Macerata is a young hill commune between the Potenza and the Chienti, formed in the twelfth century by the merging of the castle of Macerata with the settlements of the Poggio and Monte San Giuliano, on land of the bishop of Fermo, which set it against the bishop from the start.
It was imperial in sympathy, or reputed so. In 1200 it is a small town with no bishop: the see and the title of city come only in 1320, and its role as seat of the March's papal government is later still. On 1 January 1200 it governs a small near land under the pope's overlordship.
Who holds it
- Title
- The commune of Macerata
- Since
- not pinned
- Confidence
- low
The commune formed in the early twelfth century from the castle of Macerata and the settlements of the Poggio and Monte San Giuliano, on land of the bishop of Fermo; no officer is named for 1200.
Lord in 1200
The commune, in tension with the bishop of Fermo, on whose land it arose.
Overlord
The pope; the bishop of Fermo claims the ground.
Allies and rivals
Rival: the bishop of Fermo. Neighbours: Recanati, Tolentino, Montecchio.
How things stand that morning
Small commune under papal overlordship, quarrelling with the bishop of Fermo's rights.
Wealth
Farmland.
Military
Walls.
Threats
- The bishop of Fermo's claims
Communities
Not documented.
Militia
Citizen militia.
Walls and castle
A walled hill town.
Trade and crafts
Farmland of the Potenza and Chienti hills.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: General encyclopedia statements only.
On the map: A small guessed near land; the bishop of Fermo's castles nearby are not drawn.
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.
- 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 Alberic of Trois-Fontaines, Alberic of Trois-Fontaines (about 1227 to 1241, at the Cistercian abbey of Trois-Fontaines in Champagne). The widest net of any Latin chronicle for 1200, compiled from dozens of sources, many now lost. Read online
- Chronicle of Andres, William of Andres (about 1220 to 1234). The chronicle and cartulary of a small abbey between Guines and Ardres, near the border of Flanders and Boulogne. Read online
- Chronicle of Burchard of Ursberg, Burchard of Ursberg (about 1229 to 1230, reworked by Conrad of Lichtenau). Written a generation later by a fierce partisan of the Staufen and a critic of Innocent III. Read online
- Chronicle of Robert of Auxerre, Robert of Auxerre (Robert of Saint-Marien) (about 1190 to 1211; continued at Saint-Marien to 1227). A universal chronicle whose last twenty years are contemporary and well informed from Burgundy and the Auxerrois. Read online
- Chronicle of Roger of Howden, Roger of Howden (about 1192 to 1201). The fullest single narrative for the year. 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
12 more in the sources library for Southern Italy and the Islands.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.