The capital of the old Lombard duchy, burned by Frederick Barbarossa in July 1155 and reconciled with him in 1185 (he gave it the Byzantine icon now in the cathedral).
Its dukes since 1177, Conrad of Urslingen above all, held the duchy for the emperors until 1198, when Innocent III took it back and set a rector in the duke's place (Cardinal Gregorio Crescenzi, by the Enciclopedia Italiana). Innocent came in person in 1198 and consecrated the rebuilt cathedral. The commune governs its walls and its share of the Valle Umbra and the hills; its wars with Trevi and its grip on the Valnerina lords (the Arroni submit only in 1229) belong to the thirteenth century.
Who holds it
- Name
- Consuls not pinned
- Title
- The commune, in the city where the pope's rector of the duchy sits
- Confidence
- low
Lord in 1200
The commune of Spoleto, the old ducal capital, under the pope's direct lordship since 1198 (his rector of the duchy replaced Duke Conrad).
Allies and rivals
The pope's seat of government in the duchy; rival of Trevi and Foligno; overlord-to-be of the Valnerina lords.
How things stand that morning
Under the pope and his rector; no war pinned for that winter. Across the borders: Foligno and Trevi north, Montefalco (the counts of Coccorone) north-west, Todi's Martani hills west, Terni and the Arroni of the Valnerina south, Norcia and Cascia east.
Wealth
The Flaminia road, the valley's oil and grain.
Military
Walls and towers. No figures.
Threats
- The duke's heirs (Conrad's sons) and any imperial return
- Rivals in the valley
Charter
Not found.
Council
Consuls (names not pinned).
Militia
City levy (no figures).
Walls and castle
Rebuilt walls after 1155 (the city of 'a hundred towers'); the great papal rocca is of the 1360s: not yet.
Trade and crafts
The Via Flaminia; olive oil and wine of the slopes; the market of the duchy's seat.
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.
- 8 June 1201 (beyond 1200)At Neuss Otto IV promises to leave the pope the duchy of Spoleto with the other recovered lands.Depends on: Otto's need of the pope Stopped by: a change of side by the pope
Places of note
- Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta: Consecrated by Innocent III in 1198.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: 1155, 1185, 1198 (the consecration and the rector) are in it.wikipedia and the Enciclopedia Italiana; the commune's officers are not pinned.
On the map: The large modern comune of Spoleto with Campello and Castel Ritaldi; the Valnerina is left to its lords.
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.