The old Lombard royal town on the Lambro, with the cathedral of San Giovanni and its treasure.
Frederick I made it his seat and personal possession in 1158, granted it the curraria (the right to take road tolls, reserved to royal seats), and made it his administrative centre in 1163; its independence from Milan ended in 1185, when Frederick, at peace with the League, left it to Milan, which subjected it again and took the treasure of the cathedral.
Who holds it
- Name
- Not pinned (a consul, Rogerius de Modoetia, is recorded in 1187)
- Title
- The commune of Monza, under Milan
- Confidence
- low
Lord in 1200
The commune of Milan, which subjected Monza again in 1185 and took the cathedral treasure; Monza's own commune (consuls) runs the borgo; the archpriest of San Giovanni is a great churchman under the archbishop.
How things stand that morning
A subject town of Milan.
Charter
Frederick I's grants of 1158 (seat, curraria); returned to Milan in 1185.
Council
Consuls of the commune of Monza (Rogerius de Modoetia, 1187); under Milan's commune.
Fairs and markets
Not pinned; the great market ground (Pratum magnum) is attested in the thirteenth century.
Walls and castle
Fortified already in the early twelfth century; Frederick I wanted a palace on the Lambro.
Trade and crafts
Market town of the Brianza; road tolls.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Italian Wikipedia's history of Monza.
Primary sources for Milan
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.
- 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 Lombard city annals of Piacenza, Milan, Cremona, Parma, Mantua and Verona (kept in the 12th and 13th centuries). The communes' own year lists. 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
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.