Caffaro di Rustico da Caschifellone
Encyclopedia
Caffaro di Rustico da Caschifellone (c. 1080–c. 1164) was an Italia
n crusader
and chronicle
r. He is an important source of information on the careers of the early Embriachi.
Caffaro was born in the village of Caschifellone (now part of Serra Riccò
, Province of Genoa
) in either 1080 or 1081. While a teenager, he travelled to Syria
as a follower of Godfrey of Bouillon
in the First Crusade
. He returned some time after 1101, and his first writing to receive any public notice was an account of the crusade. Shortly thereafter he began writing his history of Genoa, titled Annales. Though Caffaro's imperfect Latin
prevented the Annales from achieving greatness as literature, the chronicle was the first of its kind in Genoa and remains an important historical record.
On the strength of his fame as crusader, Caffaro became a captain in the Genoan navy, and fought in several battles against Pisa
and other Mediterranean powers. Toward the end of his long life he became a diplomat
, and carried out several diplomatic missions on behalf of Pope Callixtus II
, Holy Roman Emperor
Frederick Barbarossa and Alfonso VII of Castile.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
n crusader
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
and chronicle
Chronicle
Generally a chronicle is a historical account of facts and events ranged in chronological order, as in a time line. Typically, equal weight is given for historically important events and local events, the purpose being the recording of events that occurred, seen from the perspective of the...
r. He is an important source of information on the careers of the early Embriachi.
Caffaro was born in the village of Caschifellone (now part of Serra Riccò
Serra Riccò
Serra Riccò is a comune in the Province of Genoa in the Italian region Liguria, located about 9 km north of Genoa, in the Val Polcevera....
, Province of Genoa
Province of Genoa
The Province of Genoa is a province in the Liguria region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Genoa.It has an area of 1,838 km², and a total population of about 900,000...
) in either 1080 or 1081. While a teenager, he travelled to Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
as a follower of Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon was a medieval Frankish knight who was one of the leaders of the First Crusade from 1096 until his death. He was the Lord of Bouillon, from which he took his byname, from 1076 and the Duke of Lower Lorraine from 1087...
in the First Crusade
First Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
. He returned some time after 1101, and his first writing to receive any public notice was an account of the crusade. Shortly thereafter he began writing his history of Genoa, titled Annales. Though Caffaro's imperfect Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
prevented the Annales from achieving greatness as literature, the chronicle was the first of its kind in Genoa and remains an important historical record.
On the strength of his fame as crusader, Caffaro became a captain in the Genoan navy, and fought in several battles against Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
and other Mediterranean powers. Toward the end of his long life he became a diplomat
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
, and carried out several diplomatic missions on behalf of Pope Callixtus II
Pope Callixtus II
Pope Calixtus II , born Guy de Vienne, the fourth son of William I, Count of Burgundy , was elected Pope on February 1, 1119, after the death of Pope Gelasius II . His pontificate was shaped by the Investiture Controversy, which he was able to settle through the Concordat of Worms...
, Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
Frederick Barbarossa and Alfonso VII of Castile.
Further reading
- Face, Richard D. (1980). "Secular History in Twelfth-century Italy: Caffaro of Genoa." Journal of Medieval HistoryJournal of Medieval HistoryThe Journal of Medieval History is a major international academic journal devoted to all aspects of the history of Europe in the Middle Ages....
, 6(2): 169–84. - Williams, John Bryan. (1997). "The Making of a Crusade: The Genoese Anti-Muslim Attacks in Spain, 1146–1148." Journal of Medieval History, 23(1): 29–53.