Richeza of Lotharingia

Infobox Saint
name=Blessed Richeza of Lotharingia
birth_date=995 or 1000
death_date=death date|1063|3|21|df=y
feast_day=21 March
venerated_in=Roman Catholicism


imagesize=200px
caption=Image of Richeza in Cologne Cathedral
birth_place=
death_place=Saalfeld
titles=Queen of Poland, of the Ezzonian dynasty
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major_shrine=Cologne Germany
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Richeza of Lotharingia (also called Richenza and Rixa, born between 995 and 1000, died March 21 1063 in Saalfeld, Germany) was since 1013 the wife of King Mieszko II of Poland (990-1034).

She was the daughter of the Count Palatine Ezzo of Lotharingia (Ezzonen) and Mathilde of Saxony (daughter of emperor Otto II and Theophanu). Her mother, Mathilde of Saxony, was the sister of Otto III, Holy Roman Emperor.

Richeza was the mother of Casimir I of Poland (1016 – 1058) and two daughters, Gertrud (c. 1020, married to Prince Isjaslaw of Kiew) and Richeza (married Hungarian King Béla).

She returned to Germany in 1032, stayed at Klotten, and became a nun after 7 September 1047.

She was buried in Cologne's St. Maria ad Gradus and later transferred to the Cologne Cathedral.

Her feast day is celebrated on March 21.

Gallery

Literature

* Klaus Gereon Beuckers: "Die Ezzonen und ihre Stiftungen". LIT Verlag, Münster 1993, ISBN 3-89473-953-3.
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External links

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* [http://www.genealogie-mittelalter.de/ezzonen_pfalzgrafen_bei_rhein/richeza_koenigin_von_polen_+_1063.html Materialsammlung zu Richeza] auf genealogie-mittelalter.de
* [http://www.uni-koblenz.de/~mfrideri/A-Richeza-erste-Europ.html Artikel über Richeza und Klotten]