Bobbio, in the Apennines above Piacenza, grew from St Columbanus's abbey.
When Henry II made the abbey a bishopric in 1014, the comital rights the abbots had held passed to the bishop, who has been styled count of Bobbio since the middle of the 11th century. His county runs over the upper Trebbia, the Aveto and parts of the Tidone and the Oltrepò, though Frederick I cut it down in 1164 to reward the Malaspina. The town has its own consuls and fought with the Lombard League at Legnano.
Bishop and abbey have quarrelled for two centuries over who rules the monastery: in 1199 Innocent III restored the abbey's spiritual and temporal powers while allowing the bishop to depose a disobedient abbot.
Who holds it
- Name
- Oberto
- Title
- Bishop and count of Bobbio
- Since
- not pinned (attested 1199)
- Confidence
- low
English Wikipedia says Bishop Oberto received a papal mandate in 1199 to discipline the monastery after reports of corruption reached Innocent III; Uberto Rocca follows from 1203 to 1233. The abbot of San Colombano on 1 January 1200 is not pinned.
What it holds
- Bobbio: the town, with the bishop's comital court; the townsmen have their own consuls
- The county of Bobbio: the upper Trebbia valley, the Aveto valley towards Santo Stefano, and parts of the Tidone valley and the Oltrepò [cut down in 1164; extent in 1200 not pinned]
- The abbey of San Colombano, with estates scattered from Alessandria and Pavia to Genoa, Lucca and Pisa
How it was acquired
Henry II made the abbey a bishopric in 1014 with papal approval, and the abbots' comital rights passed to the bishop; Bishop Luizo is styled count by about 1046-50. Frederick I confirmed the abbey's rights and property in two diplomas of 1153. The comital county will survive until 1743.
How things stand that morning
The bishop is count of Bobbio and has papal backing to discipline the abbey; the abbot keeps his estates and his claim to exemption. The town governs itself through consuls.
Wealth
The Trebbia valley road between the Po plain and the Ligurian coast, and the abbey's far-flung estates.
Threats
- The Malaspina in the surrounding valleys
- Piacenza's commune
- The quarrel between bishop and abbot
Advocates and rivals
The abbot of San Colombano, who claims to answer only to Rome; the Malaspina marquesses, given Bobbio lands by Frederick I in 1164; the communes of Piacenza and Pavia; the town's own consuls.
What the year holds
What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.
- 1208Innocent III subjects the abbey entirely to the bishop.Depends on: Continued disorder in the abbey. Stopped by: A reformed and obedient abbey.
Places of note
- Abbey of San Colombano: St Columbanus's abbey, rival of the bishop
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The comital title, the 1014 foundation and the papal rulings are attested; the bishop's name rests on one mention for 1199, and the county's extent after 1164 is not pinned.
On the map: Only the core of the county around Bobbio is drawn; the Aveto, Tidone and Oltrepò parts are left out because their status after the 1164 cuts is not pinned.
Primary sources for Piacenza
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.
- Chronicle of Sicard, bishop of Cremona, Sicard of Cremona (about 1210 to 1213). A universal chronicle whose last part is a well-placed eyewitness account by a Lombard bishop who served emperors and popes. Read online
- The Lombard city annals of Piacenza, Milan, Cremona, Parma, Mantua and Verona (kept in the 12th and 13th centuries). The communes' own year lists. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.