| Otto-William | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 958 |
| Died | (1026-09-21)21 September 1026 |
| Spouse | Ermentrude of Roucy Adelaide |
| Issue | Guy Matilda Gerberga Reginald I, Count of Burgundy Agnes |
| House | Ivrea |
| Father | Adalbert of Ivrea |
| Mother | Gerberga |
Otto-William (French:Otte-Guillaume;German:Otto Wilhelm;c. 958 – 21 September 1026 AD) was count ofMâcon,Nevers, andBurgundy.[1]
Otto was born in 958 during the joint reign of his grandfather, KingBerengar II of Italy, and his father,King Adalbert.[2] His mother wasGerberga.[2]
After Adalbert's death in 971/5, Gerberga married for a second time, toHenry I, Duke of Burgundy, the younger brother of KingHugh Capet.[3] Gerberga and Henry had no children together. Since Henry had no legitimate son of his own, he adopted Otto-William making him a possible heir of theDuchy of Burgundy.[4]
While the son of a king, Otto did not seek a royal wife.[5] Inc. 982, he marriedErmentrude of Roucy, whose maternal grandmother,Gerberga of Saxony, was a sister ofOtto I, Holy Roman Emperor, and by this marriage alliance created a web ofconsanguinity between later kings of France, Germany, Burgundy and theCarolingians.[5] Even Otto's children's spouses, although from great families, came from widespread and scattered parts of France.[5]
This marriage brought to Otto-William the County ofMâcon as well as[6] many other rights on the left bank of theSaône in the province ofBesançon. The newCount of Mâcon consolidated there his political grip making what would be later be theFree County of Burgundy aroundDole.
From his mother Otto could have inherited the County ofNevers before 990.[7] However he left Nevers to his stepson Landric[8] and rather claimed the County ofBeaune in which the dowry ofGerberga was.
The Duchy of Burgundy was eventually annexed to the crown of France byKing Robert II, nephew ofHenry I, Duke of Burgundy, in 1005.
On the left-bank of the Saône, determined to be sovereign ruler of his own lands, Otto revolted against theEmperor Henry II in 1016. This was afterRudolph III of Burgundy, the last king of Burgundy and Arles, had done homage to Henry atStrasbourg, making him his guard and heir. On Otto's death, the Free County fell under the suzerainty of the German emperors.
Otto died on 21 September 1026 at the age of 64[9] and was buried in St-Benigne ofDijon.
Otto's first wife wasErmentrude of Roucy.[10] She bore Otto's issue:
Otto remarried late in life to a wife named Adelaide. Some scholars have identified her as the four-times widowedAdelaide-Blanche of Anjou,[13] but the identity is not directly attested[14] and has been disputed by some studying the question.[15]
Otto-William, Count of Burgundy Died: 21 September 1026 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Duke of Burgundy 1002–1004 | Succeeded by |
| New title | Count of Burgundy 982–1026 | Succeeded by |
