Aristocratic Society in Abruzzo, C.950-1140
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Aristocratic society in Abruzzo, c.950-1140 Felim McGrath A dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy University of Dublin 2014 Declaration I declare that this thesis has not been submitted as an exercise for a degree at this or any other university and it is entirely my own work. I agree to deposit this thesis in the University’s open access institutional repository or allow the Library to do so on my behalf, subject to Irish Copyright Legislation and Trinity College Library conditions of use and acknowledgement. ____________________________ Felim McGrath iii Summary This thesis is an examination of aristocratic society in the Italian province of Abruzzo from the mid-tenth century to the incorporation of the region into the kingdom of Sicily in 1140. To rectify the historiographical deficit that exists concerning this topic, this thesis analyses the aristocracy of Abruzzo from the tenth to the twelfth centuries. It elucidates the political fragmentation apparent in the region before the Norman invasion, the establishment and administration of the Abruzzese Norman lordships and their network of political connections and the divergent political strategies employed by the local aristocracy in response to the Norman conquest. As the traditional narrative sources for the history of medieval southern Italy provide little information concerning Abruzzo, critical analysis of the idiosyncratic Abruzzese narrative and documentary sources is fundamental to the understanding this subject and this thesis provides a detailed examination of the intent, ideological context and utility of these sources to facilitate this investigation. Chapter 1 of this thesis examines the historical and ideological context of the most important medieval Abruzzese source – the chronicle-cartulary of San Clemente a Casauria. By examining the wider European and contemporary Italian tradition of chronicle-cartulary production and the careers of the author, John Berard, and his abbot, Leonas, this chapter elucidates the ideological climate of San Clemente, which was founded on a belief in the authority of the papacy and royalty and a stringent belief in the iniquity of the local secular aristocracy. Chapter 2 exposes this ideology in the chronicle-cartulary of San Clemente, investigates instances of forgery in the cartulary, argues that John Berard formulated his chronicle-cartulary primarily as a work of history and examines how his prejudices modulated his historical accounts, particularly concerning the aristocracy of Abruzzo. Chapter 3 analyses the context, content and ideology of two other important Abruzzese sources – the chronicle- iv cartulary of San Bartholomeo di Carpineto and the Libellus querulus de miseriis ecclesiae Pennensis. Building upon this foundation of critical source analysis, chapter 4 analyses the development of aristocratic society and institutions in Abruzzo in the century before the Norman arrival. The extent of German imperial authority in the region, the increasing influence of the papacy in Aprutium, the nature and decline of Attonid comital authority and the increase in political autonomy amongst the lesser aristocracy – in particular, the Tebaldi, Teutoneschi, Bernardi and Sansoneschi families – is examined. Chapter 5 is an investigation into the genesis, progress, extent and nature of the Norman invasion of Abruzzo in the late- eleventh century. Focusing on the new Abruzzese Norman lordships – the county of Loritello, the county of Loreto and the lordships of Nebulo of Penne and Hugh Malmouzet – this chapter explains the territorial extent of each lordship, the associations of these lords with the church and local aristocracy and the network of political connections amongst the Norman lords. Chapter 6 investigates the nature and modification of the Norman lordships of Abruzzo in the early-twelfth century and assesses the evolution of the extent, administration and political relationships of these lordships. Finally, chapter 7 examines the impact of the Norman annexations upon the local aristocracts of Abruzzo and the varied strategies they employed to ensure their political survival. v Acknowledgements This thesis was made possible by funding from the Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences (now Irish Research Council) and Trinity College, Dublin. I would also like to acknowledge the generous support of the Grace Lawless Lee Fund, the Graduate Studies Research Travel Fund and the Trinity Trust which enabled me to travel to various conferences, libraries and archives. My greatest debt is owed to my supervisor, Prof. Ian Robinson, who first introduced me to the engrossing history of medieval southern Italy and whose constant support, encouragement and instruction ensured the completion of this thesis. Thanks must also go to my previous supervisor at Cambridge, Prof. David Abulafia, who was instrumental in the genesis of this project. Historical research is impossible without historical resources and I am grateful for the assistance of the staff of Trinity College Library, Dublin; the University Library, Cambridge; the Brotherton Library, Leeds; the Bodleian Library, Oxford; and the British Library. Particular thanks are due to Vincent Reniel at the Bibliothèque nationale de France and Dr. Ilaria Ciolli at the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana. More especially, I am indebted to Mons. Giuseppe Liberatoscioli and Lucia Palazzi at the Archivio arcivescovile di Chieti, whose kind and patient assistance guided me through some important research – grazie di tutto. My references display the dept I owe to numerous scholars – in particular Laurent Feller, Graham Loud and Alessandro Pratesi – and I would also like to thank James Hill for generously sharing his research on the Catalogus baronum and Prof. Amy Livingstone, Dr. Sparky Booker and Dr. Léan Ní Chléirigh for their incisive comments on various sections on this thesis. To my family and friends, words on a page will not suffice. It will be a pleasure to thank you all in person. vi Contents Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................ x Note on translation .................................................................................................................... xiii Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1 1. Historical trends in southern Italy from the tenth to twelfth century.................................. 2 2. Research questions ............................................................................................................... 8 3. Clarification of terms ............................................................................................................ 9 4. Historiography..................................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 1 The historical and ideological context of the chronicle-cartulary of San Clemente a Casauria .................................................................................................................................................... 17 1. Cartularies in medieval Europe ........................................................................................... 19 2. Cartularies in medieval central and southern Italy ............................................................. 22 3. The sources of the San Clemente chronicle-cartulary ........................................................ 29 3.1. Narrative sources ........................................................................................................ 29 3.2. The archive of San Clemente a Casauria ..................................................................... 31 4. The ideological context of the San Clemente chronicle-cartulary ...................................... 36 4.1. The life of John Berard ................................................................................................ 36 4.2. The career of Abbot Leonas of San Clemente a Casauria ........................................... 39 4.3. The tympanum of the abbey-chapel of San Clemente a Casauria .............................. 49 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 54 Chapter 2 The chronicle-cartulary of San Clemente a Casauria as an historical source ........................... 57 1. The motivations and intentions of John Berard ................................................................. 58 2. Forgery and error in the cartulary ...................................................................................... 63 3. Bias and misrepresentation in the San Clemente chronicle ............................................... 75 3.1. The representation of the local aristocracy in the chronicle ...................................... 75 3.2. The representation of royalty in the chronicle ........................................................... 86 3.3. The representation of the Norman lords in the chronicle .......................................... 98 vii Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 110 Chapter 3 The chronicle-cartulary of San Bartholomeo di Carpineto and the Libellus querulus di miseriis Pennensis .................................................................................................................................