Gisela of Friuli


Gisela of Friuli was a medieval Italian noblewoman. She was the daughter of Berengar I of Italy and Bertilla of Spoleto. Through her marriage to Adalbert I of Ivrea, Gisela was countess of Ivrea, and mother of Berengar II of Italy.

Life

Little is known about Gisela’s life. Her father was Berengar I, who was margrave of Friuli and who became King of Italy during Gisela’s childhood. Gisela’s mother was probably Bertilla, Berengar’s first wife, whom he married in 875. Gisela is thus presumed to have been born after. Gisela’s sister, Bertha, later became abbess of Santa Giulia in Brescia.
Gisela married Adalbert I of Ivrea sometime between 898 and 905, and probably by 902/3. This was a political alliance which was intended to reconcile Adalbert and Gisela’s father, Berengar I of Italy.. Gisela and Adalbert’s son, Berengar II of Italy, must have been born by 903, as by 918 he was fifteen years old, and was named count and imperial missus.
When Gisela died is not known: she was still alive in January 913, when her father, Berengar, issued a diploma referring to her husband Adalbert as his son-in-law, but by 915 Adalbert had married Ermengarde of Tuscany, suggesting that Gisela had died.

Issue

With Adalbert, Gisela had at least two children: