Ageltrude orAgiltrude (around 860 – 27 August 923) was theEmpress andQueen of Italy as the wife ofGuy (reigned 891–894).^[1][2] She was theregent for her sonLambert (reigned 894–898) and actively encouraged him in opposing theCarolingians, and in influencing papal elections in their favour.^[3][4]

Ageltrude was the daughter of PrinceAdelchis of Benevento and Adeltrude. She married Guy of Spoleto circa 875, when he was theduke and margrave ofSpoleto andCamerino.^[1] Guy of Spoleto defeatedBerengar to became King of Italy in 889, and then, in 891, he was crownedHoly Roman Emperor, making Ageltrude empress. Guy's reign was short, and in 894, Guy died, leaving Ageltrude a widow. As their son, Lambert, was a minor, she became regent.^[5][6]

In 894, Ageltrude accompanied her 14-year-old son, Lambert, toRome to be confirmed as emperor byPope Formosus, who supported theCarolingian claimantArnulf of Carinthia.^[7] In 896, she and her son fled from Rome toSpoleto when Arnulf marched into Rome and was crowned in opposition to Lambert. This loss was only temporary, however, as Pope Formosus died a mere month after crowning Arnulf, and Arnulf himself was soon paralysed by a stroke.^[5][8]

Ageltrude, in a position of such power, took the opportunity to assert her authority in Rome and, after the very brief two-week papal reign ofBoniface VI, she worked to have her preferred candidate elected asPope Stephen VI. At her and Lambert's request, the body of Pope Formosus was disinterred, given a full trial on accusations of transferring one see to another, convicted, and his corpse was hurled into theTiber, in an event that came to be known as theCadaver Synod.^[1][9][10] Lambert becameLambert II of Spoleto.

In 898, her son died. She retired from politics after the death of her son and settled in the convent of Camerino and later in the convent of Salsomaggiore.^[4]

• Frankish queens consort
• Holy Roman Empresses
• 9th-century women regents
• Queens consort of Italy (Holy Roman Empire)
• Lombard women
• 9th-century Lombard people
• 9th-century Italian women
• 10th-century Lombard people
• 10th-century Italian women
• 923 deaths
• 9th-century queens consort
• 9th-century empresses consort
• 9th-century regents
• Italian queen mothers
• Mothers of Holy Roman Emperors

• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024
• Year of birth unknown
• Place of birth unknown