Lord of the Langhe castles round Clavesana on the Tanaro, of Mombarcaro and part of the Cortemilia inheritance, and on the Ligurian side of Oneglia and Andora.
His heiress Berta makes him a prize ally: her marriage to William of Montferrat will carry Mombarcaro into the house of Montferrat.
Who he is
- Name
- Bonifacio I of Clavesana
- Title
- Marquis of Clavesana
- Since
- 1178, on the death of his father Anselmo of Ceva, who had inherited Clavesana from Ugo (died 1170)
- Born
- not pinned
- Family
- Del Vasto Aleramici: son of Anselmo, brother of Guglielmo I of Ceva. His only daughter Berta, heiress of Mombarcaro and of the Cortemilia inheritance, is to marry William, son of Boniface of Montferrat (before 9 August 1202 by fmg.ac; 1211 by the DBI). He dies at Andora in 1221.
- Confidence
- medium
it.wikipedia Marchesato di Clavesana; fmg.ac.
Overlord
The emperor.
What it holds
- Clavesana, Farigliano, Monchiero, Piozzo, Lequio, Marsaglia, Somano and other Langhe castles
- Mombarcaro and part of the Cortemilia lands
- Across the Bormida: Millesimo, Cengio, Cairo, Cosseria (Ligurian ground; lig sheet)
- On the coast: Oneglia and its valley, the castle of Andora (lig sheet)
How it was acquired
Ugo's inheritance (1170) through Anselmo (1178).
Allies and rivals
Kin of Ceva, Saluzzo and the Del Carretto; future in-law of Montferrat. Rivals: Alba and Asti in the Langhe, Genoa and Albenga on the coast.
How things stand that morning
Holds his Langhe and Ligurian castles; no event of 1199-1200 is recorded.
Wealth
Tolls between the Langhe and the coast; Oneglia's olive country.
Military
Castles; no figures.
Threats
- Alba and Asti
- Genoa on the Riviera
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.
- By 9 August 1202 or in 1211 (beyond 1200)Berta marries William of Montferrat.Depends on: Montferrat's alliance policy. Stopped by: A rival match.
Places of note
- Clavesana: Seat of the marquisate.
Where the sources disagree
- it.wikipedia lists Dogliani among the Clavesana core lands and among Manfred II of Saluzzo's seats; its holder in 1200 is not pinned.
Evidence: Holder and family clear; lands listed from later possessions.
On the map: The Ligurian holdings are left to the lig sheet.
Primary sources for Empire
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.
- Annals of Marbach (compiled to 1238, the section on 1198 to 1210 written in the early 13th century). Alsatian annals on the Staufen side of the Upper Rhine. Read online
- Annals of Reiner of Saint James, Liège, Reiner of Liège (1197 to 1230, kept year by year). Contemporary annals kept inside Liège. Read online
- Chronicle of Burchard of Ursberg, Burchard of Ursberg (about 1229 to 1230, reworked by Conrad of Lichtenau). Written a generation later by a fierce partisan of the Staufen and a critic of Innocent III. Read online
- Chronicle of Otto of St Blasien, Otto of St Blasien (about 1209 to 1210). A Swabian continuation of Otto of Freising written from the Staufen side. Read online
- Chronicle of Reinhardsbrunn; Chronicle of St Peter's, Erfurt (Erfurt chronicle in the 13th century; Reinhardsbrunn compilation about 1340 to 1349 from older annals). The two Thuringian chronicles. Read online
- Chronicle of the Slavs, by Arnold of Lübeck, Arnold of Lübeck (about 1209 to 1210). Arnold continues Helmold and writes from Lübeck, close to Danish, Welf and Baltic affairs. Read online
- Royal Chronicle of Cologne (in stages from about 1175 to about 1250; the section on 1198 to 1220 written soon after the events). The fullest German narrative of the throne war from the Welf and Cologne side. Read online
- Chronicle of Hainaut, Gislebert of Mons (about 1195 to 1196). Ends in 1195, so it has no 1200 entries, but it is the indispensable background for Flanders and Hainaut: the career of Count Baldwin V of Hainaut (VIII of Flanders), his union of the two counties, the settlement with Philip over Artois, the rights, castles, fiefs and vassals of Hainaut listed by a man who ran its chancery, and the youth of Baldwin IX, who held both counties in 1200. Read online
8 more in the sources library for The Rhineland, the Low Countries and the Swiss Lands.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.