IIEBENGAR II., the son of Adalbert, count of Ivrea. and grandson of Berengar L. succeeded to his father's possessions in. 925, and married Willa, niece of Hugo, king of Italy, in 934. Incited by his ambitious and unscrupulous wife, he conspired against H i ugo, and in consequence was compelled to flee to Germany, where be was received in a friendly manner by the emperor Otto I. In 945. he recrossed the Alps at the head of an army. The nobles and the townspeople both welcomed him; but, instead of assuming the crown himself, he handed 11 over Lathe week- Lothaire; the soil of Hugo. On the death of Lothairc, who was probably poisoned by Willa, B. allowed himself to be crowned along with his son Adalbert, in 950. To establish himself firmly in his new position, he wanted Adelheid, the youthful widow of Lothaire, to marry his son. She refused, and was subjected to a most cruel Imprisonment, but ultimately found a helper and husband in the emperor Otto himself, who, at the imperial diet of Augsburg in 932, compelled 13. to acknowledge Italy to be a fief of the German empire. B. soon after
engaged in war with the emperor, who sent his son Ludolf against him. Ludolf was successful. but died in 957, of poison administered, as was believed, by Willa. 13. again mounted the throne, but behaved with such intolerable tyranny that his subjects and pope John XII. called in tlic aid of the emperor, who marched into Italy in 961, and took possession of the country. 13. took refuge in a mountain-fortres.s, where he held out till 964, when hunger compelled him to capitulate. He was sent as a prisoner to Bamberg. in Bavaria, where he died in CM lIis wife, Willa, retired into a convent, and his three sons died in exile.