He was the eldest son of Boniface del Vasto, the margrave of Western Liguria, of a noble stock which had ruled the region between Savona and Ventimiglia for generations.
Dia adalah putra sulung Boniface del Vasto, Markgraf Liguria barat, dari sebuah saham mulia yang telah memerintah wilayah antara Savona dan Ventimiglia selama beberapa generasi.