, bur [Reims]).
Bego & his [second] wife had three children:
i) LIUTHARD . Flodoard names "ipsius Alpheidis vel filiorum eius Letardi et Ebrardi" when recording their mother's donation to the church of Reims[70].
ii) EBERHARD . Flodoard names "ipsius Alpheidis vel filiorum eius Letardi et Ebrardi" when recording their mother's donation to the church of Reims[71].
iii) SUSANNA ([805/10]-). The primary source which establishes that Susanna was the daughter of Bego has not so far been identified. "Vulfardus" donated property to Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire for the souls of "genitoris mei Vulfardi et genetrice mea Susannane necnon et germanorum fratrum meorum Adelardo, Vulgrino, Ymo et sorore mee Hildeburga vel nepote meo Vulgrino" by charter dated 2 Nov 889[72]. m ([825/30]) VULFHARD, son of ---.

References:

[65] Settipani, C. and Kerrebrouck, P. van (1993) La préhistoire des Capétiens 481-987, 1ère partie, Mérovingiens, Carolingiens et Robertiens (Villeneuve d'Ascq), p. 201.

[66] Obituaires de Sens Tome I.1, Abbaye de Saint-Germain-des-Prés, p. 276.

[67] Flodoardus Remensis Historia Remensis Ecclesiæ IV, XLVI, MGH SS XXXVI, p. 448.

[68] Annales Hildesheimenses 815, MGH SS III, p. 42.

[69] Settipani (1993), pp. 200-02.

[70] Flodoardus Remensis Historia Remensis Ecclesiæ IV, XLVI, MGH SS XXXVI, p. 448.

[71] Flodoardus Remensis Historia Remensis Ecclesiæ IV, XLVI, MGH SS XXXVI, p. 448.

[72] Saint-Benoît-sur-Loire XXXI, p. 85.

[218] Flodoardus Remensis Historia Remensis Ecclesiæ IV, XLVI, MGH SS XXXVI, p. 448.

[219] Annales Hildesheimenses 815, MGH SS III, p. 42.

[220] Settipani (1993), pp. 200-02.

[221] Chronicon Moissacense 817, MGH SS I, p. 312.

[222] Settipani (1993), p. 255.

Bibliography

Please see also Charlemagne Project


A3.B5 LOUIS (778–20 June 840)
Unknown mistress/es of Louis I Two Children:

A3.B5.C10. ALPAIS ([793/94]-23 Jul 852 or after, bur [Reims]). Flodoard refers to "Ludowicus Alpheidi filie sue uxori Begonis comitis"[231]. The Annales Hildesheimenses name "filiam imperatoris…Elpheid" as the wife of "Bicgo de amici regis" when recording the death of her husband[232]. Settipani discusses the debate about the paternity of Alpais, preferring the theory that Emperor Charles I was her father[233]. If Emperor Louis was her father, it is unlikely that she was born before [793/94], given his known birth date in 778. It would therefore be chronologically tight for her to have had [three] children by her husband before his death in 816. However, no indication has been found in primary sources of the age of these children when their father died. The question of Alpais's paternity is obviously not beyond doubt, but it is felt preferable to show her as the possible daughter of Emperor Louis in view of the clear statement in Flodoard. No indication has been found of the name of Alpais's mother. If Alpais was the daughter of Emperor Louis, it is likely that she was not her husband's only wife in view of Bego's estimated birth date. After her husband died, she became abbess of Saint-Pierre-le-Bas at Reims in [817]. She was still there 29 May 852. m ([806]%29 [as his second wife,] BEGO, son of --- (-28 Oct 816). He governed the county of Toulouse as "marchio" for Septimania in 806. Comte de Paris [815].] http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/CAROLINGIANS.htm#_Toc240955192
A3.B5.C11. ARNOUL ([794]-after [Mar/Apr] 841). The Chronicon Moissacense names "quartum…filium [Ludovici]…ex concubina…Arnulfum" recording that his father gave him the county of Sens[234]. Comte de Sens 817. He was a supporter of his half-brother Emperor Lothaire in [Mar/Apr] 841[235]. http://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/CAROLINGIANS.htm#_Toc240955192

About Alpaïs, Abbess of St-Pierre & Reims (Tamil)

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Alpaïs, Abbess of St-Pierre & Reims's Timeline

807
807
Paris, Seine, Ile-de-France, France
852
852
1933
November 10, 1933
November 10, 1933
ALBER
December 11, 1933
December 11, 1933
Salt Lake City Utah Temple, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, USA
1934
June 11, 1934
June 11, 1934
Salt Lake City Utah Temple, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, USA
1938
June 27, 1938
June 27, 1938