Arduin of Ivrea

Arduin of Ivrea
Arduin of Ivrea
King of Italy
Reign	15 February 1002–1014
Coronation	14 May 1004, in San Michele Maggiore
Predecessor	Otto III
Successor	Henry II
Born	c. 955 Pombia, Kingdom of Italy
Died	14 December 1015 (aged 59–60) Abbey of Fruttuaria, Italy
Burial	Abbey of Fruttuaria
Spouse	Bertha
Issue	Arduin Otto Guibert
House	Anscarids
Father	Dado of Pombia
Religion	Chalcedonian Christianity

Arduin (Italian: Arduino; c. 955 – 14 December 1015) was an Italian nobleman who was King of Italy from 1002 until 1014.

In 990 Arduin became Margrave of Ivrea and in 991 Count of the Sacred Palace of the Lateran in Rome. In 1002, after the death of Emperor Otto III, the Italian nobles elected him King of Italy in the Basilica of San Michele Maggiore in Pavia, making him the first non-German on the Italian throne in 41 years. Arduin was considered the choice of the nobility and opposed by the episcopate, but he was initially supported by the Archbishop of Milan.

In Germany, however, Henry II was elected to succeed Otto, and he contested Arduin's election in Italy. In 1004, Henry invaded Italy, defeated Arduin and was crowned king in Pavia. He soon withdrew back to Germany, and Arduin was able to reassert his authority at least in the northwest of Italy for the next decade. Henry II invaded Italy again in 1014 and was proclaimed Emperor in Rome, at which point Arduin was finally forced to relinquish his crown. He died soon after at the Abbey of Fruttuaria, ending the independence of the Kingdom of Italy from Germany.

The study of Arduin's reign has been bedeviled by the many forged diplomas in his name.^{[citation needed]} These caused older scholarship to overrate his importance after Henry's first expedition in 1004, but it is now clear that Arduin's sphere of influence was restricted to a small part of Italy after that.^{[citation needed]} He did, however, have continuing support in Pavia.^[1]