The abbey town of the upper Aniene, below the monasteries of S.
Scolastica and the Sacro Speco, St Benedict's cave. The abbot is lord of the town and of castles up the valley; the townsmen bought themselves a measure of self-rule in 1193. Innocent III will visit in 1202.
Who holds it
- Name
- Romano
- Title
- Abbot of Subiaco (lord of the town)
- Since
- Before 5 April 1193; abbot until 29 August 1216
- Confidence
- medium
The Church map record Subiaco: Abbot Romano rules through Innocent III's pontificate; in 1193 the townsmen won a limited self-government by paying an 'assisa', the town staying under the abbot (Enciclopedia Italiana).
Lord in 1200
The abbot of Subiaco (Romano), under papal protection; the townsmen's own officers since 1193.
Overlord
The abbey, under the pope.
Allies and rivals
The abbey's neighbours: the Orsini down the valley; Tivoli.
How things stand that morning
The abbot's.
Wealth
Abbey rents, mills.
Military
The rocca.
Charter
The 'assisa' of 1193.
Council
Town officers under the abbot (not named).
Militia
The abbey's vassals.
Walls and castle
The abbot's rocca above the town.
Trade and crafts
Mills and fulling on the Aniene; the pilgrim traffic to St Benedict's cave.
Places of note
- Sacro Speco: St Benedict's cave monastery
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Abbot and the 1193 franchise are attested (Church map record).
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.