The House of Malaspina was a noble Italian family of Longobard origin that descended from Boniface I, through the Obertenghi line, that ruled Lunigiana from the 13th to the 14th centuries, and the marquisate of Massa and lordship of Carrara (which later became the Duchy of Massa and Carrara and at a later time the Principality of Massa and the Marquisate of Carrara) since the 14th century.
History
The founder of the Malaspina family was Oberto I, who became the count of Luni in 945. Oberto I was appointed as the marquis of the March of Genoa under the Italian king Berengario II in 951 and he became a count palatine in 953.
Oberto I had two children; Oberto II, who inherited the title of count of Luni from his father, and Adalberto I, whose offspring founded the Pallavicino and the Cavalcabò families. Oberto II had four children; Bertha of Milan, the spouse of the King of Italy Arduino; Ugo, count of Milan; Albert Azzo I, count of Luni whose offspring founded the Este family branches of Hannover and Brunswick; and Oberto Obizzo I, progenitor of the lineage of the Malaspinas.
In 1004, Oberto Obizzo I fought beside his brother-in-law King Arduino against the Count Bishops of Luni: this was the first of many conflicts between the family and the governors of the Roman-founded city. Oberto Obizzo I had a son, Albert I. Albert I also had a son, Oberto Obizzo II (d. 1090), the father of (d. 1140), who was the first member of the family to be called Malaspina; for this reason he is sometimes considered the true founder of the family.
The surname Malaspina means "bad thorn" or "ill-willed thorn" in Italian; some historians believe the surname originated in the time of Ancus Marcius as some paintings in the halls of castle of Fosdinovo may suggest. Other historians believe the name may have originated from a legend regarding the death of an enemy, King Merovingio Teodeberto I. The legend, which is narrated on five sandstone tiles at the entry gate of the Malaspina castle of Godiasco, tells how the king was killed with a thorn. Others believe the name originated from the remarkably bad attitude of Albert Malaspina or some of his relatives held with others.
Albert Malaspina extended the family's possessions towards the Apennine Mountains near Lunigiana, starting a conflict with Genoa and the Bishops of Luni. The 1124 peace treaty of Lucca references the division of goods between the descendants of Oberto Obizzo I, who in time gave birth to several European noble families; Brunswick, Estens, Pallavicino and the marquises of Massa, Sardinia and Corsica, as well as the Malaspinas.
Albert's son, the Marquis Obizzo I Malaspina (d. 1185), initially fought against Frederick Barbarossa the Holy Roman Emperor, supporting rioting commoners. After the emperor took control of the conflict, Obizzo changed sides, supporting him in his fight against Milan in 1157. The emperor rewarded Obizzo, granting him the right to rule over the territories of Liguria, Lunigiana, Lombardy and Emilia. In 1176, after escorting Barbarossa to Pavia, Obizzo surprised him by deciding to ally with the Lombard league and attacking the Emperor's armies. Because of Obizzo's betrayal, Frederick Barbarossa was defeated in the battle of Legnano. In the peace treaty of Costanza, the emperor forgave Obizzo and re-confirmed Obizzo's right to rule over the land he was given. Both the Battle of Legnano and the Peace of Costanza are represented in paintings conserved in the hall of Fosdinovo castle and were realized by Gaetano Bianchi at the end of the 19th century.
Obizzo I had two sons Obizzo II Malaspina—also known as Obizzone—and Moroello I Malaspina. The descendants of Obizzo II founded the Spino secco ("dried thorn") branch of the family while the descendants of Moroello I founded the Spino Fiorito ("bloomed thorn") branch of the family (1221). Obizzo II had a son called Conrad I Malaspina, who was defined by Dante Alighieri as "the Old or The Ancient" due to his fame and long-living legacy; Conrad I is considered to be the first exponent of the Spino Secco branch. He obtained all of the territories over the right bank of the Magra river and the territories of Villafranca on the left bank of the Magra river. Conrad I Malaspina had four children; Manfredi Malaspina, Moroello of Mulazzo, Frederick of Villafranca, and Albert Malaspina.
