Trapani, the westernmost port of Sicily and the usual crossing to Tunis and the Maghrib, is where Markward came ashore in October 1199 from the ships of the Genoese corsair William Grasso.
With the port he has the town's castle, the salt pans and tuna grounds of the coast, and the road inland to the Muslim mountains whose people are his allies. Monte San Giuliano (Erice), the fortress mountain over the town, commands the whole plain; who held it that winter is not documented.
Who he is
- Name
- Markward of Annweiler
- Title
- Imperial seneschal, claimant to the regency
- Since
- October 1199 (landing at Trapani)
- Confidence
- medium
Landing at Trapani with William Grasso's ships: en.wikipedia (Markward von Annweiler) and the Dizionario Biografico (Guglielmo Grasso). That he still holds Trapani on 1 January is an inference from his position in the west through the winter and his spring siege of Palermo.
Overlord
None that he admits but the empire (Philip of Swabia's party) and the boy king, in whose name he claims to act.
What it holds
- The port and castle of Trapani
- Monte San Giuliano (Erice) (not pinned)
- The salt pans and tuna fisheries of the Trapani coast
- The landing places of the Egadi channel (not pinned)
How it was acquired
By landing in force, October 1199.
Allies and rivals
Allies: William Grasso's Genoese; the Muslims of the mountains. Enemies: the regency at Palermo.
How things stand that morning
Held by Markward or his men that morning (inferred; see research). The coast south to Marsala and Mazara and east to Alcamo and Castellammare is disputed.
Wealth
Port dues of the Africa crossing, salt and tuna.
Military
The castle of Trapani on its spit, and the fortress of Monte San Giuliano; Markward's Germans and Grasso's galleys.
Threats
- A regency or papal fleet cutting him off by sea
- The townspeople's loyalty to the crown
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.
- Spring 1200Base for Markward's march on Palermo.Depends on: His holding the west. Stopped by: A defeat in the field.
Places of note
- Trapani castle and port: Markward's landing place and base
- Monte San Giuliano: Fortress mountain over the plain
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The landing is documented; the hold on Trapani and Erice through the winter is inferred.
On the map: The extent is a reasonable reading, not a documented boundary.
Primary sources for Markward
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 Montecassino; Annals of Ceccano (Fossanova) (12th and early 13th centuries; Ceccano to 1217). Two sets of annals from either side of the papal and Sicilian frontier. Read online
- Chronicle of Richard of San Germano, Richard of San Germano (first version about 1216, enlarged to 1243). The fullest southern narrative of the Hohenstaufen kingdom, written by a notary on the border of the Terra di Lavoro. 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 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 Deeds of Innocent III, Anonymous (a curial official, perhaps Peter of Benevento) (about 1208 to 1209). The curia's own account of the pontificate's first decade, with letters copied in. 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
- Book in honour of the Emperor, or On Sicilian affairs, Peter of Eboli (1195 to 1197). An illustrated verse account of Henry VI's conquest of Sicily, preserved in a single manuscript made at the imperial court. Read online
Sources and studies
- Markward von Annweiler (en.wikipedia)
- Guglielmo Grasso, Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani (Treccani)
- Marcovaldo di Annweiler, Enciclopedia Federiciana (Treccani)
- Storia di Trapani (it.wikipedia)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.