Magnates and their honours · The Papal State: the pope's own lands · as at first light, 1 January 1200

The prefect

The prefect of the City was the emperor's officer in Rome; since his homage of February 1198 he holds the prefecture from the pope.

The office is hereditary in practice in one house of the Roman Tuscia, which Innocent tried in vain to stop. In 1199 the pope made the prefect his envoy (missus) with powers of justice in the Tuscia, Umbria and the duchy of Spoleto (Gregorovius, as cited by rom): on 1 January 1200 he is the pope's judge in the very lands where Viterbo, Orvieto and Narni defy him. Luchaire lists the family's castles about 1200 as Civitavecchia, Vetralla, Carbognano and Caprarola, on the south-western edge of Viterbo's contado and in the Cimini hills.

The family later takes its name from the castle of Vico by the lake (it.wikipedia says the fief of Vico itself is theirs only from the thirteenth century) and governs Ronciglione, Capranica and Bieda.

Who he is

Name
Peter (Pietro), prefect of the City, who did liege homage to Innocent III on 22 February 1198 (Gregorovius; 23 February in Luchaire) and was invested by him with a mantle instead of the emperor's sword
Title
Prefect of the City of Rome
Since
not pinned (the house has held the prefecture since the twelfth century: Giovanni under Alexander III)
Family
The prefects' house, later called di Vico
Confidence
medium

campaign notes Part 5 and the rom records (citing Gregorovius and Luchaire) for the homage, the 1199 commission and the castles; it.wikipedia (Di Vico) for the family.

Overlord

Pope Innocent III (since the homage of 1198; before that the emperor invested the prefect)

What it holds

  • The prefecture of the City, held of the pope (rom's record)
  • The pope's commission of justice in the Tuscia, Umbria and the duchy of Spoleto (1199)
  • Castles of Vetralla, Carbognano and Caprarola (Luchaire)
  • Civitavecchia and its harbour (Luchaire; it.wikipedia dates it to the 1250s)

How it was acquired

Hereditary in the house since the twelfth century; confirmed by the popes (Alexander III for Giovanni).

Allies and rivals

The pope's sworn man since 1198. Rivals: the Anguillara (a conflict in 1186 over control of the area); Viterbo, whose contado borders his castles.

How things stand that morning

The pope's man by homage and his justice-envoy in the northern provinces. His castles lie between Viterbo's contado and Rome's district (rom's Sutri and Nepi): Vetralla faces Viterbo across the Cassia. His part in the war between Viterbo and Rome is not pinned.

Wealth

The prefecture's dues and justice in Rome; Tuscan castles (not pinned).

Military

Household knights and castles (not pinned).

Threats

  • The pope curbing the hereditary office
  • The Anguillara and Viterbo as neighbours

Where the sources disagree

  • The brief and the assignment speak of 'the prefects of Vico' in 1200; it.wikipedia (Di Vico) has the family obtain Vico itself only in the thirteenth century, and Civitavecchia only under Alexander IV. Luchaire's list of the prefect's castles about 1200 (Civitavecchia, Vetralla, Carbognano, Caprarola) is followed for the drawing, with Vico left out.

Evidence: The homage and the 1199 commission rest on Gregorovius, the castles on Luchaire, both as cited in the rom records (not read here); the prefect's name is Peter in both.

On the map: Drawn on Luchaire's four castles as modern comuni; the lake of Vico and Ronciglione are left out (later).

Primary sources for Papal State

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.

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

Sources and studies

  1. Di Vico (it.wikipedia)
  2. Anguillara (famiglia) (it.wikipedia)

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