Ludovico, Emperor of the Alydians
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| Ludovico I | |
|---|---|
 Statue of Ludovico overlooking Troping Harbour eastwards | |
| Emperor of the Alydians | |
| Reign | c. 716 – 27 August 741 |
| Coronation | 716 Cathedral of Our Holy Flame, Laterna |
| Successor | Louis I |
| Born | c. 681 Atresca |
| Died | 27 August 741 (aged 59–60) Almiaro |
| Spouse | Joan of Alpiens |
| Issue | Louis George Charles Afonso |
| House | Pescara |
| Religion | Alydian Orthodox Church |
Ludovico I (681 – 27 August 741; aged 59 or 60), also historically known as Ludovico the Liberator was an Atrescan king who ruled as the first Emperor of the Alydians from the fall of the Sabaic Kingdom in 716 to his death in 741. Ludovico was a pivotal military strategist whose tactics carved out the first territories of the Alydian Empire in the midst of a declining pagan Sabaic Kingdom. Ludovico eventually expanded his domain to most of Atresca by 716, by which he had forced the Sabaics out of western Asura. Ludovico married Joan of Alpiens, a Vaellenian princess whose lineage brought western Midrasia into the empire. Ludovico had four children, Louis, George, Charles and Afonso, the eldest of which, Louis, succeeded him at his death.
Born into Sabaic Atresca in 681 into an Alydian family, Ludovico was among many Alydians who were conscripted into the Sabaic armies from a young age. Studying at a Sabaic military school for much of his childhood, Ludovico developed considerably proficiency in land warfare, particularly in open field combat. Rallying much of coastal Atresca, most of which was Alydian, Ludovico revolted against the Sabaic kingdom in 713, often besting the Sabaic armies in the plains of Atresca. With the kingdom declining, Sabaic king Elric II met with Ludovico and declared him his successor in 716. Elric promptly fled the country, leaving Ludovico to inherit most of the Sabaic land, which included much of Atresca, Glosmynd, Mirina and Tigulia. Founding the Alydian Empire in the same year, Ludovico rapidly expanded the domains of the empire to include much of western Asura, conquering as far north as Tricladia and Cuirpthe as well as east into Midrasia. Ludovico led a fairly centralised Alydian Empire under his rule, however towards the end of his life it became increasingly decentralised as Ludovico was unable to command the vast lands he held. He created the General Congress in 730 as a means of electing his successor, and assigned the initial votes across the empire in the Varenna Codex in 733. Ludovico died of natural causes in the port city of Almiaro in 741.
Regarded as a skilled conqueror and administrator, Ludovico was canonised by the Alydian Orthodox Church in 744 by Pontiff Ignatius I. Amassing the largest land empire since the Fiorentines, Ludovico was revered across much of Asura during his rule and was looked upon as inspiration by many subsequent rulers of the Empire.