Beatrice I, Countess of Burgundy
| Beatrice I | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| suo jure Countess of Burgundy | |
| Reign | 22 January 1148 – 15 November 1184 |
| Predecessor | Renaud III |
| Successor | Frederick I & Otto I |
| Holy Roman Empress; German Queen | |
| Reign | 9 June 1156 – 15 November 1184 |
| Coronation | 1 August 1167 at Rome |
| Queen consort of Italy | |
| Reign | 9 June 1156 – 15 November 1184 |
| Queen consort of Burgundy | |
| Reign | 9 June 1156 – 15 November 1184 |
| Coronation | August 1178 at Vienne |
| Born | 1143/5 |
| Died | 15 November 1184 Jouhe, near Dôle |
| Burial | Speyer Cathedral |
| Spouse | Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor |
| Issue among others... |
Frederick V, Duke of Swabia Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor Otto I, Count of Burgundy Conrad II, Duke of Swabia Philip of Swabia |
| House | Ivrea |
| Father | Renaud III |
| Mother | Agatha of Lorraine |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
Beatrice of Burgundy (1143 – 15 November 1184) was a Sovereign Duchess of Burgundy, and a Holy Roman Empress consort by marriage to Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor.
Beatrice was the only surviving child of Renaud III, Count of Burgundy and Agatha of Lorraine. Orphaned as a child, she inherited the County of Burgundy and became one of the most desirable heiresses in France.
Beatrice and Frederick were married on 9 June 1156 at Würzburg. She was 13 years of age; he was 33. By this marriage Frederick obtained control of the vast county of Burgundy.
The poem Carmen de gestis Frederici I imperatoris in Lombardia, written about 1162, describes Beatrice upon her wedding day:
She then became the second wife of Frederick I, Holy Roman Emperor, and as such Holy Roman Empress, at the age of about 12. The couple had 11 children, most of whom died young. Beatrice was active at the Hohenstaufen court, encouraging literary works and chivalric ideals. She accompanied her husband on his travels and campaigns across his kingdom, and he was known to be under Beatrice's influence. She was crowned Holy Roman Empress by Antipope Paschal III in Rome on 1 August 1167, and later as Queen of Burgundy at Vienne in August 1178.
In 1184, Beatrice fell ill with an unknown illness at Jouhe and quickly died, aged about 40. She was buried in Speyer Cathedral, but her heart was buried in Jouhe's old Benedictine abbey.
She had the following children:
Beatrice is a character in Umberto Eco's novel Baudolino, whose (fictional) protagonist is deeply in love with her - a love never consummated except for a single kiss.
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