Ordinatio Imperii

   Succession plan designed by Louis the Pious in 817. The Ordinatio Imperii (Disposition for the Empire) was intended to establish a unified empire, while still recognizing the long Frankish tradition of dividing the realm between the king's heirs. It was thought to be divinely inspired by contemporaries, especially the members of the church. It shaped Louis's policies for much of the next decade, but it was gradually undermined by the birth of another son to Louis and his second wife, Judith. Violation of the Ordinatio then became a justification for rebellion for Louis's opponents.

   In 817, Louis the Pious met with the leaders of the realm to determine the empire's fate. He may have been inspired to do this because of an accident he had near Easter. As he was leaving the church he had attended for services on Maundy Thursday, the arcade through which he walked collapsed and injured the emperor and several of his companions. Shortly thereafter, Louis held a great assembly at his capital, Aix-la-Chapelle (modern Aachen, in Germany), at which he established a succession plan, the Ordinatio Imperii, based upon the idea of the empire's unity. Louis sought divine inspiration, holding a three-day vigil of prayer and fasting before promulgating the Ordinatio. At the assembly, he bestowed the imperial title upon his eldest son, Lothar, made him co-emperor, and granted him the duty of ruling Italy. He granted his other sons, Louis the German and Pippin, royal authority over subkingdoms in the eastern and western parts of the empire. Sovereign in their own territory, the younger sons would be subject to the authority of Lothar once Louis died.

   This attempt at establishing the empire's unity was not met with uniform support. Although Louis made an attempt to recognize Frankish tradition, his settlement was met by passive resistance from the Franks, whose tradition favored divided succession. He also faced opposition from his nephew Bernard, king in Italy, who was ignored in the settlement and in fact was essentially stripped of his authority by the appointment of Lothar to rule in Italy. Bernard rose up in rebellion against his uncle, a rebellion that was quickly suppressed by Louis. Bernard was blinded for his rebellion and died from the punishment. The Ordinatio's later history was troubling for Louis, who revised the plan of succession to include a fourth son, Charles the Bald, and was accused of violating the document, and thus violating God's will. Having provided this justification for rebellion, Louis found himself the target of revolts in 830 and 833-834, as members of the nobility and the church supported the uprisings of Louis's older sons.

   See also

   Carolingian Dynasty; Charles the Bald; Judith; Lothar; Louis the German; Louis the Pious

   Bibliography

 ♦ Dutton, Paul Edward, trans. "The Ordinatio Imperii of 817." In Carolingian Civilization: A Reader. Trans. Paul Edward Dutton. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview, 1993, pp. 176-79.

 ♦ Ganshof, François Louis. The Carolingians and the Frankish Monarchy. Trans. Janet Sondheimer. London: Longman, 1971.

 ♦ Pullan, Brian, trans. Sources of Medieval Europe from the Mid-Eighth to the Mid-Thirteenth Century. New York: Barnes & Noble, 1966.

 ♦ Riché, Pierre. The Carolingians: A Family Who Forged Europe. Trans. Michael Idomir Allen. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1993.

 ♦ Scholz, Bernhard Walter, trans. Carolingian Chronicles: Royal Frankish Annals and Nithard's History. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1972.