Old tenant families of the abbey of Bobbio's lands in the upper Taro who made themselves lords and then swore to Piacenza.
They hold the upper Taro around Borgotaro and reach into the Val Ceno; their marriage to the Pallavicino ties them to the great marquises.
Who he is
- Title
- Lords of the upper Val Taro
- Since
- not pinned
- Family
- Platoni and Lusardi; Solestella (Solusta) Platoni, lady of Monte Sidolo, is the wife of Guglielmo Pallavicino
- Confidence
- low
it.wikipedia (Borgo Val di Taro): around the year 1000 the Platoni and Lusardi were the most powerful tenants of the upper Taro valley and came to treat the lands as their own; in the first half of the 12th century the Platoni swore fealty and vassalage to Piacenza and accepted its laws; Borgotaro stayed in Piacenza's orbit until 1317. it.wikipedia (Oberto II Pallavicino) names Oberto's mother as Countess Solusta Platoni, lady of Monte Sidolo.
Overlord
The commune of Piacenza (fealty of the first half of the 12th century).
What it holds
- Borgo Val di Taro and the upper Taro valley (with Piacenza's commune)
- Monte Sidolo in the Val Ceno (Solestella's lordship)
How it was acquired
Usurped abbey tenancies around 1000; fealty to Piacenza in the first half of the 12th century.
Allies and rivals
Piacenza; the Pallavicino by marriage; the Malaspina in the neighbouring valleys (Compiano).
How things stand that morning
Sworn to Piacenza and holding the upper Taro.
Wealth
The Taro road over the Apennines to the Lunigiana and Genoa, pasture and woods.
Military
Valley castles; no figures.
Threats
- The Malaspina
- Parma's ambitions in the Taro valley
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Two Wikipedia statements; the family's members in 1200 were not found.
On the map: The extent of the Platoni lands in 1200 is not pinned.
Primary sources for Piacenza
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
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.