Offida is a hill castle between the Tesino and the Tronto, the abbey of Farfa's since 1039.
On 1 January 1200 it is a Farfa castle wedged between Ascoli's and Fermo's spheres; its people will side with Fermo in the later wars with Ascoli.
Who holds it
- Name
- The abbot of Farfa (a Church record)
- Title
- The abbey of Farfa (lord of the castle)
- Since
- 1039
- Confidence
- medium
Italian Wikipedia: in 1039 Longino d'Azone gave the castle of Ophida to the abbey of Farfa, the first sure record of the place; a papal bull of 1261 later set out Farfa's powers there; its people sided with Fermo in the wars with Ascoli from the thirteenth century.
Lord in 1200
The abbey of Farfa (Church map record).
Overlord
The abbey of Farfa, under the pope.
Allies and rivals
Farfa; later Fermo against Ascoli.
How things stand that morning
Farfa's castle.
Wealth
Farmland.
Military
Walls.
Threats
- Ascoli's ambitions
Council
Not pinned (podestà and consuls by grant of 1292).
Communities
Not documented.
Militia
The castle's men.
Walls and castle
A walled hill castle.
Trade and crafts
Farmland.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Italian Wikipedia only.
On the map: Point only; Farfa's lordship belongs to the Church map.
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.