March of Tuscany
Encyclopedia
The March of Tuscany or Tuscia was a frontier march in central Italy
, bordering the Papal States
to the south and east, the Ligurian Sea
to the west, and the rest of the Kingdom of Italy
to the north. It was a Carolingian creation, a successor of the Lombard
Duchy of Tuscia
. The march itself comprised a collection of counties, largely in the valley of the Arno
, centred around the County of Lucca, which was sometimes called a duchy.
The first Tuscan margrave was Adalbert I, who was granted that title in 846. Before him, his father and grandfather, Boniface I and Boniface II, had controlled most of the counties of the region and had held higher titles as well, such as prefect of Corsica
or duke of Lucca
. The Bonifacii held the march until 931. During the late ninth and early tenth century, the support of the margraves of Tuscany was instrumental for any candidate intent on becoming King of Italy.
In 931, Hugh of Arles
, who had made himself King of Italy, dispossessed the Bonifacii in an attempt to consolidate all the important fiefs of Italy in his relatives' hands. He granted Tuscany to his brother Boso. It remained in the hands of members of the family known as the Bosonids down to 1001. It also retained its influence regarding royal elections. As late as 1027, Rainier was deposed from the march by Conrad II
for opposing him as king.
In 1027, the duchy was granted to the counts of Canossa
. Boniface III used the title : duke and margrave. He was an ally of the Holy Roman Emperor
s, but his power was so great that he threatened that of the emperors in Italy. He united the Canossa inheritance, which was largely in the Emilia
, to Tuscany and passed it on to his daughter Matilda
. Beside her vast Emilian allods
, Tuscany, held in feudal
tenure, was her greatest possession and she wielded it to the benefit of the Papacy in the Investiture Controversy
. After Matilda's death in 1115, no further margraves were appointed and the era of the feudal princes had passed in northern Italy, to be replaced by the dominance of the city-states
, maritime republics and communes
.
Central Italy
Central Italy is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics , a first level NUTS region and a European Parliament constituency...
, bordering the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
to the south and east, the Ligurian Sea
Ligurian Sea
The Ligurian Sea is an arm of the Mediterranean Sea, between the Italian Riviera and the island of Corsica. The sea is probably named after the ancient Ligures people.-Geography:...
to the west, and the rest of the Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (medieval)
The Kingdom of Italy was a political entity under control of Carolingian dynasty of Francia first, after the defeat of the Lombards in 774. It was finally incorporated as a part of the Holy Roman Empire in 962....
to the north. It was a Carolingian creation, a successor of the Lombard
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
Duchy of Tuscia
Tuscia
Tuscia is a historical region of Italy that comprised the southern territories under Etruscan influence. While it later came to coincide with today’s province of Viterbo, it was originally much larger, including the whole Region of Tuscany, a great part of Umbria and the northern parts of...
. The march itself comprised a collection of counties, largely in the valley of the Arno
Arno
The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber.- Source and route :The river originates on Mount Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a southward curve...
, centred around the County of Lucca, which was sometimes called a duchy.
The first Tuscan margrave was Adalbert I, who was granted that title in 846. Before him, his father and grandfather, Boniface I and Boniface II, had controlled most of the counties of the region and had held higher titles as well, such as prefect of Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
or duke of Lucca
Lucca
Lucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plainnear the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca...
. The Bonifacii held the march until 931. During the late ninth and early tenth century, the support of the margraves of Tuscany was instrumental for any candidate intent on becoming King of Italy.
In 931, Hugh of Arles
Hugh of Italy
Hugh of Arles was King of Italy from 924 until his death. He was a Bosonid. During his reign, he empowered his relatives at the expense of the aristocracy and tried to establish a relationship with the Byzantine-Roman Empire...
, who had made himself King of Italy, dispossessed the Bonifacii in an attempt to consolidate all the important fiefs of Italy in his relatives' hands. He granted Tuscany to his brother Boso. It remained in the hands of members of the family known as the Bosonids down to 1001. It also retained its influence regarding royal elections. As late as 1027, Rainier was deposed from the march by Conrad II
Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor
Conrad II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1027 until his death.The son of a mid-level nobleman in Franconia, Count Henry of Speyer and Adelaide of Alsace, he inherited the titles of count of Speyer and of Worms as an infant when Henry died at age twenty...
for opposing him as king.
In 1027, the duchy was granted to the counts of Canossa
Count of Canossa
The counts of Canossa were a family of Italian lords holding the castle of Canossa, which they built, from the early tenth to the early twelfth century....
. Boniface III used the title : duke and margrave. He was an ally of the Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
s, but his power was so great that he threatened that of the emperors in Italy. He united the Canossa inheritance, which was largely in the Emilia
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia–Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. The capital is Bologna; it has an area of and about 4.4 million inhabitants....
, to Tuscany and passed it on to his daughter Matilda
Matilda of Tuscany
Matilda of Tuscany was an Italian noblewoman, the principal Italian supporter of Pope Gregory VII during the Investiture Controversy. She is one of the few medieval women to be remembered for her military accomplishments...
. Beside her vast Emilian allods
Allodial title
Allodial title constitutes ownership of real property that is independent of any superior landlord, but it should not be confused with anarchy as the owner of allodial land is not independent of his sovereign...
, Tuscany, held in feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
tenure, was her greatest possession and she wielded it to the benefit of the Papacy in the Investiture Controversy
Investiture Controversy
The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was the most significant conflict between Church and state in medieval Europe. In the 11th and 12th centuries, a series of Popes challenged the authority of European monarchies over control of appointments, or investitures, of church officials such...
. After Matilda's death in 1115, no further margraves were appointed and the era of the feudal princes had passed in northern Italy, to be replaced by the dominance of the city-states
Italian city-states
The Italian city-states were a political phenomenon of small independent states mostly in the central and northern Italian peninsula between the 10th and 15th centuries....
, maritime republics and communes
Medieval commune
Medieval communes in the European Middle Ages had sworn allegiances of mutual defense among the citizens of a town or city. They took many forms, and varied widely in organization and makeup. Communes are first recorded in the late 11th and early 12th centuries, thereafter becoming a widespread...
.
Sources
- Wickham, Chris. Early Medieval Italy: Central Power and Local Society 400–1000. MacMillan Press: 1981.