Manfred I Lancia
Encyclopedia
Manfred I Lancia or Lanza ' onMouseout='HidePop("11511")' href="/topics/Floruit">fl.
1160–1214) was the second Margrave of Busca, famous for his financial difficulties. He was also an Occitan troubadour
. He was the first person to adopt the surname Lanza
(or Lancia).
in the Holy Land.
The first recorded instance of the surname Lancia dates to 2 July 1210 at Turin
, at a meeting with the Emperor Otto IV.
, of a branch of the Aleramici family. He inherited part of the city of Loreto
, between Tanaso and Belbo
, from his uncles Boniface of Cortemiglia and Ottone Boverio. He subsequently divided it with his elder brother Berengar and other relatives. He initially held the castle of Busca
but left it to Berengar in order to make his seat at Dogliani
.
In 1160 he and Berengar held public office in Moretta
. In 1168 he sold land near Dogliani, the first signs of financial trouble, and on 30 August 1187 he sold Dogliani for 1,150 lire
to Manfred II of Saluzzo
. In 1180 he bought back the rights to Busca. He incurred a debt of 1,033 lire genovesi in purchasing the rights the city of Alba
possessed in Loreto. In 1191 he sold some woodland near Cortemiglia. On 19 March 1197, making use of a gift from the Emperor Henry VI, he finally paid 700 of the 1,033 lire he owed Alba. On 30 September 1195 Manfred sold the income from some tolls to Santa Maria di Pogliola.
In 1192 Manfred joined Asti
in making war on Boniface I of Montferrat. In 1194 Asti sold her rights in Loreto to Boniface. On 3 November 1196 he sold all his lands in Lombardy
to Boniface and became his vassal; he was granted the title Count of Loreto. Among his vassals were the Agliano
, Laerio, and Canelli
families, possibly relatives on his mother's side. His second son, Iordanus de Lança
, had by 1218 taken the surname "di Agliano". In 1198 Boniface's enemies—Asti
, Alessandria
, and Vercelli
—invaded the county of Loreto, conquered the town of Castagnole
, and took Manfred captive. He was ransomed in exchange for the city of Costigliole
. In 1206 he with his suzerain, now William VI of Montferrat, formally made Castagnole over to Asti along with the county of Loreto in exchange for 4,000 lire astigiani. Manfred died after 1214.
Besides his son Iordanus and his successor, Manfred II, he had a daughter, Bianca, who was the mother of Bianca Lancia
, in turn mother of Manfred of Sicily
.
, is ascribed to a certain "Lanza marques", clearly Manfred, the only margrave named Lanza at the time. It is a contrafactum
of a piece by Peire Vidal
, Quant hom honratz. The song is a short sirventes
mocking Vidal for his boasting, based on a song, Quant hom es en autrui poder, in which he jokingly refers to himself as Emperaire dels Genoes (Emperor of the Genoese
) because he was so well-received by them. Peire responded with Lanza marqes, paubresa e nesceira, a cobla esparsa, also a sort of sirventes, accusing Manfred of always being always poor: plus sovens vens castels e domejos / No fai vellia gallinas ni capos. These two short pieces are sometimes grouped as a tenso
.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1160–1214) was the second Margrave of Busca, famous for his financial difficulties. He was also an Occitan troubadour
Troubadour
A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
. He was the first person to adopt the surname Lanza
Lanza
-People:Lanza is the surname of the following persons:*Alcides Lanza - Canadian composer*Andrew Lanza - New York State Senator*Angela Lanza - American actress*Angela Lanza - American singer*Beatrice Lanza - Italian athlete...
(or Lancia).
Name
The reasons behind Manfred's adoption of the surname Lancia are unknown. Early commentators, like Iacopo d'Acqui and Antonio Astesano, wrote that he adopted it in order to distinguish himself from his relatives the Margraves of Saluzzo. It is also said that he was the lancifero or capitano della grande lancia of the Emperor Frederick I. Still others record the name as being adopted by a certain Conrad, who acquired the Holy LanceHoly Lance
The Holy Lance is the name given to the lance that pierced Jesus' side as he hung on the cross in John's account of the Crucifixion.-Biblical references:The lance is mentioned only in the Gospel of John and not in any of the...
in the Holy Land.
The first recorded instance of the surname Lancia dates to 2 July 1210 at Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, at a meeting with the Emperor Otto IV.
Career
Manfred was born in the early twelfth century, the eldest son of William, the second son of Boniface del VastoBoniface del Vasto
Boniface del Vasto was the margrave of Western Liguria from 1084 to 1125, the son and successor of Otto. He was of the Aleramici family, which also furnished the margraves of Montferrat...
, of a branch of the Aleramici family. He inherited part of the city of Loreto
Loreto (AN)
Loreto is a hilltown and comune of the Italian province of Ancona, in the Marche. It is mostly famous as the seat of the Basilica della Santa Casa, a popular Catholic pilgrimage site.-Location:...
, between Tanaso and Belbo
Belbo
The Belbo is a river of southern Piedmont, Italy. It is a right-side tributary of the Tanaro.The Belbo rises in the Langhe, on the borders between Piedmont and Liguria in the hills of Montezemolo....
, from his uncles Boniface of Cortemiglia and Ottone Boverio. He subsequently divided it with his elder brother Berengar and other relatives. He initially held the castle of Busca
Busca
Busca is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km southwest of Turin and about 15 km northwest of Cuneo...
but left it to Berengar in order to make his seat at Dogliani
Dogliani
Dogliani is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 60 km southeast of Turin and about 35 km northeast of Cuneo....
.
In 1160 he and Berengar held public office in Moretta
Moretta
Moretta is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 35 km southwest of Turin and about 40 km north of Cuneo...
. In 1168 he sold land near Dogliani, the first signs of financial trouble, and on 30 August 1187 he sold Dogliani for 1,150 lire
Lire
Lire is a French literary magazine covering both French and foreign literature. It was founded in 1975 by Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber and Bernard Pivot.-External links:*...
to Manfred II of Saluzzo
Manfred II of Saluzzo
Manfred II was the second marquess of Saluzzo from his father's death in 1175 to his own. He was the son of Manfred I and Eleanor. He placed the capital of the margravate definitively in Saluzzo....
. In 1180 he bought back the rights to Busca. He incurred a debt of 1,033 lire genovesi in purchasing the rights the city of Alba
Alba
Alba is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is cognate to Alba in Irish and Nalbin in Manx, the two other Goidelic Insular Celtic languages, as well as similar words in the Brythonic Insular Celtic languages of Cornish and Welsh also meaning Scotland.- Etymology :The term first appears in...
possessed in Loreto. In 1191 he sold some woodland near Cortemiglia. On 19 March 1197, making use of a gift from the Emperor Henry VI, he finally paid 700 of the 1,033 lire he owed Alba. On 30 September 1195 Manfred sold the income from some tolls to Santa Maria di Pogliola.
In 1192 Manfred joined Asti
Asti
Asti is a city and comune of about 75,000 inhabitants located in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, about 55 kilometres east of Turin in the plain of the Tanaro River...
in making war on Boniface I of Montferrat. In 1194 Asti sold her rights in Loreto to Boniface. On 3 November 1196 he sold all his lands in Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
to Boniface and became his vassal; he was granted the title Count of Loreto. Among his vassals were the Agliano
Agliano Terme
Agliano Terme is a comune in the Province of Asti in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km southeast of Turin and about 12 km southeast of Asti...
, Laerio, and Canelli
Canelli
Canelli is a comune of 10,440 inhabitants in the Province of Asti in the Italian region of Piedmont....
families, possibly relatives on his mother's side. His second son, Iordanus de Lança
Jordan Lancia
Giordano d'Anglano , sometimes Jordan Lancia or Lanzia was an Italo-Swabian count and soldier, who served as marshal to Manfred of Sicily and acted as his commander in the wars of the Guelphs and Ghibellines in Tuscany.He was originally from Piedmont and was uncle to Manfred through the latter's...
, had by 1218 taken the surname "di Agliano". In 1198 Boniface's enemies—Asti
Asti
Asti is a city and comune of about 75,000 inhabitants located in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, about 55 kilometres east of Turin in the plain of the Tanaro River...
, Alessandria
Alessandria
-Monuments:* The Citadel * The church of Santa Maria di Castello * The church of Santa Maria del Carmine * Palazzo Ghilini * Università del Piemonte Orientale-Museums:* The Marengo Battle Museum...
, and Vercelli
Vercelli
Vercelli is a city and comune of about 47,000 inhabitants in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, around the year 600 BC.The city is situated on the river Sesia in the plain of the river...
—invaded the county of Loreto, conquered the town of Castagnole
Castagnole
Castagnole may refer to several places in Italy:*Castagnole delle Lanze, a municipality in the Province of Asti, Piedmont*Castagnole Monferrato, a municipality in the Province of Asti, Piedmont...
, and took Manfred captive. He was ransomed in exchange for the city of Costigliole
Costigliole
Costigliole may refer to 2 Italian municipalities in Piedmont:*Costigliole d'Asti, in the Province of Asti*Costigliole Saluzzo, in the Province of Cuneo...
. In 1206 he with his suzerain, now William VI of Montferrat, formally made Castagnole over to Asti along with the county of Loreto in exchange for 4,000 lire astigiani. Manfred died after 1214.
Besides his son Iordanus and his successor, Manfred II, he had a daughter, Bianca, who was the mother of Bianca Lancia
Bianca Lancia
Bianca Lancia d'Agliano was an Italian noblewoman, who was the mistress and later wife of emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen, although the marriage, conducted while she was on her deathbed, was considered non-canonical.- Family :Born ca...
, in turn mother of Manfred of Sicily
Manfred of Sicily
Manfred was the King of Sicily from 1258 to 1266. He was a natural son of the emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen but his mother, Bianca Lancia , is reported by Matthew of Paris to have been married to the emperor while on her deathbed.-Background:Manfred was born in Venosa...
.
Poetry
Composed around 1195–6, the two-stanza song Emperador aven de tal maneira, referred to merely as coblas in the chansonnierChansonnier
A chansonnier is a manuscript or printed book which contains a collection of chansons, or polyphonic and monophonic settings of songs, hence literally "song-books," although some manuscripts are so called even though they preserve the text but not the music A chansonnier is a manuscript or...
, is ascribed to a certain "Lanza marques", clearly Manfred, the only margrave named Lanza at the time. It is a contrafactum
Contrafactum
In vocal music, contrafactum refers to "the substitution of one text for another without substantial change to the music"....
of a piece by Peire Vidal
Peire Vidal
Peire Vidal was a troubadour. According to his biography, he was born in Toulouse, the son of a furrier, and the greatest of singers....
, Quant hom honratz. The song is a short sirventes
Sirventes
The sirventes or serventes is a genre of Occitan lyric poetry used by the troubadours. In early Catalan it became a sirventesch and was imported into that language in the fourteenth century, where it developed into a unique didactic/moralistic type...
mocking Vidal for his boasting, based on a song, Quant hom es en autrui poder, in which he jokingly refers to himself as Emperaire dels Genoes (Emperor of the Genoese
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
) because he was so well-received by them. Peire responded with Lanza marqes, paubresa e nesceira, a cobla esparsa, also a sort of sirventes, accusing Manfred of always being always poor: plus sovens vens castels e domejos / No fai vellia gallinas ni capos. These two short pieces are sometimes grouped as a tenso
Tenso
A tenso is a style of Occitan song favoured by the troubadours. It takes the form of a debate in which each voice defends a position on a topic relating to love or ethics. Closely related genres include the partimen and the cobla exchange...
.