'Oddone Frangipane' (also ''Oddo'' or ''Otto'') was the son of
Leo and grandson of
Cencio II of the
Frangipani family. He had another brother named
Cencio. The middle of the twelfth century, he was the most influential aristocrat in
Rome. His career began sometime around
1130. He supported the legitimate
popes and opposed the
Ghibellines and their
Senate.
His family acquired the fortress of
Tusculum from
Ptolemy II somehow before December
1152, when he sold his rights over Tusculum to
Pope Eugene III. In
1155, he acted on behalf of
Adrian IV in negotiations with
Frederick Barbarossa. In
1156, he was at
Benevento to accept the submission of
William I of Sicily to the pope. This submission resulted in the confirmation of the
Treaty of Benevento. After the papal election of
7 September 1159, Oddone wrote to
Louis VII of France exhorting him to support
Alexander III. When Alexander was arrested by supporters of the imperialist
Antipope Victor IV, it was Oddone who freed him and sent to safety in
Campania.
Oddone took over the military leadership of the city of Rome during the absence of Alexander and even afterwards. His son Leo was captured in battle with the emperor's troops in
1167 and he himself led the largest army of Roman citizens since the days of the
Roman Empire into
battle at Monte Porzio, where he was defeated by
Christian I, Archbishop of Mainz.
[1]
In the spring of
1170, Oddone remarried to a woman named Eudoxia, a
Byzantine princess. He had a son by her named Emanuele. He died some time not long after.
Notes
1. Gregorovius, p 581.
Sources
★ Caravale, Mario (ed). ''Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani: L Francesco I Sforza – Gabbi''. Rome, 1998.
★
Gregorovius, Ferdinand. ''Rome in the Middle Ages Vol. II''. trans. Annie Hamilton. 1905.