Marquisate of Ceva
Encyclopedia
The Marquisate of Ceva
was a small independent state
in north-western Italy
, situated at the foot of the Apennines, in what is now a part of Piedmont
.
, of the Aleramici family, his son Anselmo becoming the first marquis of the newly formed state. He subsequently acquired a part of the province Clavesana
from his brother Ugo, but at Anselmo's death Ceva (assigned to his son Guglielmo) was again divided from Clavesana, which went to the other son Bonifacio.
The marquisate was partitioned in several petty states between Guglielmos, and its fortunes began to decline. Marquis Giorgio Nano had thus to submit to the increasingly powerful commune
of Asti
, which had previously helped marquis Guglielmo II in extending his territories during the 12th century. Further weakened by internal strife, the marquisate submitted to Amadeus V of Savoy on 22 February 1313. During the wars between the marquisates of Saluzzo, Monteferrat and the Angevines
, Ceva swore loyalty to John II of Montferrat. In 1352 it was conquered by the Visconti of Milan, who were pushed back by the marquis in 1356.
The fragmented marquisate was eventually acquired by Savoy
from Milan in 1427.
Ceva
Ceva, the ancient Ceba, is a small Italian town in the province of Cuneo, region of Piedmont, 49 km east of Cuneo. It lies on the right bank of the Tanaro on a wedge of land between that river and the Cevetta stream.-History:...
was a small independent state
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
in north-western Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, situated at the foot of the Apennines, in what is now a part of Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
.
Establishment
The marquisate was created in 1125 at the death of Boniface del VastoBoniface del Vasto
Boniface del Vasto was the margrave of Western Liguria from 1084 to 1125, the son and successor of Otto. He was of the Aleramici family, which also furnished the margraves of Montferrat...
, of the Aleramici family, his son Anselmo becoming the first marquis of the newly formed state. He subsequently acquired a part of the province Clavesana
Clavesana
Clavesana is a comune in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 70 km south of Turin and about 30 km northeast of Cuneo...
from his brother Ugo, but at Anselmo's death Ceva (assigned to his son Guglielmo) was again divided from Clavesana, which went to the other son Bonifacio.
The marquisate was partitioned in several petty states between Guglielmos, and its fortunes began to decline. Marquis Giorgio Nano had thus to submit to the increasingly powerful commune
Medieval commune
Medieval communes in the European Middle Ages had sworn allegiances of mutual defense among the citizens of a town or city. They took many forms, and varied widely in organization and makeup. Communes are first recorded in the late 11th and early 12th centuries, thereafter becoming a widespread...
of Asti
Asti
Asti is a city and comune of about 75,000 inhabitants located in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy, about 55 kilometres east of Turin in the plain of the Tanaro River...
, which had previously helped marquis Guglielmo II in extending his territories during the 12th century. Further weakened by internal strife, the marquisate submitted to Amadeus V of Savoy on 22 February 1313. During the wars between the marquisates of Saluzzo, Monteferrat and the Angevines
Capetian House of Anjou
The Capetian House of Anjou, also known as the House of Anjou-Sicily and House of Anjou-Naples, was a royal house and cadet branch of the direct House of Capet. Founded by Charles I of Sicily, a son of Louis VIII of France, the Capetian king first ruled the Kingdom of Sicily during the 13th century...
, Ceva swore loyalty to John II of Montferrat. In 1352 it was conquered by the Visconti of Milan, who were pushed back by the marquis in 1356.
The fragmented marquisate was eventually acquired by Savoy
Duchy of Savoy
From 1416 to 1847, the House of Savoy ruled the eponymous Duchy of Savoy . The Duchy was a state in the northern part of the Italian Peninsula, with some territories that are now in France. It was a continuation of the County of Savoy...
from Milan in 1427.