Port · Kingdom of Sicily under the regency · as at first light, 1 January 1200

Messina

The kingdom's second city and its gateway to the mainland and the East: the port of the Strait with the royal arsenal and palace, a strong Greek population round the great Basilian monastery of San Salvatore, and colonies of Genoese, Pisans, Venetians and Amalfitans.

Richard I's crusaders wintered here in 1190-1191; Richard built the Mategriffon castle above the city and wrecked its centre, killing much of the old Greek leadership, so that a Latin class of officials and merchants rose in its place. Messina welcomed Henry VI in October 1194, received privileges from him in 1194 and 1197, helped him crush the revolt of 1197, and saw him die here on 28 September 1197, days after the new cathedral was consecrated in his presence. Constance confirmed its privileges in January 1198 (a privilege 'acta in civitate Messane').

After her death the boy king and the regency council took refuge here, and Markward attacked the city in vain; in December 1199 the king, grateful for its loyalty, confirmed the Messinese their trading advantages.

Who holds it

Name
King Frederick, who is in the city with the regency council that winter (Federiciana); the royal governor (stratigotus) not named
Title
Royal city; refuge of the king and the regency council
Since
1061 (Norman conquest); the court's refuge since after November 1198
Confidence
medium

Lord in 1200

The king in person, with the regency council, has taken refuge here (Federiciana, Messina); the city's royal governor is the stratigotus, now bound to respect the city's customs; Archbishop Berardo (Bernardo in it.wikipedia), in office from 1196, is a Church map record.

How things stand that morning

Loyal to the regency and sheltering the king and the council; Markward's attack has failed. Across the Strait lies Reggio, whose archbishop sits on the regency council (see the cal records for who holds the Calabrian shore).

Charter

Henry VI's privileges of 1194 and 1197 (easing administration and trade); Constance's confirmation (January 1198); Frederick's confirmation of the city's commercial advantages in December 1199, in thanks for its loyalty against Markward (Federiciana). The city also claimed older Norman grants (the port, the mint, the arsenal); some texts that survive are later forgeries.

Council

No commune: the royal governor (stratigotus) and the judges. The Latins now hold all the city's magistracies, and the stratigotus has to respect the city's customs (Federiciana).

Communities

Latins (now the ruling class), Greeks (the archimandrite of San Salvatore heads the Greek monasteries of the region), Jews; Pisans with a trading house (fondaco) since 1190; Genoese, who use Messina on the Levant route and receive a consulate building from the king in 1200; Venetians near the old arsenal; Amalfitans and others near the port; few Muslims (Ibn Jubayr, 1184).

Fairs and markets

Not pinned for 1200.

Militia

Citizens and sailors of the arsenal; not numbered.

Walls and castle

City walls on the harbour's sickle; the royal palace; the Mategriffon tower (1190-1191); the arsenal.

Trade and crafts

The Strait crossing, the Levant route and the crusader traffic; shipbuilding at the arsenal; silk, grain and timber of the Val Demone; foreign merchants keep large exemptions. A scriptorium at the cathedral and a lively Greek learning (Federiciana).

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.

  1. 1200 (date not given)The king grants the Genoese a large building for their consulate, and leaves Messina during the year.Depends on: The court's movements; Genoese help. Stopped by: Markward taking the city.

Places of note

  • Royal palace: Where the boy king and the council shelter that winter
  • Arsenal: Royal shipyard
  • Mategriffon: Richard I's castle of 1190-1191
  • San Salvatore: Greek archimandrite's monastery

Where the sources disagree

  • The campaign notes place the boy king at Palermo with the chancellor; the Federiciana (Messina) places him at Messina with the regency council after Constance's death and until some time in 1200.

Evidence: The Federiciana (Messina) for the privileges, the refuge, Markward's failed attack and the communities; Huillard-Breholles for Constance's January 1198 privilege; diocesan list for the archbishop. The date of Markward's attack is not given.

On the map: Near land about 8 km round the city.

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. Messina, Enciclopedia Federiciana (Treccani)
  2. J.-L.-A. Huillard-Breholles, Historia diplomatica Friderici secundi, I (1852): documents of 1198-1199 with notes (Constance's testament, Innocent III's letter to the familiares)
  3. Storia di Messina (it.wikipedia)
  4. Arcidiocesi di Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela, cronotassi (it.wikipedia)
  5. Ibn Jubayr, Travels (Rihla), on Sicily December 1184 to January 1185 (en.wikipedia summary; details from the text as generally known)

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