Search

1080/81-1166. Northern Italy. Consul and ambassador of the commune of Genoa. Initiator of the Annales Ianuenses and author of other historical works. Caffaro was probably descended from a noble Genoese lineage. In 1100 he joined the Genoese crusader expedition which conquered Arsuf and Caesarea in Palestine. Caffaro's political career began in 1121 with the delicate task of defending Genoa's interests in the dispute with Pisa about ecclesiastical jurisdiction over Corsica. After this successful mission to the papal court Caffaro was five times elected consul of t…

1180-ante 1216. Italy. Official chronicler of the commune of Genoa (North Italy). Ottobono was in all likelihood a member of the Genovese commune's chancery. It was probably in 1196 that the government of the commune gave him the task of continuing the Annales Ianuenses, the official town chronicle begun by Caffaro in 1100. The previous annalist of the commune, Oberto Cancelliere, had ceased his work in 1173, and the work had rested for more than twenty years.Ottobono's chronicle begins with a short description of the events which had taken place between 1174 and the 11…

ca 1110/15-post 1174. Italy. Chancellor, consul and ambassador of the commune of Genoa (North Italy). Oberto's actual surname was Nasellus. However, after his appointment as chancellor of the Genoese commune in 1141 he also became known as Cancellarius. This became his new surname and was later used by his descendants as well. Oberto had significant connections with the archiepiscopal curia and also played an active role in Genoese politics. He was elected consul of the commune in 1155 and consul of justice in 1147, 1149, 1153, 115…

(Annals of Genoa) 1100-1293. Northern Italy. Latin town chronicle of Genoa by a series of writers. The Genoese political leader Caffaro of Caschifellone (ca 1080-1166) began writing this history of his hometown in 1100, and continued working on it until 1163. His Annales Ianuenses are the first town chronicle and the earliest known annals written by a layman in the Middle Ages. In 1152 this work was declared to be the official history of the commune by the Genoese authorities. Its official character was sanctioned by the use of notarial …

[d'Oria] 13th century. Italy. Iacopo is the last author of the Annales Ianuenses. He was born around 1233 into of one of the most notable Genoese families. His brothers Oberto and Lamba were capitani del popolo and victorious in the battles of Meloria and Curzola respectively. In 1273 Iacopo was appointed podestà of Voltri, and later also served as vicar of the Genoese Commune in the Oltregiogo. He took part in important meetings of the council of the Commune, and acted as ambassador of Genoa to Constantinople and Tunis (1284, 1285, 1287). He died sometime between 1294 and 1305.His most impo…