Nepi, on its tufa spur on the Via Amerina north of Rome, has governed itself through knights and consuls since 1131 and once fought the Roman commune.
It is a small commune of the southern Patrimony, between Sutri and Civita Castellana.
Who holds it
- Title
- The consuls and knights of Nepi
- Since
- July 1131 (first communal pact)
- Confidence
- medium
it.wikipedia: Nepi became a free commune in 1131, attested by the plaque of its first communal pact under the cathedral portico, dated July 1131 'in the time of Pope Anacletus II', naming knights (milites) and consuls; long on the imperial side, it fell to the papal party in 1160 and then fought the commune of Rome (undated). Later feudal holders (the prefects of Vico, the Orsini, the Colonna) are not dated.
Lord in 1200
The commune under papal lordship; the bishop of Nepi (Church map).
Overlord
The pope.
Allies and rivals
Rome (old wars, undated); the prefect's lands to the north (pat).
How things stand that morning
Self-governing papal commune.
Wealth
Farms and road.
Military
Walls.
Threats
- Rome
- The prefect's family
Charter
The pact of July 1131 (inscription under the cathedral portico).
Council
Consuls with the knights.
Militia
Knights and townsmen.
Walls and castle
Tufa spur with walls.
Trade and crafts
The Via Amerina; farming.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The 1131 pact is a dated inscription; nothing for 1200 itself.
On the map: The modern commune stands for its land.
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.