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Berardo Castagna, or Castacca (XII century - Palermo, September 8, 1252) was an
Italian Catholic archbishop and political, of the Norman-Swabian, a close friend
and faithful of Frederick II of Swabia. At the Swabian king remained faithful all his
life, until the point of death, when, according to the Chronicle of Matthew Paris,
offer spiritual consolation to the dying emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.
Berardo, along with Hermann of Salza, was the closest and trusted adviser of the
sovereign: the two, both close to the Catholic Church, played an important and
uninterrupted diplomatic work to facilitate the relaxation of strained relations
between Frederick II and the Apostolic See.
There are various traditions and archival chronicle in which it is handed down his
name, welcomed by scholars in different forms: de Costaca (Ferdinando Ughelli),
de Castaca (according to Rocco Pirri), de Costa (Francesco Lombardi and Konrad
Eubel) and de Castanea, according to the exegesis of certain documents
investigated by Norbert Kamp in 1975
Of noble family origins, Abruzzo and pro-empire, Berardo came into contact with
the milieu of the court of the Kingdom of Sicily as an exponent in the wake of
Walter of Pagliara, which at the Swabian court of Henry VI of Hohenstaufen was
Chief Registrar at least since March 1195 and a member and, since October of that
same year, a member of the board of familiares regis.
His granddaughter Manna entertained a relationship with Frederick II, from
which, in 1224-1225, was born a son of the sovereign: Richard of Chieti (or
Riccardo di Teate) who was vicar general of the Marche and Spolet0.
The town of Chieti, previously known as Teate, is located in Abruzzo south of
Pescara and lay within the Lombard duchy of Spoleto. Amatus records that the
Norman Robert Conte di Loritello attacked "the March of Chieti", dated to the
1080s, and gave part to "his brother Tasso". The Norman conquest of the area was
completed in spring 1140 when Roger of Sicily Duke of Apulia (son of Roger I King
of Sicily), together with his brother Alphonse, captured Abruzzo. No record has yet
been found of a Norman count of Chieti having been appointed at that time.
Records have been found of a succession of conti (counts) di Chieti, appointed by
Emperor Friedrich II and his successors. Charles I King of Sicily [Anjou-Capet]
appointed one of his supporters Renaud de Courtenay as conte (count) di Chieti in
1369 as a reward for his part in the conquest of the kingdom.
Richina (Ruthina) of Beilstein-Wolfsöden (c. 1205–1236). According to
Medlands (who take the information from Europäische Stammtafeln), she
was the wife of Count Gottfried of Löwenstein and daughter of some Count
Berthold of Beilstein by his wife Adelaide of Bonfeld.
The Hohenstaufen Dynasty - Page 63 of 200