The da Passano take their name from the castle of Passano above Deiva, on the coast road over the Bracco.
They swore fealty to Genoa in 1132 in return for privileges, joined the Malaspina revolt of 1172, and lost their castle to a Genoese siege of eight days in 1173. Genoa later restored their jurisdiction over Passano, Framura, Moneglia, Levanto, Carrodano and Mattarana (and Brugnato and Vernazza, as the family history has it). On 1 January 1200 they are Genoa's sworn lords of the coast between Sestri and the Cinque Terre.
Who he is
- Name
- not pinned: the family's members on 1 January 1200 are not named in the sources read (Iacopo da Passano is lord of Levanto in 1240)
- Title
- Lords (domini) of Passano
- Since
- not pinned
- Family
- da Passano; a Rolando da Passano helped frame Genoa's first communal rules for the lords in 1132
- Confidence
- low
it.wikipedia (Da Passano (famiglia), Levanto).
Overlord
Genoa (fealty since 1132); the Malaspina, whose vassals they were for Levanto under the 1164 diploma
What it holds
- Passano castle (rebuilt after 1173) [not pinned]
- Levanto (shared; the Signori di Zolasco held the Valle lands until 1247)
- Framura, Moneglia [not pinned]
- Carrodano and Mattarana inland on the Bracco road
How it was acquired
An imperial fief of 983 to Manfredo; Genoese grants after 1173.
Allies and rivals
Genoa (sworn); the Malaspina (former lords and allies of 1172); the Fieschi.
How things stand that morning
Sworn to Genoa; holding their coast castles and the Bracco road.
Wealth
The coast road over the Bracco pass; trade at Levanto.
Military
Small castles; joined the 1172 revolt and were crushed in 1173.
Threats
- Genoa's tightening grip (full submission 1229)
Places of note
- Passano: The family castle above Deiva [exact site not checked]
- Levanto: Coastal borgo
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Family history from Italian Wikipedia; restoration of jurisdiction undated.
On the map: Drawn from the places the family history names; the Genoese grant restoring them is undated.
Primary sources for Genoa
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 Genoa, by Caffaro and his continuators, with Ogerio Pane for 1197 to 1219, Ogerio Pane and the other official annalists of Genoa (year by year under the commune's authority; the 1197 to 1219 section by Ogerio Pane). The official record of the commune. Read online
- Annals of Pisa, by Bernardo Maragone, with continuation, Bernardo Maragone (1160s to 1175, continued to 1192). Pisa's official annals stop in 1175 and their continuation in 1192, so there is no Pisan narrative for 1200 itself. Read online
- The register of San Pietro di Silki (11th to 13th centuries). A monastic register of lands, serfs, gifts and lawsuits in the giudicato of Torres (Logudoro), written in the vernacular.
- The Registers of Pope Innocent III for 1199 to 1201, Innocent III and the papal chancery (22 February 1199 to 21 February 1201). The pope's outgoing letters for the year, in his chancery's own copy, touching nearly every realm in the atlas. Read online
- Greek Acts and Documents of the Middle Ages, Sacred and Secular (documents of the 9th to 15th centuries, edited by F. Miklosich and J. Muller, 6 vols (Vienna, 1860 to 1890)). Volume 3 (Acta et diplomata res Graecas Italasque illustrantia, 1865) prints the imperial chrysobulls to Venice, including Alexios III's of November 1198 with its list of the provinces and towns of the Empire where Venetians traded, the best single picture of the imperial provinces as they stood on 1 January 1200, together with the Pisan and Genoese privileges. Read online
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.