ENRICO III, EMPEROR. — Son of Corrado II il Salico and Gisella, born on 28 October 1017, died at Botfel in the Harz on 5 October 1056. Educated in Bavaria under the direction of two bishops, he took part in military campaigns from an early age. On succeeding his father on 4 June 1039, he immediately set about enlarging his domains and consolidating the authority of his kingdom, remaining uninterested in Italian affairs until 1046. In that year
the Roman nobles called him to Italy to put an end to the scandal of three men contending for the papacy: Benedetto IX, Silvestro III, and Gregorio VI. But E. seized the opportunity to strengthen his political authority there. In October 1046 he crossed the Alps and convened a synod at Pavia; the following November he met Gregorio VI at Piacenza, whom he received with honour, and together they decided to hold a synod at Sutri. There, on 20 December, he had Silvestro III and Gregorio VI deposed; shortly afterwards, at Rome (24 December), at another synod he had Benedetto IX also declared deposed. A pope devoted to him was then appointed in the person of Suidgero, bishop of Bamberg, under the name of Clemente II. The new pontiff was enthroned on Christmas Day and, as his first act, placed the imperial crown on E. and his wife Agnese.
The Roman people in turn conferred upon him the title of Roman patrician, which gave him the right to intervene in papal elections—a right that E. exercised extensively, designating four German popes to the apostolic see. In return, he showed himself solicitous for the reform of the Church; on 5 January 1047 he presided over a synod at which penalties against simoniacs were established. Immediately after the January synod, E. went to southern Italy to restore his authority there, threatened by the Norman dukes, and then returned to Germany, taking the deposed Gregorio VI with him as a prisoner. At the death of Clemente II, which occurred near Pesaro on 9 October 1047, despite Wasone of Liège’s suggestion that Gregorio be restored to the papal throne, E. designated as pope the bishop of Bressanone, Peppone (Damaso II). When Damaso died on 9 August 1048, E., at a great assembly held at Worms at Christmas of the same year, designated as his successor Brunone, bishop of Toul (Leone IX); and upon the latter’s death (19 April 1054), he chose Gebardo of Eichstätt (Vittore II). In March 1055 E., together with his nominee, came to Italy and took part in the Synod of Florence and attended the coronation
(from A. Goldschmidt, Die deutsche Bubenherrn, Firenze-Monore III)
ENRICO III, IMPERATORE — King E. III enthroned. Miniature from the Echternach Gospel Book (1039–40) — Bremen, Stadtbibliothek.
by Victor (13 April 1055). He then returned to Germany, taking with him as hostages the countess Beatrice of Tuscany and her daughter Matilde, since he had been unable to subdue her husband, Goffredo of Lorraine, who had become dangerous to his authority in Italy.
E. was praised by his contemporaries for having supported the reform of the Church and for his disinterestedness, being free from any simony, in conferring ecclesiastical dignities.