Individual Details
Agnes de Poitou
(Abt 1025 - 14 Dec 1077)
Agnès was born about 1025, the daughter of Guillaume III-V, duke of Aquitaine, and Agnès de Bourgogne. In 1031 Agnès was mentioned as being at the court of her brother, Guillaume 'the Fat'. In 1036 and 1037 she was in a cloister with her brother's wife Eustacia, because Guillaume had lost his position in Aquitaine. In 1042 she was in Bésançon at the court of her uncle Reginald when Bruno, bishop of Würzburg, came to ask her hand in marriage for the widowed Emperor Heinrich III. In October 1043 Agnès and Heinrich III met at the Burgundian border, and travelled together to Mainz for her coronation. A month later they married with great pomp in Ingelheim. In 1046 they went to Italy and were crowned Emperor and Empress by Pope Clemens II.
Heinrich III and Agnès had five children. Though Agnès was usually with her husband and is mentioned in many imperial documents, she had no political influence on him. However, she acted as regent for her son Heinrich IV when her husband died in 1056. As regent from 1056 until 1062 she worked to preserve the empire and continued Heinrich III's policies.
She travelled extensively throughout the empire, but her regency was troubled by some of the nobles she had trusted. She had placed Rudolf von Rheinfelden in charge of Swabia and betrothed him in 1059 to her eldest daughter Matilda. A year later Matilda died and Rudolf became one of her son's rebellious vassals. In 1060 she sent an army to aid her son-in-law Salomon of Hungary, but the army was defeated and Salomon and his wife were forced to flee.
Her regency came to an abrupt end when the bishop of Cologne kidnapped her son Heinrich IV and took over the regency. Without objection she returned to her own lands. In 1063 she went to Rome where she was befriended by Pope Alexander II who used her several times as an ambassador to the imperial court. She was also associated with Hildebrand, the future Pope Gregory VII. Agnes sided with the papal party and tried to conciliate between Pope Gregory VII and her son, by then Emperor Heinrich IV.
Agnes died on 14 December 1077.
Source: Leo van de Pas
Heinrich III and Agnès had five children. Though Agnès was usually with her husband and is mentioned in many imperial documents, she had no political influence on him. However, she acted as regent for her son Heinrich IV when her husband died in 1056. As regent from 1056 until 1062 she worked to preserve the empire and continued Heinrich III's policies.
She travelled extensively throughout the empire, but her regency was troubled by some of the nobles she had trusted. She had placed Rudolf von Rheinfelden in charge of Swabia and betrothed him in 1059 to her eldest daughter Matilda. A year later Matilda died and Rudolf became one of her son's rebellious vassals. In 1060 she sent an army to aid her son-in-law Salomon of Hungary, but the army was defeated and Salomon and his wife were forced to flee.
Her regency came to an abrupt end when the bishop of Cologne kidnapped her son Heinrich IV and took over the regency. Without objection she returned to her own lands. In 1063 she went to Rome where she was befriended by Pope Alexander II who used her several times as an ambassador to the imperial court. She was also associated with Hildebrand, the future Pope Gregory VII. Agnes sided with the papal party and tried to conciliate between Pope Gregory VII and her son, by then Emperor Heinrich IV.
Agnes died on 14 December 1077.
Source: Leo van de Pas
Events
| Birth | Abt 1025 | ||||
| Marriage | 1043 | Heinrich III Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire | |||
| Death | 14 Dec 1077 |
Families
| Spouse | Heinrich III Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (1017 - 1056) |
| Child | Heinrich IV Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (1050 - 1106) |
| Father | Duke Guillaume (William) III-V "le Grand" d'Aquitaine, Count of Poitou (969 - 1030) |
| Mother | Agnes de Bourgogne (995 - 1068) |