Clementia ( 1145–1179/81) was the countess of Catanzaro in the

Kingdom of Sicily The Kingdom of Sicily ( la, Regnum Siciliae; it, Regno di Sicilia; scn, Regnu di Sicilia) was a state that existed in the south of the Italian Peninsula and for a time the region of Ifriqiya from its founding by Roger II of Sicily in 1130 un ...

. She played a major role in the baronial rebellion of 1160–62. Clementia was the daughter and heiress of Count Raymond of Catanzaro and Segelgarda (Sikilgarda). Her father succeeded his own brother, Geoffrey, probably shortly before 1145. Clementia's date of birth is unknown. She is first recorded in a charter of her grandmother, Bertha, who made a donation for the soul of her son Geoffrey in December 1145. Clementia had succeeded her father by early 1158, but she was a child under the regency of her mother. She attained her majority in 1160 and immediately made her presence felt by playing a major role in the revolt that broke out late that year. According to the contemporary chronicler known as Pseudo-Falcandus and Archbishop

Romuald II of Salerno Romuald Guarna (between 1110 and 1120 – 1 April 1181/2) was the Archbishop of Salerno (as Romuald II) from 1153 to his death. He is remembered primarily for his ''Chronicon sive Annales'', an important historical record of his time. Life ...

, several counts led by Count Robert III of Loritello conspired to have the Admiral Maio of Bari assassinated. They offered

Matthew Bonnellus Matthew Bonnellus ( it, Matteo Bonello or ) was a rich knight of an ancient and influential Normans, Norman family who became the lord of Caccamo in Sicily. He is most famous as the leader of three consecutive revolts against the ''Admiral, ammirat ...

, who was engaged to Maio's daughter, the hand of Clementia in marriage. Matthew assassinated Maio on 10 November 1160, but he never married Clementia. According to Pseudo-Falcandus, "In Calabria the Countess of Catanzaro also defected to Robert, and had reinforced the powerful castle of Taberna with both knights and other necessities, so that if it happened that the king should cross the Straits, she could base herself there in safety together with her mother." When King William I crossed over from Sicily to Calabria in the spring of 1161, Clementia resisted him from the castle of Taverna for a year, but was forced to surrender in April 1162. Two of her relatives, Thomas and Alfred, had supported her and were brutally punished by the king. Clementia and her mother were imprisoned in

Messina Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...

and then in

Palermo Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...

. It is not known exactly when Clementia was freed, but she was back in charge of the County of Catanzaro by 1165, when she ordered an inquest into the exactions the monastery of Santo Stefano del Bosco was forcing on the men of

Badolato Badolato is a ''comune'' and town in the province of Catanzaro in the Calabria region of Italy. As of 2013 Badolato had an estimated population of 3,152. Territory The village of Badolato is from Catanzaro on Calabria's Ionian coast. Situat ...

. In 1167, she was in

Deliceto Deliceto ( Irpinian: ) is a small town and ''comune'' in the province of Foggia, from which it is , in the Apulia region of southeast Italy. Adjacent towns are Ascoli Satriano (to the east); Bovino, Castelluccio dei Sauri (to the north and the ...

and Montellere in the diocese of Bovino, where she witnessed a grant by her mother to the church of San Cristoforo di Deliceto. Clementia married Hugh Lupin the Elder around 1167, certainly by 1168. She retreated from public life after that. She is only mentioned again in an order of Pope Alexander III placing the hospital of Buonalbergo, which had been built by Berard, lord of

Pietrabbondante Pietrabbondante is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Isernia in the Italian region Molise, located about northwest of Campobasso and about northeast of Isernia. Pietrabbondante borders the following municipalities: Agnone, Castelve ...

, under the protection of the Holy See at the request of Clementia. This can be dated to between 1179 and 1181. The date of Clementia's death is unknown. Her husband was still living in 1190, but by 1195 he had been succeeded as count by their eldest son. Clementia and Hugh had twin sons,

Hugh Lupin the Younger Hugh Lupin ( la, Hugo Lupinus; ), called the Younger, was a baron of the Kingdom of Sicily. He was the eldest son of Count Hugh I of Catanzaro and Countess Clementia, and twin brother of Count Jordan of Bovino. G. A. Loud and Thomas E. J. Wiedeman ...

, who succeeded to Catanzaro, and

Jordan Lupin Jordan Lupin ( it, Giordano Lupino; died 1197) was the first count of Bovino in the Norman kingdom of Sicily. He played a major role in the final years of Norman rule and first years of the Staufer dynasty. Twice he was involved in opposing crusad ...

, who led a rebellion in Sicily in 1197.

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* * * * * * {{refend Italo-Normans 12th-century countesses regnant Women in medieval European warfare Women in 12th-century warfare Women in war in Italy 12th-century Italian women 12th-century Italian people