Saint Richardis

Description

Saint Richardis (Latin: Richgardis, Richardis), also known as Richgard, Richardis of Swabia and Richarde de Souabe in French (c. 840 – 18 September, between 894 and 896 AD), was the Holy Roman Empress as the wife of Charles the Fat. She was renowned for her piety and was the first abbess of Andlau. Repudiated by her husband, Richardis later became a Christian model of devotion and just rule. She was canonised in 1049.

Charles’ reign was marked by internal and external strife, caused primarily by the constant plundering of Norman raiders on the northern French coast. These attacks had intensified as the aggressors, no longer content to pillage the coastline, had moved their attentions to cities and towns along the rivers. Powerless to resist the invasion of the Normans, Charles III paid for their departure with money, despite having military superiority.^[4]

By 887, Charles appears to have succumbed to fits of madness. During this crisis, Richardis attempted to rule in her husband’s stead but was unsuccessful. In an effort to bring down the over-powerful and hated bishop Liutward, Charles’ archchancellor – or, simply, as a means to replace Charles’ childless wife, Richardis, with a new queen who might provide children^[5] – he and Richardis were accused by Charles and his courtiers of adultery.^[6] Charles asserted that their marriage was unconsummated and demanded a divorce.^[7] According to legend and her hagiography, she was put to the ordeal by fire, which she passed successfully; in practice, the commission founded by the Pope to handle the requested annulment and charges reported that she was in fact a virgin.^[8]

Protected by her family, she then withdrew to Andlau Abbey, which she had founded on her ancestral lands in 880, and where her niece Rotrod was abbess. (Richardis herself was previously lay abbess of religious houses at Säckingen and Zurich). She died at Andlau on 18 September and was buried there