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The Carolingian Military Frontier in Italy
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 August 2017
Extract
The Carolingians regarded much of Italy as a military frontier following their overthrow of the Lombard kingdom in 776. Although there was little national Lombard resistance to Frankish rule, other factors — which will be noted later — forced the Franks to keep up their military establishment in Italy. In some ways this military establishment followed the pattern of Carolingian arrangements in other conquered territories, in other ways the Italian situation was quite unique. Since the Carolingian failure to solve the problem of Italian unity was in at least a degree due to the Carolingian failure to meet the challenge of the Italian military frontier, the study of this problem throws some interesting light on the turbulent conditions in northern and central Italy before and after its incorporation in the German Holy Roman Empire.
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References
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24 E. g., Louis III granted two towers to the Church of Cremona in 902 (Schiaparelli, Luigi, I Diplomi italiani di Lodovico III e di Rodolfo II, Rome 1910) 53–56, and in 900-901 he granted the castle of Ascona to the Church of Como, 3, 88-89; in 903 Berengarius I ceded a castle to the Monastery of S. Salvatore di Tolla (Schiaparelli, Luigo, I Diplomi di Berengario I, XXXVIII 111-114); in 904 Berengarius I confirmed to the Church of Modena a castle near Nova, XLVI 132-33; in 904 Berengarius I confirmed possession of its castles to the Church of Asti, LI 146-49; in 912 the Bishop of Padua was granted the right to build castles in his diocese, LXXXII 220-22; in 911 Berengarius I permitted the Bishop of Reggio-Emilia to build a fortification (castrum) in one of his parishes, LXXV 206-208; about 911-915 Berengarius ceded to the vicedominus of the Church of Novara the right to build castles in the places called Pernate, Terdabbiate, Cameri and Galliate, CII 266-68; all the castles of the Bishopric of Cremona were taken under the royal protection by Berengarius in 916, CXII 285-89; Berengarius in 921 ceded the Castle of Pozzuolo in Cividale to the Patriarch of Aquileia, CXXXVI 348-51; in 924 Rudolph II gave to one of his faithful followers (fidelis) the Castel Vecchio of Asti (I Diplomi italiani di Lodovico II e di Rodolfo II) X 122-25. In 926 King Hugh confirmed to the Church of Asti exemption from taxes for its castles (I Diplomi di Ugo e di Lotario, di Berengario II e di Adalberto [Rome, 1924]) IV 14; in 931 Hugh ceded to the Church of Aquileia the castle of Muggia located on the seashore in the County of Istria, XXVIII 85-87; in 951 Berengarius II and Adalbert ceded the right of justice for a number of castles to the Church of Modena, II, 294-96.Google Scholar
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26 Ibid. LXXXIV, 224–26.Google Scholar
27 Ibid. XCIV, 249–50.Google Scholar
28 Ibid. XC, 281–83. Further examples could be noted: in 904 Berengarius I permitted the city of Bergamo to defend itself by rebuilding its walls, towers, and other defensive works under the leadership of its bishop (I Diplomi di Berengario I, XLVII, 134-40); in 911 Berengarius permitted Leo, vicedominus of the Church of Nova, and other men of the city, to erect a castle (castrum), defensive towers (propugnacula) and platforms (bertiscae) for assault (ad expugnandum) (LXXVI, 208-10); in 922 Berengarius permitted a priest of the Church of Aquileia to fortify his castle with apertures (meruli) and defensive towers (propugnacula), elevated platforms (bertisci) and ditches (fossatta) (CXXXVII, 315-54); in 938 Kings Hugh and Lothair gave the Castelvecchio of Asti with its walls (mura) and ditches (fossata) to the Church of Asti (I Diplomi di Ugo e di Lotario, di Berengario II e di Adalberto, L, 150-52); and in 948 King Lothair granted to his faithful (fidelis) Varemondo the right to construct on his own property towers (turri) and castles (castella) with apertures (meruli) and defensive towers (propugnacula) and with every apparatus of war (omni bellico apparatu) (ibid., X, 274-76).Google Scholar
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