Boiano, the Samnite Bovianum, lies at the foot of the Matese where the Biferno rises, under the castle of Civita Superiore, the seat of the counts of Molise since the Lombard gastaldate.
It is the head of Markward's county and the see of a bishop. Its holder that winter is not recorded. Thomas of Celano will hold it against Frederick II in 1221: not yet.
Who holds it
- Name
- The count by grant is Markward (absent); the bishop of Boiano not pinned
- Title
- Seat of the counts of Molise; bishop's town
- Confidence
- low
Lord in 1200
Seat of the county of Molise; count by grant Markward of Annweiler, in Sicily, whose garrisons he left in the county's castles in 1198; the commander at Civita Superiore that winter is not named.
Overlord
The crown of Sicily, disputed with Markward.
How things stand that morning
Markward's county, held by his garrisons as far as the evidence goes, with its count away in Sicily.
Charter
Not recorded.
Council
Not recorded.
Communities
Latin townsmen.
Fairs and markets
Not recorded.
Militia
The castle garrison; not recorded.
Walls and castle
Castle of Civita Superiore on the hill above the town.
Trade and crafts
Springs of the Biferno, mills, pasture on the Matese, the drove road to Apulia.
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.
- 1200No dated event of 1200 is known for this lordship.Depends on: nothing Stopped by: nothing
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Its status as the county's seat is fair; that winter's holder is not recorded.
On the map: The tierra is the town's near land, shared out by distance; towns of the kingdom did not govern a contado as the communes of the Papal State did.
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
- Contea di Molise (it.wikipedia)
- Storia del Molise (it.wikipedia)
- Th. Kolzer, 'Marcovaldo di Annweiler', Enciclopedia Federiciana (treccani.it)
- J. Mayr, Markwald von Anweiler, Reichstruchsess und kaiserlicher Lehensherr in Italien (Innsbruck 1876), archive.org
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.