Perto () was the

Abbot of Farfa Farfa Abbey () is a territorial abbey in northern Lazio, central Italy. In the Middle Ages, it was one of the richest and most famous abbeys in Italy. It belongs to the Benedictines, Benedictine Order and is located about from Rome, in the ''co ...

from 854/7 to 872. Between 857 and 859 he received a privilege from the

Emperor Louis II Louis II (825 – 12 August 875), sometimes called the Younger, was the king of Italy and emperor of the Carolingian Empire from 844, co-ruling with his father Lothair I until 855, after which he ruled alone. Louis's usual title was ''impera ...

confirming a ''cella'' (probably a small monastic house) called Santa Maria del Mignone. Since this is the first time Santa Maria is mentioned in Farfa's possession it may have been acquired around this time by Perto.Costambeys (2007), 331. Louis's diploma confirmed privileges granted Farfa by his father,

Lothair I Lothair I (9th. C. Frankish: ''Ludher'' and Medieval Latin: ''Lodharius''; Dutch and Medieval Latin: ''Lotharius''; German: ''Lothar''; French: ''Lothaire''; Italian: ''Lotario''; 795 – 29 September 855) was a 9th-century emperor of the ...

, in 840. The imperial diploma forbade any financial imposition ("tribute or census") on Farfa by any pope or secular ruler ("duke or prince").Costambeys (2007), 342: ''ut nullus pontifex, dux, princeps aut quislibet superioris vel inferioris ordinis rei publicae procurator idem monasterium sub tributo aut censu constitueret ... sed omni quietudine sua defensione atque imperiali tuitione fultum consisteret''. This diploma may have been aimed at courting good relations with the pope (either Benedict III or

Nicholas II Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until his abdication on 15 March 1917. He married ...

) or it may be associated with Louis's intervention in the

Duchy of Spoleto The Duchy of Spoleto () was a Lombards, Lombard territory founded about 570 in central Italy by the Lombard ''dux'' Faroald I of Spoleto, Faroald. Its capital was the city of Spoleto. Lombards The Lombards invaded northern Italy in 568 and b ...

in 860.Costambeys (2007), 344–45. Louis needed good friends in central Italy if he was to assert his imperial claims against his cousins and in southern Italy, and his claims as king of Italy against the local aristocracy. In 864 Louis confirmed Farfa's possessions and, at the insistence of Bishop Peter of Spoleto, protector of the abbey since 840, made a donation to it in the region of Massa Torana. Around this time Centumcellae, a village on the other side of the valley of Mignone from Santa Maria, was sacked by

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens ''Saracen'' ( ) was a term used both in Greek and Latin writings between the 5th and 15th centuries to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Rom ...

marauders. In 854 it was refounded by

Pope Leo IV Pope Leo IV (died 17 July 855) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 10 April 847 to his death in 855. He is remembered for repairing Roman churches that had been damaged during the Arab raid against Rome, and for building the ...

and renamed Leopolis (modern

Civitavecchia Civitavecchia (, meaning "ancient town") is a city and major Port, sea port on the Tyrrhenian Sea west-northwest of Rome. Its legal status is a ''comune'' (municipality) of Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Rome, Lazio. The harbour is formed by ...

). Before the ninth century was out Farfa itself would be attacked by Saracens. To them is probably due the obscurity of Farfa's abbots during the period from Perto, who succeeded

Hilderic Hilderic (460s – 533) was the penultimate king of the Vandals and Alans in North Africa in Late Antiquity (523–530). Although dead by the time the Vandal Kingdom was overthrown in 534, he nevertheless played a key role in that event. Life ...

, to

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

, who rescued his monks and his library from the Saracens. Perto was succeeded by

John I John I may refer to: People Religious figures * John I (bishop of Jerusalem) * John Chrysostom (349 – c. 407), Patriarch of Constantinople * John I of Antioch (died 441) * Pope John I of Alexandria, Coptic Pope from 496 to 505 * Pope John I, P ...

Notes

{{reflist Abbots of Farfa 872 deaths Year of birth unknown