The king's castle above Salerno is not the king's that winter.
Henry VI stormed and sacked the city on 17 August 1194, razed its walls and placed it under Diepold. In 1204, when Walter of Brienne besieged him there, Diepold gave up the city but kept the castle, which he still held in 1210. On 1 January 1200 his men hold it, and the city favours him.
Who he is
- Name
- Not pinned (Diepold's man)
- Title
- Castellan of the castle of Salerno for Diepold
- Since
- Henry VI put Salerno under Diepold after storming it on 17 August 1194
- Born
- Not pinned
- Confidence
- medium
Federiciana on Salerno; DBI on Diepold.
Overlord
Diepold.
What it holds
- The castle of Salerno on the hill above the city
How it was acquired
Henry VI's grant to Diepold, August 1194.
Allies and rivals
Diepold's party; the city's pro-German faction. Rival: Archbishop Nicola d'Aiello's family, enemies of the Staufen.
How things stand that morning
Held for Diepold.
Wealth
The king's dues of Salerno's port and market, taken by Diepold.
Military
The hill castle; no numbers in the sources.
Threats
- A papal or regency army; the city's own anti-German party
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.
- 1204 (not 1200)Walter of Brienne besieges Diepold in Salerno; Diepold gives up the city but keeps the castle (Federiciana).Depends on: Walter's war. Stopped by: Diepold's settlement with the pope.
Places of note
- Castle of Salerno: The hill castle above the city [coordinates approximate]
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The 1194 grant and the 1204 siege are in the Federiciana; the castellan's name is not.
On the map: Salerno and its land are drawn in the town record Salerno.
Primary sources for Diepold's Germans
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 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
- 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
- Salerno (Treccani, Enciclopedia Federiciana)
- Dipoldo di Schweinspeunt (Treccani, Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.