Berard of Castagna

[4] Berard succeeded Doferius as archbishop of Bari in the latter half of 1207 and was consecrated by the papal legate Gregorio de Galgano [it].

[5] In the fall of 1212, Berard accompanied Frederick to Germany as papal legate during the dispute over the German throne.

[6] On 10 September 1213, Pope Innocent III transferred him to the vacant see of Palermo, which, since it was the capital of the kingdom, was effectively a promotion.

[5] Berard attended the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215, where, at the second session on 20 November, he read aloud a letter from Frederick requesting recognition of his 1212 election as "King of the Romans" (emperor-elect).

[5] In 1235, Berard accompanied Frederick from Palermo to Fano before going on to Perugia to confer with Pope Gregory IX while the emperor returned to Germany.

[5] At Fano in April, Berard was appointed to the Sicilian regency council along with Thomas of Aquino, James of Capua, Peter of Ravello and Henry of Morra.

[5] After the election of Pope Innocent IV, Frederick sent Berard, Pier delle Vigne and Taddeo di Sessa to Anagni to seek the emperor's absolution, but they were excommunicated themselves.

[5] In 1246, he led a delegation to Innocent IV claiming that he had submitted the emperor to an interrogation and was willing to swear an oath to his orthodoxy.

On 27 January 1251, Innocent IV reprimanded Berard and ordered him to cooperate with the papal legate being sent to Sicily.

[2] A document from August shows that Berard was still regarded as a familiaris—a member of the royal household—of Frederick's successor, Conrad IV.

[10] More a politician than a pastor, his episcopate was characterized by an extreme closeness to Frederick and unwavering loyalty in the face of papal opposition.