Warrior Woman: Matilda of Canossa, the Madonna of War
The youngest of three, Matilda was an exceptional learner. She spoke Latin, French, German, and Italian. There is contention on whether she was taught military matters such as strategy, tactics, or fighting, but she clearly knew all of them. She was also a very devout Christian and followed the highly debated ecclesiastical questions of the time.
Encyclopedia.com states that:
She had great strength, displayed in physical terms as a Christian warrior, and steadfast character, witnessed by her unwavering support of the papal cause. At the same time, her compassion was evident: she tended the wounded on the battlefield and was especially generous in the patronage she bestowed on the Church. She was also educated and cultured, with some understanding of the subtleties of the political and theological positions that inspired the controversy between Church and state. During this critical episode in medieval history, her multifaceted support was instrumental in advancing the position of the Church.
Her early life is unclear. The order in which members of her family died is debated. What is certain is that by age 6 she was named sole heir to the largest land holdings in northern Italy, and to protect this, her mother married Godfry the Bearded of Upper Lorraine. Because of this she was taken prisoner along with her mother by Henry III. Either before or because of his death, they were released back to Godfry the Bearded since he had evaded capture and defeat by Henry’s men.
While educated far beyond most women of the time, she was also present at several battles between the Germans and the Papal forces. She helped her parents defend Alexander II both on the battlefield and in church councils, the first of which she attended when she was only 13.
After Godfry the Bearded’s death, she married her stepbrother, Godfry the Hunchback. It is suggested that she had a hand in his suspicious death, given that Matilda had returned to Lorrine without him and their support for opposing factions, but it is also likely it was a ploy of Henry IV. She now ruled alone.
She even took over the lands her husband had willed to his sister’s son, Godfrey of Bouillon. There was much protest over the matter, but Matilda being favored by both Pope Gregory VII and King Henry IV, the Bishop of Verdun had little to think about. It’s said that the animosity between Matilda and her nephew is the reason she did not join him when he lead the First Crusade.
With her lands firmly between the Vatican and Germany, she fell into her role as the iron shield of the Papacy. Pope Gregory VII had been in correspondence with Matilda and her mother since his elevation, even wishing to undertake a Crusade with them. He referred to Matilda as the “faithful handmaid of St. Peter” in a letter to Bishop Hermann of Metz after her husbands death. She provided money, soldiers, and even conquered those who failed to recognize the papacy. At one point she melted down all of the silver and gold of one of her monasteries to send to the Pope: 700lbs of silver and 9lbs of gold.
During the disputes between Henry IV and Gregory VII, Matilda was at the center. After Pope Gregory VII excommunicated Henry IV, Henry faced severe enough backlash that he traveled to Italy in the middle of a severe winter to beg forgiveness. When hearing of the king’s journey, Matilda advised Gregory to come to her castle of Canossa. Gregory promptly left for her holdings.
When King Henry arrived, Matilda made him wait for three days in the bitter cold. Only through arbitration between Matilda and Henry’s mother-in-law, Adelaide of Susa, were things reconciled between Henry and Gregory. She then began to escort Gregory to Mantua, but after learning of an ambush, brought him back to Canossa.
A year later, Henry IV was excommunicated again, and Henry summoned a council to depose Gregory VII. Because Matilda had donated all of her lands to the papacy (with the condition that she would rule them independently for the remainder of her life) she was named a threat to the Empire and exiled from his lands. This did not effect in the slightest her massive holdings.
On October 15th, 1080, Matilda faced her first serious defeat while leading the papal forces after they were routed through overwhelming force by the Imperial army.
While Henry marched on Rome to throne a Pope of his choosing, Matilda rallied her remaining forces, she still held all the western passes in the Apennines, and sent letters to all the kings of Europe to let them know the Pope was false. For a length of time after this, Matilda was seen as the sole voice of the Pope.
Once Antipope Clement II was named, Henry IV left for Germany leaving it to his allies to finish Matilda. Matilda defeated them at Sorbara on July 2nd, 1084.
Matilda marched on Rome to restore the throne of Victor III who had been forced from the city. Despite her capturing Castel Sant’Angelo and occupying part of the city, Victor III was convinced to again flee the city after Imperial threats.
To pre-empt another invasion by Henry IV, and by the suggestion of Pope Urban II, Matilda married Duke Welf of Bavaria who was only 15-17 years old. By his claims the marriage was never consummated. Cosmas of Prague cited that the boy feared witchcraft and refused to share the marital bed. Their marriage ended six years later.
Matilda allied with Henry IV’s sons and convinced them to rebel against their father, forcing him to return to Italy where he was humbled again at Canossa with a military defeat in October 1092. Matilda is said to have personally participated with a few faithful men galvanizing her allies with cries of Just War.
Her victory inspired many conquered cities to side with her. She also freed the wife of Henry VI, Eupraxia of Kiev, and gave her refuge. Eupraxia later accused her husband of imprisoning her, forcing her to participate in orgies, and attempting a black mass on her body.
Matilda forced Henry out of Italy in 1097 and began reconquering the towns that remained loyal to him, earning her the title “Madonna of War”. She also restored Pope Urban II to Rome while reclaiming most of Northern Italy.
In 1111 after Henry IV’s death, Henry V met with Matilda who gave him inheritance rights over some of her fiefs. Henry V gave her the title Imperial Vicar and Vice-Queen of Italy.
Between a variety of sources, some less reputable than others, it is said she founded over a hundred churches, monasteries, hospices, and bridges built or restored for military purposes (Ponte della Maddalena is one such bridge). Despite everything the world could throw at her, Matilda remained loyal to the legitimately elected popes.
After her death in 1115, Henry V had promised not to appoint a successor in some of the cities, beginning the era of the city-states in northern Italy. She was first buried in the Abby of San Benedettoo in Polirone, but in 1633, Pope Urban VIII had her remains moved to Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome. In 1645 they were moved to the Vatican and now lie in St. Peter’s Basilica. She is one of only three women buried there, and the first person of any gender who was not a Pope or a Saint.
