LIUTPRANDO. — Bishop of Cremona, of Lombard family, born in Pavia or its vicinity in the early decades of the 10th century, died between 971 and 972 during a journey to Constantinople. His father had been a trusted figure of King Hugh and was sent to Constantinople. After his father's death in 927, his stepfather taught him Latin and Greek, as he himself recounts; in 931 he entered the court, later becoming a cleric and deacon in Pavia. With King Berengar he became *secretorum conscius et epistolarum signator*. He was sent to Constantinople, but on his return he fell into disfavour and took refuge in Germany with Otto, writing in 958 the *Antapodosis*, in which he narrates European events from 887 to 950, the last as an eyewitness and in a tone of violent polemic against Berengar and Queen Willa.
He accompanied Otto on his journey to Italy and was appointed on that occasion to the see of Cremona. On 2 February 962 he was present in Rome at the coronation of his patron. In 963 in Rome he attended the synod that deposed John XII (for the favour shown by the latter to the son of Berengar) and elected the protoscriniarius Leo. In 965 he was present at the election of John XIII. In 967 he went to Constantinople to seek the hand of Theophania, daughter of Nicephorus Phocas, for Otto II, and drew up a report of the journey which is preserved. According to the tradition collected by Ughelli (Italia Sacra, Cremonenses episcopi, n. XXXIX) from the anonymous author of the *Translatio s. Himerii*, L. is said to have died on a subsequent journey to Constantinople to bring back Theophania in 971-72.
To L. is due in part the notoriety of the women who lived around the papacy in the 10th century (Theodora, Marozia). A most vigorous polemicist, his three historical works are a precious source for the history of the century, but must be used with some caution.