Kings and their demesnes · Kingdom of Sicily under the regency · as at first light, 1 January 1200

Taranto (crown)

The principality of Taranto was the great Norman honour of the heel of Italy, held in the twelfth century by the kings' younger sons and used as a title for the heir.

Henry VI promised it, with Lecce, to Tancred's son William III in 1194 and broke the promise within weeks; since then it has been in the crown's hands. A claim lies in the background: the papal curia later asserted that Constance granted it to the Roman noble Otto Frangipane, but nothing shows him holding it. On 1 January 1200 Taranto is a royal city with its castle, its double harbour of the Mar Piccolo and the Mar Grande, and its archbishop Angelo (1194-1202), governed by royal officers for the regency.

It is also the second prize of Walter of Brienne's claim for Albiria.

Who he is

Name
The crown: the government of the boy king Frederick II; the royal castellan of Taranto in 1200 is not pinned
Title
Principality of Taranto (principatus Tarenti), a royal appanage
Since
1194, when Henry VI broke the Caltabellotta promise of Taranto to William III and kept the principality at the crown's disposal
Family
Earlier princes were royal sons: William (later William I), Simon, William II; Tancred and William III held it briefly in 1189-1194
Confidence
medium

Federiciana (Taranto): Henry VI did not keep the 1194 agreement, 'so that the principality remained at the full disposal of the Crown'. In 1249 the papal curia claimed that Constance had granted it to Otto Frangipane; it.wikipedia dates that grant to 1197 (Constance was regent from September 1197 to November 1198). Whether Otto Frangipane ever took possession is not pinned.

Overlord

The king of Sicily under the pope's wardship.

What it holds

  • The city of Taranto with its castle at the isthmus, its harbours and its fisheries
  • The near country of Taranto: Statte, Crispiano, Massafra, Grottaglie, San Giorgio, Monteiasi, Faggiano, Pulsano, Leporano (extent in 1200 not pinned)
  • The royal rights of the old principality in the Terra d'Otranto, much of it granted out to barons (not pinned)

How it was acquired

Royal since 1194 (Federiciana).

Allies and rivals

Claimants: Tancred's heirs through Walter of Brienne, and the Frangipani through Constance's grant to Otto Frangipane. Neighbours: the county of Lecce to the east, the county of Conversano to the north, the Basilicata (cal) to the west.

How things stand that morning

In the crown's hands under the regency. No German captain is known to hold Taranto that winter. In July 1201 Taranto and Monopoli are the only places of Apulia that hold out against Walter of Brienne (for whom they hold is not pinned).

Wealth

The two harbours and the fishing of the Mar Piccolo (shellfish and fish), salt, olive oil, wool and the coastal trade of the Gulf; the market and port dues of the city. No figures.

Military

The castle of Taranto at the isthmus between the two seas; the city walls of the island town. No numbers known.

Threats

  • Walter of Brienne's claim, recognized by the pope in May 1200
  • The Frangipani claim from Constance's grant
  • Seizure by a party in the regency war

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.

In 1200

  1. May 1200Innocent III recognizes Albiria's right to Taranto and Lecce and takes Walter of Brienne's oath; Walter later uses only the title prince of Taranto.Depends on: Walter coming to the curia in spring 1200 Stopped by: The pope refusing, or a player securing Taranto first

Later, on the likely course

  1. July 1201Walter enters Apulia; Taranto and Monopoli resist him while Melfi, Montepeloso, Matera, Otranto, Brindisi, Barletta and Lecce submit.Depends on: Walter's victory at Capua on 10 June 1201 Stopped by: Walter's defeat on the mainland

Places of note

  • Castle of Taranto: Royal castle at the isthmus

Where the sources disagree

Evidence: The crown's hold after 1194 is stated by the Federiciana; the castellan and officers in 1200 are not pinned, nor the principality's extent.

On the map: Only the royal city's near country is drawn; the principality's full extent in 1200 is unknown.

Primary sources for Sicily

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.

7 more in the sources library for Southern Italy and the Islands.

Sources and studies

  1. Taranto, Enciclopedia Federiciana (treccani.it)
  2. Principato di Taranto (it.wikipedia)
  3. Gualtiero di Brienne, Enciclopedia Federiciana (treccani.it)

Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.