Alberic II of Spoleto

Alberic II (912–954) was ruler of Rome from 932 to 954, after deposing his mother Marozia and his stepfather, King Hugh of Italy.

He was of the house of the Counts of Tusculum, the son of the notorious Marozia by her first husband, Alberic I, Duke of Spoleto. His half-brother was Pope John XI. At the wedding of his mother to King Hugh of Italy, Alberic and his new stepfather quarreled violently after Hugh slapped Alberic for clumsiness. Infuriated by this and perhaps motivated by rumors that Hugh intended to have him blinded, Alberic left the festivities and incited a Roman mob to revolt against Hugh. In December 932 Hugh fled the city, Marozia was cast into prison, and Alberic took control of Rome.

Marriage and issue

In 936 Alberic married his stepsister Alda, the daughter of Hugh of Italy and had one son by her, Gregory I, Count of Tusculum. According to Benedict of Soracte, he also had one illegitimate son, Octavianus, by an unknown mistress. On his deathbed Alberic nominated Octavianus as Pope John XII.^[1]

Sources

• Lexikon des Mittelalters.

References