The Aosta valley belongs to the counts of Savoy, whose young count Thomas I granted the city its charter of franchises in 1191.
The bishop's lordship is the Cogne valley south of the city: in 1191 Thomas gave the bishop temporal as well as spiritual authority over Cogne and leave to build a castle there, probably finished by 1202. Cogne's iron (magnetite) was already known.
Who holds it
- Name
- Walbert (Valbert)
- Title
- Bishop of Aosta
- Since
- before May 1186
- Confidence
- high
Bishop from before May 1186 until his death on 26 October 1212 (en.wikipedia list).
What it holds
- Cogne valley: temporal lordship of the bishop by grant of Count Thomas I of Savoy (1191), with leave to build a castle
How it was acquired
Grant of Thomas I of Savoy, 1191: the count agreed that the bishop might raise a castle in the valley of Cogne if he wished.
How things stand that morning
The bishop holds Cogne; the castle is being built (done by about 1202).
Wealth
Iron ore of Cogne; alpine pasture.
Threats
- Savoyard officers and the valley nobility
Advocates and rivals
The counts of Savoy, lords of the valley and of the city of Aosta; the local nobility (the lords of Aosta and others).
Places of note
- Castle of Cogne: Bishop's castle, built after 1191, probably done by 1202
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The 1191 grant is quoted in it.wikipedia from the charter.
On the map: Only Cogne is drawn; the bishop's rights in the city of Aosta are not pinned and the city was Savoy's.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.