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March of Tuscany Marchiae Tusciae (Latin) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 846–1197 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Coat of arms of theHouse of Canossa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
 The March of Tuscany in the political context of Italy in the 900s AD | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | March of theKingdom of Italy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capital |
43°51′00″N10°31′00″E / 43.85°N 10.5166°E /43.85; 10.5166 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Official languages | Latin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Religion | Chalcedonian Christianity (846–1054) Roman Catholicism (1054–1197) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Government | Feudal monarchy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Margrave of Tuscany | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
• 812–813 | Boniface I (first) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
• 847–884 | Adalbert I | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
• 931–936 | Boso of Arles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
• 1076–1115 | Matilda | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Historical era | Early Middle Ages | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
• Adalbert I granted margraviate | 846 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
• Granted toBoso | 931 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
• Rainier deposed in favour ofHouse of Canossa | 1027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
• Formation ofTuscan League | 1197 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
• Claimed by Papacy | 1198 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Today part of | Italy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
TheMarch of Tuscany[a] was amarch of theKingdom of Italy and theHoly Roman Empire during theMiddle Ages. Located in northwesterncentral Italy, it bordered thePapal States to the south, theLigurian Sea to the west andLombardy to the north. It comprised a collection of counties, largely in the valley of theRiver Arno, originally centered onLucca.
The march was aCarolingian creation, a successor of theLombardDuchy of Tuscia. After thefall of the Western Roman Empire, Tuscia from 568 had been part of the ItalianKingdom of the Lombards (Langobardia Major) until, in 754, theFrankish kings intervened in the conflict withPope Stephen II. By theDonation of Pepin, the southern part of Tuscia aroundViterbo became part of the newly established Papal States, while the northern part (orLombard Tuscany) developed into the Imperial March of Tuscany afterCharlemagne had finally conquered theLombard kingdom in 773/74. Lombardy proper became the nucleus of theImperial kingdom of Italy, together with the marches of Tuscany andVerona.
The first Tuscan margrave wasAdalbert I, who was granted that title in 846. Before him, his father and grandfather, CountBoniface I of Lucca andBoniface II, probably ofBavarian origin, had controlled most of the counties of the region and had held higher titles as well, such as prefect ofCorsica or duke of Lucca. The Bonifacii held the march until 931. During the late ninth and early tenth century, the support of the margraves of Tuscany was instrumental for any candidate intent on becoming king of Italy.
In 931,Hugh of Arles, who had made himself king of Italy, dispossessed the Bonifacii in an attempt to consolidate all the important fiefs of Italy in his relatives' hands. He granted Tuscany to his brotherBoso. It remained in the hands of members of the family known as theBosonids down to 1001. It also retained its influence regarding royal elections. As late as 1027,Rainier was deposed from the march byHoly Roman EmperorConrad II for opposing him as king.
In 1027, the duchy was granted to thecounts of Canossa.Boniface III used the titledux et marchio: duke and margrave. He was an ally of theHoly Roman emperors, but his power was so great that he threatened that of the emperors in Italy. He united the Canossa inheritance, which was largely in theEmilia, to Tuscany and passed it on to his daughterMatilda. Besides her vast Emilianallods, her greatest possession was Tuscany, held infeudal tenure, and she wielded it to the benefit of thePapacy in theInvestiture Controversy. With Matilda's death in 1115, the era of the feudal princes had passed in northern Italy, to be replaced by the dominance of thecity-states,maritime republics andcommunes.
These were the descendants of theCounts of Canossa.
After this, Tuscany was splintered between the competing republics ofFlorence,Pisa,Siena,Arezzo,Pistoia andLucca. Since the 14th century, Florence gained dominance over Pistoia (1306, officially annexed 1530), Arezzo (1384), Pisa (1406), and Siena (1559). Lucca was an independent republic until theNapoleonic period in the 19th century.
