Wibod

Who was Wibod?

Wibod was the Bishop of Parma from 855 until his death. He was, during the reigns of Louis II, Carloman, Charles III, and Berengar I, the most important power-broker in Emilia.

Wibod was a frequent ambassador for Louis II after 860. He and a count named Bernard were the delegates of Louis II who, along with two suburbicarian bishops and a cardinal priest of Pope Hadrian II, formed an embassy to Louis the German at Aachen in October 870. This embassy brought letters confirming Hadrian's support of Louis in the conflict surrounding the succession to Lotharingia and the consecration of Willibert as Archbishop of Cologne. Wibod acted as an ambassador for Louis II and Engelberga again in 872.

Wibod was the first recipient Italian bishop of an extension of his saecular authority of districtio beyond his city's walls, from Carloman. The extension of temporal episcopal authority in the civitates and their comitati became a trend in the 10th century. Wibod was also a recipient of Charles' largess. Charles granted Wibod land around Susinate and Vigonzone. These lands probably served as country homes for the bishop when conferring with Charles while the latter was breaking from royal duties in Pavia.