The imperial abbey of San Salvatore, founded by the Lombard king Ratchis in 743, rules the town at its gate and lands on Monte Amiata above the Via Francigena, with civil, criminal and religious jurisdiction under the emperor.
The Aldobrandeschi counts have taken much of its land since the 11th century by building castles on it. In 1212 the abbot will grant the townspeople a charter with their own representatives and a podestà, and in 1228 the pope will hand the abbey to the Cistercians.
Who holds it
- Title
- Abbot of San Salvatore
- Since
- not pinned
- Confidence
- low
The nearest attested abbot is Rolando, who issued the town charter in 1212.
What it holds
- Abbadia San Salvatore: the abbey town, with civil, criminal and religious jurisdiction under the emperor
- Pastures and lands on Monte Amiata towards the Paglia valley [much taken by the Aldobrandeschi]
How it was acquired
Founded by King Ratchis in 743; endowed with the Amiata lands by about 750; an imperial abbey with lands once reaching the Val d'Orcia, the Val di Chiana and the Viterbo country.
How things stand that morning
The abbot rules the town and what remains of the abbey's Amiata lands.
Wealth
Traffic on the Via Francigena; woods and pasture of Amiata.
Threats
- The Aldobrandeschi
- Siena
Advocates and rivals
The Aldobrandeschi counts, who have built fortified places on the abbey's land since the 11th century; Siena, which will occupy its territory in 1265.
Places of note
- Abbey of San Salvatore: The abbey and its town
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The abbey's status and its losses to the Aldobrandeschi are attested; the abbot in 1200 is not.
On the map: Only the abbey's home municipality is drawn; its remaining Amiata lands are not pinned.
Primary sources for Aldobrandeschi
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- The Deeds of Innocent III, Anonymous (a curial official, perhaps Peter of Benevento) (about 1208 to 1209). The curia's own account of the pontificate's first decade, with letters copied in. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.