The commune of the plain between the Sesia and the Ticino, Milan's ally since the pact of 1168 against the counts of Biandrate, whose castle it destroyed with Vercelli in spring 1168.
In August 1199 it divided the men of Biandrate with Vercelli and renounced its earlier accords with the counts, who were never to become citizens of either city; Biandrate was to stay destroyed for ever. It is founding free boroughs (borghi franchi) to draw countrymen from the lords: Borgo San Leonardo, renamed Borgomanero by the podesta Giacomo Mainerio (1193-94), already had franchise status by 1198. Toward the Alps its reach is limited: the Ossola is the bishop's county and the Valsesia the counts of Biandrate's lordship, claimed by the church of Vercelli.
Who rules
- Name
- Not pinned: the officers in office on 1 January 1200 are not named in the sources consulted
- Title
- Podesta or consuls of the commune
- Since
- not pinned
- Confidence
- low
Consuls elected by the assembly (arengo) governed first; a foreign podesta was called in when concord failed (it.wikipedia). Giacomo Mainerio was podesta in 1193-94 (it.wikipedia, Borgomanero). No officer is pinned for 1199-1200.
Overlord
The emperor, under the Peace of Constance. Its bishop, Pietro IV (1196 to about 1209, Church map), holds the Riviera di San Giulio on Lake Orta and the old comital rights in the Ossola granted to the see in 1014; the commune contests his jurisdiction.
What the realm holds
- The city and its suburbs, with the plain from the Sesia to the Ticino
- Its share of the men of Biandrate (division with Vercelli, August 1199)
- Borgomanero (Borgo San Leonardo), free borough by 1198
- Claims against the bishop over the Riviera di San Giulio and the Ossola (Church map)
How it was acquired
From the bishop's county of Novara and Pombia, by the destruction and division of the Biandrate lordship (1168, 1199) and the founding of free boroughs.
Allies and rivals
Allies: Milan (pact of 1168 and since), Vercelli (partner in 1199). Rivals: the counts of Biandrate; its own bishop over Lake Orta and the Ossola; Pavia across the Lomellina.
The realm that morning
A Milanese ally consolidating the plain; the Ossola and the Valsesia are not under its direct rule. No war of its own is recorded for the winter of 1199-1200.
Wealth
The plain's grain and meadows (rice comes centuries later), the road from Milan to the Simplon and the Great St Bernard, the Ticino and Sesia crossings, Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta trade.
Military
The communal host; with Vercelli it sent a detachment to Legnano in 1176. No figures for 1200.
Threats
- The bishop's resistance over his lake and Alpine lordships (settled only on 25 October 1219)
- Biandrate kinsmen and their vassals
- Pavia in the Lomellina
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.
- 1200 (date not pinned)Entry into office of the commune's officers for 1200.Depends on: The usual election date, not pinned. Stopped by: Internal strife.
- 25 October 1219 (well beyond 1200)Pact with the bishop leaving him the lands north of Gozzano.Depends on: Twenty years of quarrel. Stopped by: An earlier settlement.
Places of note
- Biandrate: The counts' old seat, destroyed 1168; its men divided between Novara and Vercelli in August 1199.
- Borgomanero: Novara's free borough, franchised by 1198.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: The 1168 and 1199 treaties are dated; the officers, the borghi franchi beyond Borgomanero and the contado's northern limits are not pinned.
On the map: Rough outline of the plain between the Sesia and the Ticino; the northern edge toward Lake Orta, the Valsesia and Lake Maggiore is not pinned.
Sources and studies
- Storia di Novara (it.wikipedia)
- Borgomanero (it.wikipedia)
- Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani: Uberto di Biandrate
- Domodossola (it.wikipedia)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.