Taranto stands on its island between the Mar Grande and the Mar Piccolo, with the castle at the isthmus, the cathedral of San Cataldo and the monastery of S.
Pietro Imperiale on the acropolis. Al-Idrisi, in the mid twelfth century, described a lively, mixed seafaring city. Its harbour in the Mar Grande still works well. On 1 January 1200 it is the crown's, with Walter of Brienne's claim for Albiria still to be heard; in July 1201 it is one of only two Apulian places (with Monopoli) that hold out against him.
Who holds it
- Name
- The crown, through its castellan and officers (not pinned); Archbishop Angelo (1194-1202)
- Title
- Royal city, head of the principality of Taranto
- Confidence
- medium
Lord in 1200
The king (the regency government), holding the principality since 1194 (see Taranto (crown)).
How things stand that morning
Royal city under the regency; no record of fighting that winter.
Charter
Privileges of its archbishop from Roger II, William II, Henry VI and Constance, confirmed by Frederick II in April 1210 (Federiciana); the citizens' own charter not pinned.
Council
Royal officers and judges; no commune.
Communities
Latins and Greeks; a Jewish community (Benjamin of Tudela, about 1165: about 300 Jews); the Hospitallers had a house here by 1113 (Paschal II's bull).
Militia
Citizens' levy and ships; no figures.
Walls and castle
The island town's walls between Porta Napoli and Porta Lecce; the castle by the isthmus.
Trade and crafts
Fishing and shellfish of the Mar Piccolo, salt, wool and the coastal trade of the Gulf.
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.
- July 1201Taranto holds out against Walter of Brienne.Depends on: Its garrison's choice of side Stopped by: Submission to Brienne
Places of note
- Castle of Taranto: At the isthmus
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Federiciana (Taranto) for the layout, archbishops and privileges; officers in 1200 not pinned.
Primary sources for Sicily
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
- Annals of Genoa, by Caffaro and his continuators, with Ogerio Pane for 1197 to 1219, Ogerio Pane and the other official annalists of Genoa (year by year under the commune's authority; the 1197 to 1219 section by Ogerio Pane). The official record of the commune. 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 Otto of St Blasien, Otto of St Blasien (about 1209 to 1210). A Swabian continuation of Otto of Freising written from the Staufen side. 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
- The Deeds of Innocent III, Anonymous (a curial official, perhaps Peter of Benevento) (about 1208 to 1209). The curia's own account of the pontificate's first decade, with letters copied in. Read online
7 more in the sources library for Southern Italy and the Islands.
Sources and studies
- Taranto, Enciclopedia Federiciana (treccani.it)
- Gualtiero di Brienne, Enciclopedia Federiciana (treccani.it)
- Benjamin of Tudela, Itinerary (about 1165), trans. M. N. Adler (1907); figures cited from that translation, not re-checked in this run
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.