House of Canossa

House of Canossa Italian: Casa Canossa
Noble house
Motto: "When the dog will end his bone, House Canossa will end" (Italian: Quando il cane finirà l'ossa, finirà casa Canossa)
Country	Holy Roman Empire
Founded	c. 910 (c. 910)
Founder	Sigifred of Lucca
Final ruler	Sigifredo of Canossa
Titles	Margraves of Tuscia Counts of Mantua Counts of Lucca Lords of Parma
Estate(s)	Canossa Castle (seat)
Deposition	1115 (1115)

The House of Canossa, also known as the Attonids, was a Longobard noble family, holding the castle of Canossa, from the early tenth to the early twelfth century.

Of a family from Lucca, Sigifred built the castle at Canossa around 940. The lords were soon using the title comes (count) and had received many other Tuscan counties from the Holy Roman Emperors: Guastalla in 991, Parma, Piacenza, Bergamo, and Cremona in 984, Brescia in 980, Mantua had been obtained in 977, Modena, Carpi, and Reggio in 962, and Lucca even earlier. In 1027, the March of Tuscany was granted to Boniface and, in 1100, the March of Verona to Matilda, known as La Gran Contessa. The details of the relations between Sigifred's sons Sigifred II and Adalbert Atto are unknown and the latter appears in Canossa in time to give refuge to Queen Adelaide when she was fleeing Berengar II and Willa in 955.

Genealogy[]

• Sigifred (d. after 940), lord of lands around Brescia and Parma
  • Gerad, progenitor of the Guiberti dynasty
  • Sigifred , progenitor of the Baratti dynasty
  • Adalbert Atto (d. 988), first Count of Canossa (Brescia, Parma and others)
    • Prangarda (d. after 991), wife of Manfred I of Turin
    • Rudolph (d. before 988)
    • Geoffrey (d. 998), Bishop of Brescia and Luni
    • Tedald (d.1012), first to use the title of Margrave (also received Ferrara from the Pope)
      • Teodald (c. 990-1036) Bishop of Arezzo and protector of Guido of Arezzo
      • Conrad (d. 1030)
      • Boniface (c. 985-1052), first Margrave of Tuscany from House of Canossa
        • Frederick (d. 1055), second Margrave of Tuscany from House of Canossa
        • Beatrice (d. 1053)
        • Matilda (1046-1115), third and last Margrave of Tuscany from House of Canossa
          • Beatrice (b. and d. 1071)
          • Guido Guerra II (d. 1124, adoptive)

See also[]

• March of Tuscany
• Duchy of Spoleto
• Terre Matildiche
• House of Guidi

Sources[]

• Medieval Lands Project: Northern Italy.