Saint Itta OF METZ (591?-652)

	Saint Itta by Edward Burne-Jones

Individual Events and Attributes

Marriage

	Saint Begga of Landen

Individual Note

Saint Itta (or Itta of Metz) (also Ida, Itte or Iduberga) (592–652) was the wife of Pepin of Landen, mayor of the palace of Austrasia. Her brother was Saint Modoald, bishop of Trier. Her sister was abbess Saint Severa. There is no direct record of their parents, but it has been suggested that she was daughter of Arnoald, Bishop of Metz, son of Ansbertus.

On the advice of the missionary bishop Saint Amand, bishop of Maastricht, after Pepin's death, she founded the Benedictine nunnery at Nivelles, with a monastery under the abbess. She herself entered it and installed as abbess her daughter Gertrude, perhaps after resigning the post herself.

She had by Pepin another daughter, Abbess Begga of Andenne who married Ansegisel, son of Arnulf of Metz. By Begga, she is the grandmother of Pepin of Herstal and one of the matriarchs of the great Carolingian family. Her sons were Grimoald, later mayor of the palace, and father of King Childebert the Adopted. Her second son was Bavo (or Allowin), became a hermit and later canonized

Both her daughters were later canonised, as was she. Her feast day is May 8.

SOURCES:

Alban Butler's Lives of the saints, edited, revised and supplemented by Thurston and Attwater. Christian Classics, Westminster, Maryland.

Les ancêtres de Charlemagne, 1989, Christian Settipani²

Sources