Ermengarde of Tours was a 9th-century Carolingian empress and queen of Italy. Born around 804 to Hugh of Tours and Ava of Morvois, she married the Frankish Emperor Lothair I in 821 at Thionville. As a member of the imperial family, she had several children, including Louis II of Italy and various daughters who held positions as abbesses. She died in 851 in Erstein, where she was laid to rest.
Life and marriage
Following her marriage to Lothair I, Ermengarde utilized her bridal gift to establish the abbey at Erstein in the Alsace region. This foundation served as her final resting place. Contemporary accounts, such as those by the poet Sedulius Scottus, praised her physical beauty and her generosity, noting that her charitable actions on earth would lead to rewards in heaven.
Veneration
Recognized as a Catholic saint, Ermengarde is remembered for her piety and her role within the Carolingian dynasty. Her legacy is tied to the religious institutions she supported and her status as a queen consort during a significant period of European history.