Amalberga of Maubeuge

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Saint Amalberga of Maubeuge

Born	7th century Brabant, Belgium
Died	c. 690
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church
Major shrine	Binche, Belgium
Feast	10 July
Attributes	holding an open book and with a crown on her head
Patronage	arm pain, bruises, and fever

Saint Amalberga of Maubeuge (also Amalia, or Amelia of Lobbes or Binche) was a Merovingian nun and saint who lived in the 7th century.

Narrative

Amalberga's father was Saint Geremarus.^[1] She was born in Brabant. She is said to have been the niece of Pippin of Landen who married her against her will to a great lord, named Thierry, by whom she had a daughter, afterwards St. Pharailda.^[2]

Upon the death of her first husband, Pepin had her marry Count Witger, Duke of Lorraine.^[3] In her biography she is presented as the mother of five saints: Pharaildis, Emebert, Reineldis, Ermelindis and Gudula.

Sometime after the birth of their youngest child, Gudula, Witger decided to become a Benedictine in Lobbes; Amalberga joined the Benedictine nuns of Maubeuge.^[4]^[5]

Her feast is celebrated on July 10. The translation of her relics from Lobbes to Binche in the 15th century is celebrated on June 10.

Amalberga of Maubeuge is not to be confused with the virgin Amalberga of Temse (venerated in Ghent, Temse and Munsterbilzen) who died in 772, and whose feast day is July 10 or October 27.

Hagiography

The biography of Amalberga of Maubeuge (s:la:Vita S. Amalbergae viduae) is probably written by Abbott Hugo of Lobbes (1033–1063) between 1033 and 1048. Apart from a few Merovingian details, her genealogy was copied from another 11th-century hagiography, namely the Martyr story of Catherine of Alexandria. The biographical profile of her legendary husband, duke Witger of Lotharingia, is based on an historical figure from the 10th century, Wigeric of Lotharingia. It is largely considered legendary and unreliable.^[6]