A family of the archbishop's vassals seated at Primaluna in the Valsassina, the valley that climbs from Lecco toward the Valtellina, holding lands there as a fief of the church of Milan.
Their rise to lead the Milanese people (Pagano della Torre took in the remnants of the Milanese army after Cortenuova in 1237 and led the people from 1240) lies four decades ahead; in 1200 they are valley lords of the second rank and their genealogy before Pagano rests on tradition.
Who he is
- Name
- Not pinned. Family tradition makes Jacopo della Torre, son of Martino 'the Giant' (said to have died before Damascus in 1148) and husband of a Berta Visconti, the father of Pagano; it gives Jacopo no dates
- Title
- Lords in the Valsassina, holding of the church of Milan (capitanei)
- Since
- not pinned
- Family
- An Arderico della Torre is listed among the Milanese capitanei in 1130; a Baldovino della Torre was one of the consuls of Alessandria between 1191 and 1203, so Milanese della Torre were active there.
- Confidence
- low
Wikipedia (it), Della Torre: the archdiocese of Milan enfeoffed the family with lands centred on the fortified village of Primaluna; the early genealogy is family tradition. No act of 1199-1200 found.
Overlord
The archbishop of Milan (Filippo da Lampugnano), within the contado of Milan.
What it holds
- Primaluna and its castle, the family seat
- Lands and rights in the Valsassina held of the archbishop of Milan (extent not pinned)
How it was acquired
By enfeoffment from the archbishops of Milan (date and archbishop not pinned).
Allies and rivals
Tied to the archbishop and to Milan; the Visconti, their great later rivals, are kin by Jacopo's marriage according to tradition.
How things stand that morning
Holding their Valsassina lands under the archbishop; no political role in the commune is documented for 1200. The Valsassina's eastern ridge looks into Bergamo's Val Brembana; Lecco below is the archbishop's.
Wealth
Valley lordship: pastures, iron of the Valsassina mines [general knowledge, not re-checked], tithes and dues.
Military
The castle of Primaluna; valley men. No figures.
Threats
- Lecco's and the valley communities' own claims
- The commune of Milan's push into the archbishop's lordships
Places of note
- Castle of Primaluna: The family's seat.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Only the 1130 capitanei list and family tradition; nothing dated 1199-1200.
On the map: The block shows the family's home valley, not a documented list of their holdings in 1200.
Primary sources for Milan
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
- 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
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.