Desiderius (also known as Daufer or Dauferius; Didier in
French and Desiderio in
Italian) was the last king of the
Lombard Kingdom of northern
Italy. He is chiefly known for his connection to
Charlemagne, who married his daughter and conquered his realm. He was originally a royal officer, the dux Langobardorum et comes stabuli, "constable and duke of the Lombards," an office apparently similar to the contemporaneous
Frankish office of
dux Francorum. King
Aistulf made him duke of
Istria and
Tuscany and he became king after the death of Aistulf in 756. At that time, Aistulf's predecessor,
Ratchis, left his monastic retreat of
Montecassino and tried to seize the kingdom, but Desiderius put his revolt down quickly with the support of
Pope Stephen II. At his coronation, Desiderius promised to restore many lost papal towns to the
Holy See, in return for the papacy's endorsement of his claim. Conflict with the Holy See under
Pope Stephen III arose, for Stephen opposed Charlemagne's marriage to Desiderius' daughter. Desiderius ceased delivery of the towns after only a few.
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