Aldobrandeschi
IN THE HISTORY OF THE TUSCAN MAREMMA, THE ALDOBRANDESCHI HAVE HAD A FUNDAMENTAL IMPORTANCE FOR THE POLITICAL, CORPORATE AND ECONOMIC STRUCTURE OF THE TERRITORY, DEEPLY MARKING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE REGION.
During the Middle Ages, for four hundred years – from the 9th to the 13th century – the Maremma lands were subjected to the dominion of the Aldobrandeschi, a powerful and noble feudal family of Lombard origin. He came to power in Maremma thanks to the support of the bishops of Lucca (very powerful and often Lombard, like the Aldobrandesca family itself) and a repeated “exchange” of possessions with the diocese during the 9th century. The first capital of their county was the Etruscan city of Roselle (862 AD), destroyed by the Saracens in 935. Since then the center of Aldobrandesco power was Sovana (ancient Soana); during the 13th century, the family finally split into two separate counties. The first news of the presence of these feudal lords in the Tuscan Maremma dates back to the 9th century when Hildebrand, son of the vassal Eriprando I, quarreled with his brother Geremia, bishop of Lucca, over the division of the territories to be inherited. This will be only the first of the internal disagreements within the dynasty that will characterize the long history of the powerful Aldobrandeschi family, until 1438.
Torn apart by internal struggles and in continuous disagreement with Siena and Orvieto, the Aldobrandeschi ruled the region until 1438, the year in which Giulio, Aldobrandesco's last male heir, died.
At the beginning of the 10th century the Aldobrandeschis had numerous buildings built castles and fortresses in a good part of the territories of the Maremma (still clearly visible today, scattered everywhere), extending their possessions from Volterra to Montalto di Castro, from Colle Val d’Elsa to the Tyrrhenian sea, with strategic positions along the banks of the Arno, in Val d’Orcia and even on Lake Bolsena. The Aldobrandeschi were not only great nobles, but also valiant warriors, welcomed by popes and friends of emperors, masters of a diplomatic art that allowed them to safeguard rights and territorial borders that had long been threatened by Orvieto and Siena.
Resources on the Aldobrandeschi in Maremma
- Aldobrandeschi – The central role of the powerful feudal family of Lombard origin in the history of Maremma and Amiata. PDF with the proceedings of the conference “Gli Aldobrandeschi. The great feudal family of the Tuscan Maremma”.