Countess Loretta Of Sponheim Kidnapped Archbishop Of Trier And Got Away With It
David Tee - AncientPages.com - Life does not work out well for everyone. In the case of Countess Loretta, hers did not go as she probably planned. Born in either 1290 or 1300 AD, she was widowed after eight years of marriage and was left with three sons.
Castle Starkenburg - Credit: heppenheim.de
Her father-in-law died a year after her husband in 1324, leaving the office of Count vacant. Since the eldest son could not occupy the position of Count, Countess Loretta ruled as regent until he reached the proper age.
It was probably not in her plans either, as the county suffered greatly due to crop failures, migration of the inhabitants to the nearby cities, poverty, and a lack of real money.
Yet rule she did in the best way she could given the state of affairs of her household and that of the Count’s territory. The latter was under constant attack from those neighbors who desired more than their areas.
This unfortunate situation forced Countess Loretta into a test of strength and wills with the powerful Elector Baldwin of Luxembourg, Archbishop of Trier, who happened to be the brother of Henry VII. Henry was the leader of the Holy Roman Empire at that time.
The Archbishop Of Trier Was No Pushover
The archbishopric and electorate of Trier were not some unknown, backwoods, or weak territory. It was the 3rd most powerful archbishopric behind Cologne and Mainz. Being the brother of Henry VII did not hurt.
The Electorate of Trier’s power became the center for monastic learning, and the Jesuits established their college there in 1473. Born Baldwin of Luxembourg, he studied law and theology at the University of Paris.
The coronation of Henry VII and his wife Margaret of Brabant. Loretta's rival Baldwin of Luxembourg, Henry's brother, stands to the left in the scarlet cap. (Margaret’s ample vair-lined peliçon, with its distinctive w-shaped neck, is typical of the sort of garments Loretta would have worn.) Credit: Public Domain
He was elected the Archbishop of Trier in 1307, and the following year, he was confirmed by Pope Clement V. During the years 1324 to 1326, he was one of the four lords in the four lords war, which is where he probably ran afoul of Countess Loretta.
What Is A Kidnapping Between Friends
Because of the situation surrounding her territory, Countess Loretta resorted to desperate measures. But she was known for taking risky moves to protect her late husband’s and son’s territory. In 1326 she had Wildgrave of Kyrburg put in prison for only one reason. He was not loyal to her son.
Wildgrave of Kyrburg remained imprisoned until he capitulated and agreed to be loyal. So kidnapping a powerful man like the Prince-Archbishop of Trier would not seem out of character for Countess Loretta.
The kidnapping took place in 1328 when the Archbishop was traveling. Countess Loretta took him to her Castle Starkenburg. Despite being excommunicated when the news reached Henry VII, Countess Loretta did not release the Archbishop, and there was little he could do.
Tomb sculpture of Loretta's husband. The inscription reads "HENRIC:IVNIOR:COMES:DE: SPANHEIM" (Latin: Henry, the younger Count of Spanheim). "Spanheim" is an older form of "Sponheim." Credit: Public Domain
It seems that being a wife and daughter-in-law of counts was not wasted on Countess Loretta. She had become a very skilled negotiator and would not let the Archbishop go until he had bowed to her demands.
Those demands included- removing the ex-communication, giving up claims to parts of her son’s territories, and of course, money or ransom as it was called. Once these terms were agreed to and fulfilled, Countess Loretta released her kidnapped victim and resumed life as the regent until her son John was old enough to rule in his rightful place.
When she needed to borrow money to help her son’s territory economically, her guarantor was the Archbishop Baldwin of Luxembourg.
Retirement Can Be Good
In 1331, her son John was old enough to assume his duties as Count. He was known as John III of Sponheim-Starkenburg. Countess Loretta did not spend much time meddling in her son’s affairs; she let him rule as he saw fit.
Instead, she busied herself building the Frauenberg, a castle funded by the ransom she had won when she kidnapped Baldwin of Luxembourg. There is no record of how she died. Countess Loretta may have only lived to the age of 56 or 46, depending on what year you accept for her birth.
She was interred in the Cistercian Abbey of Himmerod.
Updated on July 9, 2022
Written by – David Tee AncientPages.com Staff Writer
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
Expand for referencesMore From Ancient Pages
-
Prince John’s Plot Against King Richard The Lionheart
Featured Stories | Nov 20, 2018
-
Last Of The Giant Camels And Archaic Humans Lived Together In Mongolia Until 27,000 Years Ago
Fossils | Mar 24, 2022
-
25,000 Ancient Egyptian Statues, Ushabti Figurines And Artifacts From New Kingdom Cemetery Revealed For The First Time
Archaeology | Oct 26, 2023
-
Top 10 Archaeological Discoveries 2023
Archaeology | Dec 27, 2023
-
Remarkable Ancient Treasure Found By Man In Ohio Who Refuses To Reveal The Location
Featured Stories | May 2, 2024
-
How Ramesses II Became The Greatest Pharaoh In Egypt
Featured Stories | Jun 6, 2021
-
Investigation Of A 2.9-Million-Year-Old Site Reopens Case Of Who Made First Stone Tools
Archaeology | Feb 9, 2023
-
First Humans Appeared In Europe 1.4 Million Years Ago – Stone Tools Found At Korolevo Reveal
Human Beginnings | Mar 8, 2024
-
Ancient Maps Reveal What Will Happen With Our Climate In The Future – Scientists Say
Archaeology | Oct 12, 2022
-
Floors In Ancient Greek Luxury Villa Were Laid With Recycled Glass
Archaeology | Jul 25, 2022
-
Human Footprints Of People Who Used Caves Of Ojo Guareña, Burgos 4600 Years Ago
Archaeology | Mar 11, 2021
-
Previous Studies Of European Genetic Ancestry May Be Inaccurate – Re-Evaluation Is Needed
DNA | Nov 8, 2023
-
Climate Change May Have Impacted The Rise And Fall Of Middle Eastern Civilizations
Archaeology | Jan 19, 2023
-
Amazon Forest Communities Disappeared Long Before 1492 Arrival Of Europeans
Archaeology | Jun 19, 2019
-
Goddesses Of Fate And Destiny In Greek, Roman And Slavic Mythologies
Featured Stories | Sep 28, 2017
-
Fossils, Fires And Focus On Early Human Activity In Southeast Asia Jungles
Archaeology | Oct 14, 2024
-
Mysterious Ancient Shapeshifters Who Guided Humans And The Battle Of The Gods Described In Sacred Texts And Myths
Featured Stories | Oct 27, 2021
-
Mystery Of The Silver Hands Discovered In An Etruscan Tomb Full Of Secrets
Artifacts | Jun 12, 2015
-
Mysterious Hornet Spook Light In Missouri
Featured Stories | Jun 26, 2024
-
Migrants From Turkey And Greece Arrived In Britain Some 6,000 Years Ago
Archaeology | Apr 16, 2019