The counts of Tusculum, also known as the Theophylacti, were a family of secular noblemen from

Latium Latium ( , ; ) is the region of central western Italy in which the city of Rome was founded and grew to be the capital city of the Roman Empire. Definition Latium was originally a small triangle of fertile, volcanic soil ( Old Latium) on w ...

that maintained a powerful position in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

between the 10th and 12th centuries. Several popes and an antipope during the 11th century came from their ranks. They created and perfected the political formula of noble-papacy, wherein the pope was arranged to be elected only from the ranks of the Roman nobles. The Pornocracy, the period of influence by powerful female courtesans of the family, also influenced papal history. The counts of

Tusculum Tusculum is a ruined Roman city in the Alban Hills, in the Latium region of Italy. Tusculum was most famous in Roman times for the many great and luxurious patrician country villas sited close to the city, yet a comfortable distance from Rome ( ...

remained arbiters of Roman politics and religion for more than a century. In addition to the papal influence, they held lay power through consulships and senatorial membership. Traditionally they were pro-

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

and anti-Germanic in their political affiliation. After 1049, the

Tusculan Papacy The Tusculan Papacy was a period of papal history from 1012 to 1048 where three successive relatives of the counts of Tusculum were installed as pope. Background Count Theophylact I of Tusculum, his wife Theodora, and daughter Marozia held great ...

came to an end with the appointment of

Pope Leo IX Pope Leo IX (21 June 1002 – 19 April 1054), born Bruno von Egisheim-Dagsburg, was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 12 February 1049 to his death in 1054. Leo IX is considered to be one of the most historically ...

. In fact, the Tusculan papacy was largely responsible for the reaction known as the

Gregorian reform The Gregorian Reforms were a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the circle he formed in the papal curia, c. 1050–80, which dealt with the moral integrity and independence of the clergy. The reforms are considered to be na ...

. Subsequent events (from 1062 onwards) confirmed a shift in regional politics as the counts came to side with the

Holy Roman Emperors The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...

against the Rome of the reformers. In 1059, the papal-decree of Pope Nicholas II established new rules for the papal election, therefore putting an end to the noble-papacy formula.

Counts and their titles

''This list is partially incomplete in the tenth century and the chronology and dates of the various countships are often uncertain. They were only counts from about 1013, lords before.'' *before 924 Theophylact I *until 924 Alberic I, (''Consul'') son-in-law of Theophylact I *924–954 Alberic II, son of Alberic I *before 1013 Gregory I, (''Excellentissimus vir – Praefectus navalis'') son of Alberic II *until 1012 Theophylact II, son of Gregory I *1012–1024

Romanus Romanus (Latin for "Roman"), hellenized as Romanos (Ῥωμανός) was a Roman cognomen and may refer to: People * Adrianus Romanus, Flemish mathematician (1561–1615) * Aquila Romanus, Latin grammarian *Giles of Rome, Aegidius Romanus, mediev ...

, (''Consul et dux, senator'') brother of Theophylact II and son of Gregory I *1024–1032 Alberic III, (''Imperialis palatii magister Consul et dux – Comes sacri palatii Lateranensis'') brother of Theophylact II and Romanus *1032–1045 Theophylact III son of Alberic III *1044–1058 Gregory II, (''Consul, nobilis vir, senator Comes Tusculanensis'') son of Alberic III *1058 – c. 1108 Gregory III, (''Comes Tusculanensis Consul, illustris'') son of Gregory II *c. 1108 – 1126 Ptolemy I (Tolomeo I), (''Consul, comes Tusculanus'') son Gregory III *1126–1153 Ptolemy II (Tolomeo II), (''Illustrissimus, dominus Consul et dux'') son of Ptolemy I *1153 – c. 1167 Jonathan, (''Comes de Tusculano'') co-ruler with Raino son of Ptolemy II *1153–1179 Raino, (''Nobilis vir, dominus'') brother of Jonathan, co-ruler with Jonathan

Tusculan popes

* John XI, son of Alberic I, pope 931–935 * John XII son of Alberic II, pope 955–964 *

Benedict VII Pope Benedict VII ( la, Benedictus VII; died October 983) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from October 974 to his death. Family and early career Benedict was born in Rome, the son of David or Deodatus and nephew of Alberic ...

, nephew of Alberic II, pope 974–983 * Benedict VIII, son of Gregory I, pope 1012–1024 (also count) * John XIX, son of Gregory I, pope 1024–1032 (also count) * Benedict IX, son of Alberic III, pope 1032–1048 (also count) * Benedict X, antipope 1058–1059

Successors

According to tradition, the successors of the Tusculum counts were the Colonna family, founded by Peter (1099–1151), son of Gregory II and called Peter "de Columna" from his fief of

Colonna The House of Colonna, also known as ''Sciarrillo'' or ''Sciarra'', is an Italian noble family, forming part of the papal nobility. It was powerful in medieval and Renaissance Rome, supplying one pope (Martin V) and many other church and politic ...

, east of Rome.

References

Thietmar of Merseburg Thietmar (also Dietmar or Dithmar; 25 July 9751 December 1018), Prince-Bishop of Merseburg from 1009 until his death, was an important chronicler recording the reigns of German kings and Holy Roman Emperors of the Ottonian (Saxon) dynasty. Two ...

– Chronicle * Ferdinand Gregorovius ''Geschichte der Stadt Rom im Mittelalter'' (1859–1872)

External links

*{{cite EB1911 , wstitle=Tusculum , volume=27 , short=1

People from Lazio

de:Tusculum#Grafen von Tusculum