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The House of Malaspina was a noble Italian family of Longobard origin that descended from Boniface I, through the Obertenghi line, that ruled Lunigiana from the 13th to the 14th centuries, and the marquisate of Massa and lordship of Carrara (which later became the Duchy of Massa and Carrara and at a later time the Principality of Massa and the M...
- Alberto Obertenghi's nickname "Malaspina" ("bad thorn")
- Obertenghi
- 12th century
Malaspina Family, feudal family powerful in northern Italy in the Middle Ages. Descended from Marquis Oberto I, who was created count palatine by the Holy Roman emperor Otto I, the family at first controlled Tuscany, eastern Liguria, and the March of Lombardy.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The history of the Malaspina family is a fascinating tale of power, rivalry, and splendor that spans over nine centuries. Originating from the region of Lunigiana, between Tuscany and Liguria, the family has left an indelible mark on the history of medieval Italy.
The House of Malaspina was a noble Italian family of Longobard origin that descended from Boniface I, through the Obertenghi line, that ruled Lunigiana from the 13th to the 14th centuries, and the marquisate of Massa and lordship of Carrara since the 14th century.
Mar 18, 2021 · bookmark. Thu 18 Mar 2021 8:49 AM. Thirteenth- and fourteenth-century travellers to the Lunigiana were obliged to pay a toll to the Luni church or the Malaspina marquises, who owned castles on the hills above the river Magra and did not appreciate that the bishop of Luni had built his home and fortress above its mouth.
The Malaspina family was a strong supporter of Emperor Otto von Brunswick in his contrast against pope Innocent the third, Pavia and the marquessate of Monferrato .
For centuries, the Malaspina family ruled Lunigiana, leaving behind important traces of their presence with hundreds of castles, watchtowers and palaces that dot the hills and dominate the valleys at the foot of the Apennines and the Apuan Alps.
