Ardoin’s Wars (1004–1014)

Ardoin’s Wars (1004–1014)

PRINCIPAL COMBATANTS: Ardoin of Lombardy vs. King
Henry II of Germany

PRINCIPAL THEATER(S): Lombardy in northern Italy

DECLARATION: None

MAJOR ISSUES AND OBJECTIVES: Henry II, as the Holy
Roman Emperor, wanted to cement his control over
Lombardy.

OUTCOME: Ardoin’s attempts to retain control of
Lombardy were thwarted.

APPROXIMATE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF MEN UNDER ARMS:
Unknown

CASUALTIES: Unknown

TREATIES: None

As a result of action in ARDOIN’S REVOLT, the marquis of
Ivrea, Ardoin (d. 1015), was proclaimed king of Lombardy
in 1002, following the death of the Holy Roman Emperor,
Otto III (982–1002) of Germany. Otto’s successor to the
German throne, Henry II (973–1024), also sought to
reestablish his rights to Lombardy as part of the Holy
Roman Empire. In 1004, therefore, he invaded northern
Italy and quickly regained control there. Eager to affirm
his hegemony, Henry caused his coronation as king of
Lombardy, a rash act that provoked a revolt among the
townsfolk of Pavia. The German army was overwhelmed
and hastily withdrew with Henry, leaving behind a mob
that ravaged the town.
Into this disorder Ardoin reentered, hoping to reclaim
his rule over Lombardy. Recruiting the aid of Italian
nobles, Ardoin led the overthrow of the powerful bishops
who had supported Henry. In the meantime, despite his
ignominious defeat in Pavia, Henry had succeeded in suppressing
disorders in Rome, for which he was formally
named Holy Roman Emperor on February 14, 1014, by
Pope Benedict VIII. This did not overawe Ardoin, who was
determined to assert his right to rule in Lombardy and
even elsewhere in Italy. Accordingly, he mounted an attack
on Henry’s forces in Novara and Como. This time, however,
Henry was in a much stronger position than he had
been at Pavia, and Ardoin was repulsed. His army ruined,
Ardoin withdrew to a monastery outside of Turin, where,
broken in spirit, he died in 1015.

Further reading: Roger Collins, Early Medieval Europe
300–1000 (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 1999); R. I. Moore,
The First European Revolutions, c. 970–1215 (London:
Blackwell, 2000).