The bishops of Parenzo (Poreč), on the west coast of Istria, have called themselves counts of Orsera (Vrsar) since the 10th century and hold that small coastal castle and its district south of the city.
Tenth-century gifts once gave them some twenty fiefs, but their power declined after 1081, when Henry IV invested the patriarch of Aquileia with their bishopric. Parenzo itself is a commune under the margrave of Istria and in Venice's orbit.
Who holds it
- Name
- Ubaldo
- Title
- Bishop of Parenzo (Poreč), count of Orsera
- Since
- 1199 (to 1204)
- Confidence
- low
From the Italian Wikipedia list of bishops of Parenzo: Giovanni IV (1196-1199), Ubaldo (1199-1204), Federico (1204-1210). The month of Ubaldo's accession is not pinned.
What it holds
- Orsera (Vrsar): castle and district, the bishops styled counts of Orsera
- Episcopal estates in western Istria [not pinned]
How it was acquired
Temporal power from the 10th century (the diocesan history gives 933; Orsera was joined to Parenzo in the last decades of the 10th century).
How things stand that morning
The bishop holds Orsera; Parenzo is a commune under the margrave and the sway of Venice.
Wealth
The harbour and stone quarries of Orsera, later worked by Venice.
Threats
- Venice's expansion along the Istrian coast
- The margraves and the patriarch
Advocates and rivals
The margrave of Istria (Berthold of Andechs); the patriarch of Aquileia; Venice, which will exploit Orsera's stone quarries in the 13th century; the commune of Parenzo.
Places of note
- Orsera: The bishops' castle and harbour
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Only the bishops' title of count of Orsera and the outline of their power are attested in the sources read; the holder's dates rest on a single list.
On the map: Only Orsera is drawn; the bishop's other Istrian estates are not pinned.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.