Hugh of Italy - Family

Family

By four wives and at least four mistresses, he left eight children. With Willa, Hugh had no children. Hugh's only legitimate children were both from his second wife, Alda or Hilda, of German origin, whom he married before 924. Her children were Alda, who married Alberic II, and the aforementioned Lothair, Hugh's successor. By his third wife, Marozia, and his fourth, Bertha, daughter of Rudolph II, Hugh had no children. His son Humbert, to whom he gave Tuscany, was his eldest bastard son by a noblewoman named Wandelmoda. By another, low-born mistress named Pezola, and whom the people called Venerem, Hugh had a daughter, Bertha, who married the Byzantine Emperor Romanos II and took the name Eudokia (Eudocia). She inherited her father's lands in Provence. From the same mistress, Hugh had a son named Boso, who became Bishop of Piacenza and imperial chancellor. Hugh's third mistress was Rotrude or Rosa, called Iunonem by the people. She gave him a daughter, Rotlind or Rolend, who married Bernard, Count of Pavia. Tebald, whom Hugh tried to make Archbishop of Milan, was the product of liaison with a Roman woman named Stephanie, to whom the people gave the nickname Semelen. Hugh's youngest son, Geoffrey, Abbot of Nonantola, was of an unknown mistress.

A young page educated at Hugh's court at the traditional Lombard capital, Pavia, grew up to be Liutprand, Bishop of Cremona, the liveliest chronicler of the 10th century; his loyalty to the memory of Hugh may have helped fuel some of his partisan bitterness in chronicling Hugh's heirs.