The Duchy of Benevento was the southernmost Lombard duchy in medieval Italy, centred on Benevento, a city central in the Mezzogiorno. Owing to the Ducatus Romanus of the popes, which cut it off from the rest of Lombard Italy, Benevento was from the first practically independent. Only during the reigns Grimoald and the kings from Liutprand on was the duchy closely tied to the kingdom. After the fall of the kingdom, however, it remained alone of Lombard territories and maintained its de facto independence against all comers for nearly three hundred years, though it was divided after 851. The Lombards (Latin Langobardi, from which the alternative name Longobards found in older English texts), were a Germanic people originally from northern Europe that entered the late Roman Empire. ... Benevento is a town and archiepiscopal see of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, 32 miles northeast of Naples. ... The Mezzogiorno or Southern Italy is the area of Italy south of Rome. ... For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ... This is a list of Popes of the Roman Catholic Church. ... Grimoald I (c. ... Liutprand, king of the Lombards (reigned (712 Р744) is remembered for his Donation of Sutri, in 728, the historic foundation of the Papal States. ... Events Vikings plunder London Charles the Bald, Louis the German and Lothar meet in Meersen Oldest known mention of the Andaman Islands Garcia I̱iguez succeeds his father I̱igo Arista as king of Navarra Births Deaths March 7 - Nominoe, Duke of Brittany Categories: 851 ...

Foundation of the duchy

The circumstances of the creation of the duchy are disputed. According to some scholars, Lombards were present in southern Italy well before the complete conquest of the Po Valley: the duchy would have been founded in 576. The Lombards may have entered later, around 590. Whatever the case, the first duke was Zotto, a leader of a band of soldiers who descended the coast of Campania. Though at first independent, Zotto was eventually made to submit to the royal authority of the north. His successor was Arechis, his nephew, and the principle of hereditary succession guided the Beneventan duchy to the end. PO may stand for: Pareto optimality Parole Officer Per os, Latin for by mouth or orally Perfect Orange a third wave ska based in Knoxville, TN from 2002-2005 Pilkington Optronics, now Thales Optronics Pissed off (often used as a verb or adjective, as in POed or POed) Platforma... Events Births Deaths Categories: 576 ... Events September 3 - St. ... Zotto (also Zotton or Zottone) was the military leader (Latin dux) of the Lombards in the Mezzogiorno. ... Campania is a region of Southern Italy, bordering on Lazio to the north-west, Molise to the north, Puglia to the north-east, Basilicata to the east, and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west. ... Arechis I (also Arigis, Aretchis, Italian: ) was the second duke of Benevento from 591 to his death in 641, a reign of half a century. ...

The duchy, part of the loosely-knit kingdom , were essentially independent, in spite of their common roots and similar language, law, and religion to the north, and in spite of taking to wife women from the royal family. A swathe of territory that owed allegiance to Rome or to Ravenna separated the dukes of Benevento from the kings at Pavia. Cultural autonomy followed naturally: a distinctive liturgical chant, the Beneventan chant, developed in the church of Benevento: it was not entirely superceded by Gregorian chant until the eleventh century. A unique Beneventan script was also developed for writing Latin. The eighth-century writer Paul the Deacon arrived in Benevento in the retinue of a princess from Pavia, the duke's bride. Settled into the greatest of Beneventan monasteries, Monte Cassino, he wrote first a history of Rome and then a history of the Lombards, the main source for the history of the duchy to that time as well. For other uses, see Rome (disambiguation). ... Ravenna is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. ... Church San Michele in Pavia The Old Bridge (Ponte Vecchio) on the Ticino river is a symbol of Pavia Pavìa (the ancient Ticinum) (population 71,000) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, northern Italy, 35 km south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its... Gregorian chant is also known as plainchant or plainsong and is a form of monophonic, unaccompanied singing, which was developed in the Catholic church, mainly during the period 800-1000. ... (10th century - 11th century - 12th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 11th century was that century which lasted from 1001 to 1100. ... Rule of St. ... Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in the region around Rome called Latium. ... (7th century — 8th century — 9th century — other centuries) Events The Iberian peninsula is taken by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost 8 centuries of Muslim presence there. ... Paul the Deacon (c. ... The restored Abbey Monte Cassino is a rocky hill about eighty miles (130 km) south of Rome, Italy, a mile to the west of the town of Cassino (the Roman Cassinum having been on the hill) and about 1700 ft (520 m) altitude. ...

Expansion

Under Zotto's successors, the duchy was expanded against the Byzantine Empire. Arechis, himself from the duchy of Friuli, captured Capua and Crotone, sacked the Byzantine Amalfi, but was unable to capture Naples. After his reign, the Byzantines had left in southern Italy only Naples, Amalfi, Gaeta, Sorrento, Calabria, and the maritime cities of Apulia (Bari, Brindisi, Otranto, etc). In 662, Duke Grimoald I (duke since 647), went north to aid the King Godepert against his brother, the co-king Perctarit, and instead killed them both and captured Pavia. As king of the Lombards, he tried to reinstate Arianism over the Catholicism of the late king Aripert I. However, Arianism was disappearing even in the duchy, as was the distinction between the ethnic Lombard minority and Latin-speaking population. In 663, the city itself was besieged by the Byzantines during the failed attempt of Constans II, who had disembarked at Taranto to recover southern Italy. Duke Rouoald I defended the city bravely, however, and the Emperor, also fearing the arrival of Romuald's father, King Grimoald, retired to Naples. However, Romuald intercepted part of the Roman army at Forino, between Avellino and Salerno, and destroyed it. A peace between the Duchy and the Eastern Empire was signed in 680. Byzantine Empire (Greek: ) is the term conventionally used since the 19th century to describe the Greek-speaking Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered at its capital in Constantinople. ... Friulian Coats of Arms Friuli (Furlan: Friûl, German: Friaul, Slovenian: Furlanija) is an area in northeastern Italy, comprising the major part of the autonomous region Friuli-Venezia Giulia. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Croton or Crotona (present-day Crotone), in the toe of the Italian peninsula, was an Achaean colony from c. ... The Amalfi coast. ... Naples panorama Naples (Italian Napoli, Neapolitan Napule, from Greek Νέα Πόλις - Néa Pólis - meaning New City; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is the largest city in southern Italy and capital of Campania Region and the Province of Naples. ... Gaeta (ancient Latin name Caieta) is a city in Province of Latina, in Lazio, Italy. ... Sorrento is the name of many cities and towns: Sorrento,_Italy Sorrento,_Florida, United States of America Sorrento, suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Sorrento, suburb of Perth, Western Australia, Australia Sorrento, Hong Kong, the largest residential development on Kowloon Station This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists... Calabria, formerly Brutium, is a region in southern Italy which occupies the toe of the Italian peninsula south of Naples. ... Apulia (official Italian name: Puglia) is a region in southeastern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Otranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. ... Region Apulia Mayor Michele Emiliano Area  116 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Density 316. ... Categories: Italy-related stubs | Towns in Puglia ... Otranto is a seaport and archiepiscopal see of Apulia, Italy, in the province of Lecce, from which it is 291 miles southeast by rail, 49 ft. ... Events The regent Grimuald usurps the kingship of the Lombards, driving Perctarit into exile and killing Godepert Births Kakinomoto no Hitomaro, Japanese poet (approximate date) Deaths Maximus the Confessor, Byzantine theologian Godepert, king of the Lombards Categories: 662 ... Grimoald I (c. ... Events The Cheomseongdae astronomical observatory is constructed in Silla around this time. ... Godepert (also Gundipert, Godebert, Godipert, Godpert, Gotebert, Gotbert, Gotpert, Gosbert, or Gottbert) was king of the Lombards (661), eldest son and successor of Aripert I. He was an Arian who governed from the ancient capital, Pavia, while his brother, Perctarit, a Roman Catholic, governed from Milan. ... Perctarit (also Berthari) was king of the Lombards from 661 to 662 the first time and later from 671 to 688. ... This article is about theological views like those of Arius. ... This article considers Catholicism in the broadest ecclesiastical sense. ... Aripert I (also spelled Aribert) was king of the Lombards (653-661) in Italy. ... // Events Byzantine emperor Constans II invades south Italy (Part of) the city wall of Benevento is reconstructed The movement to restore Baekje is defeated by Silla and Tang Battle of Hakusukinoe An annonymous monk reaches the summit of mount Fuji Environmental change A brief outbreak of plague hits Britain Births... Constans II and his son Constantine IV on a contemporary coin Constans Heraclius, known in English as Constans II, (November 7, 630–September 15, 668) was Byzantine emperor from 641 to 668. ... Map of Italy showing Taranto in the bottom right Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, southern Italy. ... Romuald I (also spelled Romoald and in Italian Romoaldo), duke of Benevento (662-677), was the son of Grimoald, king of the Lombards. ... Avellino is a town and comune, capital of the Avellino Province, and located in the Campania region of southern Italy. ... Events October 10 - Battle of Kerbela November 12 - The Sixth Ecumenical Council opens in Constantinople The Bulgars subjugate the country of current-day Bulgaria Pippin of Herstal becomes Mayor of the Palace Umayyad caliph Muawiyah I succeeded by Yazid I ibn Muawiyah Erwig deposes Wamba to become king of the...

In the following decades, Benevento conquered some territories from the Byzantines, but the main enemy of the duchy was now the northern Lombard kingdom itself. King Liutprand intervened several times to impos a candidate of his own on the ducal thron. His successor, Ratchis, declared the duchies of Spoleto and Benevento foreign countries where it was forbidden to travel without a royal permission. Liutprand, king of the Lombards (reigned (712 – 744) is remembered for his Donation of Sutri, in 728, the historic foundation of the Papal States. ... Ratchis was duke of Friuli (739-744) and king of the Lombards (744-749). ... The independent Duchy of Spoleto was a Lombard territory founded about 570 in southern Italy by the Lombard dux Faroald. ...

Rise to principality

In 758, king Desiderius briefly captured Spoleto and Benevento, but with the Charlemagne's conquest of the Lombard kingdom in 774, Arechis II tried to claim the royal dignity. See this was impractical and would draw Frankish attention to himself, instead opted for the title of princeps (prince). In 787, he was forced by Charlemagne's siege of Salerno to submit to Frankish suzerainty. At this time, Benevento was acclaimed by a chronicler as a Ticinum geminum—a second Pavia. Arechis expanded the Roman city, with new walled enclosures extending onto the level ground southwest of the old city, where Arechis razed old constructions for a new princely palace, whose open court is still traceable in the Piano di Corte of the acropolis. Like their Byzantine enemies, the dukes linked the palace compound with a national church, Saint Sophia. Events End of the reign of Empress Koken of Japan; she is succeeded by Emperor Junnin. ... Desiderius, the last king of the Lombards, is chiefly known through his connection with Charlemagne. ... Spoleto (Latin: Spoletium), 42°44′ N 12°44′ E, an ancient town in the Italian province of Perugia in east central Umbria, at 385 meters (1391 ft) above sea-level on a foothill of the Apennines. ... Charlemagne (742 or 747 – 28 January 814) (also Charles the Great; from Latin, Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus), son of King Pippin the Short and Bertrada of Laon, was the king of the Franks from 768 to 814 and king of the Lombards from 774 to 814. ... Events Charlemagne conquers the kingdom of the Lombards, and takes title King of the Lombards. ... Arechis II (also Aretchis, Arichis, or Aregis) (d. ... The Latin word Princeps (plural: principes) means the first. This article is devoted to a number of specific historical meanings the word took, by far the most important of which follows first. ... This article is about the year 787. ... Acropolis in Athens. ... Hagia Sophia can refer to: The Church of the Holy Wisdom, variously known as Hagia Sophia (Άγια Σοφία) in Greek, Sancta Sophia in Latin or Ayasofya in Turkish, a former Christian church, now a museum, in Istanbul, formerly Constantinople. ...

In 788, the principality was invaded by Byzantine troops led by Desiderius's son, Adelchis, who had taken refuge at Constantinople. However, his attempts were thwarted by Arechis' son, Grimoald III, who had, however, partially submitted to the Franks. The Franks assisted in the repulsion of Adelchis, but, in turn, attacked Benevento's territories several times, obtaining small gains, notably the annexion of Chieti to the duchy of Spoleto. In 814, Grimoald IV made vague promises of tribute and submission to Louis the Pious, which were renewed by his successor Sico. None of these pledges were followed and the decreases power and influence of the individual Carolingian monarchs allowed the duchy to increase its autonomy. Events Charlemagne conquers Bavaria. ... Adalgis (d. ... Map of Constantinople. ... Grimoald III was the Lombard prince of Benevento from the death of his father, the first independent duke, Arechis II, in 788 to his own death in 806. ... Chieti is a city in central Italy, 200 km northeast of Rome. ... Events Louis the Pious succeeds Charlemagne as king of the Franks and Emperor. ... Grimoald IV was the Lombard prince of Benevento from the death of his father, Grimoald III, in 806 to his own death in 817. ... Louis the Pious doing penance at Attigny in 822. ... The Carolingians (also known as the Carlovingians) were a dynasty of rulers that eventually controlled the Frankish realm and its successors from the 8th to the 10th century, officially taking over the kingdoms from the Merovingian dynasty in 751. ...

Division, reunion, and decline

In spite of the unceasing hostility of the Frankish sovereigns, in the following century Benevento touched its apex, imposing a tribute on Naples and capturing Amalfi under Duke Sicard. When the latter was killed by a plot, a civil war broke out. Sicard's relative, Siconulf, was proclaimed prince in Salerno while the assassin Radelchis was acclaimed in Benevento itself. This ended with the division of the duchy, by order of the Emperor Louis II, into two distinct principates: Benevento (with Molise and Apulia north to Taranto) and Salerno. Several local gastalds and counts, like that of Capua, profited from the chaotic situation and declared independent. The crisis was aggravated by the beginning of Saracen ravages, the first Saracens having been called in by Radelchis and subsequently Siconulf in their decade-long war. Often spurred by rival Christian rulers: Naples, Salerno, and Benevento itself were sacked. The Saracen colony in southern Lazio was eliminated only in 915, after the Battle of Garigliano. At the same time, however, the Byzantine Empire reconquered a great part of southern Italy, further reducing the already declining Beneventan power. Sicard (d. ... Siconulf (also Siconolf, Siconolfo, or Siconulfus) was the first prince of Salerno, the brother of Sicard, prince of Benevento (832-839), who was assassinated by Radelchis. ... Radelchis I (also Radalgis) (d. ... Louis II, (825 – 875), Holy Roman Emperor (sole ruler 855 – 875), eldest son of the emperor Lothair I, became the designated king of Italy in 839, and taking up his residence in that country was crowned king at Rome by Pope Sergius II on June 15, 844. ... Molise is a region of central Italy, the second smallest of the regions. ... Map of Italy showing Taranto in the bottom right Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, southern Italy. ... A gastald (Latin gastaldus or castaldus, Italian gastaldo or guastaldo) was a Lombard official in charge of some portion of the royal demesne (a gastaldia or castaldia) with civil, martial, and judicial powers. ... Look up Count in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Countess redirects here. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The term Saracen comes from Greek sarakenoi. ... Latium (now Lazio in Italian) is a region of central Italy, bordered by Tuscany, Umbria, Abruzzo, Molise, Campania and the Tyrrhenian Sea. ... Events Fatimid armies invaded Egypt. ... The Battle of Garigliano was fought in 915 between the forces of the Christian League and the Saracens. ...

In 899, Atenulf I of Capua conquered Benevento and united the two duchies. He declared them inseparable and introduced the principle of co-rule, whereby sons would be associated with their fathers, a principle soon borrowed by Salerno. However, all Langobardia minor was unified for the last time by Duke Pandulf Ironhead, who became prince of Salerno in 978. He succeeded in making Benevento an archdiocese in 969. Before his death (March 981), he had gained from Emperor Otto I the title of Duke of Spoleto also. However, he split it between his sons: Landulf IV received Benevento-Capua and Pandulf II, Salerno. Soon, Benevento was stripped away again when Pandulf, the Ironhead's nephew, rebelled, demanding his part of the inheritance. Events Edward the Elder becomes King of England. ... Atenulf I (d. ... Langobardia was the name of the Byzantine thema which covered the Southern Italy from 874 to the eleventh century. ... Pandulf I (also Pandolf I or Pandulph I), called Ironhead or Pandolfo Testa di Ferro in Italian, was the duke (or prince) of Benevento and Capua from 943 to 981. ... This is a list of Princes of Salerno, one of Wikipedias Lists of Incumbents. ... Events Badìa Fiorentina, an abbey in Italy, is founded by Willa, Margravine of Tuscany. ... In some Christian churches, the diocese is an administrative territorial unit governed by a bishop, sometimes also referred to as a bishopric or episcopal see, though more often the term episcopal see means the office held by the bishop. ... Events December 11 - John I becomes Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. ... Events Births Princess Theodora, later Empress of the Eastern Roman Empire. ... Emperor Otto I Otto I the Great (November 23, 912 - May 7, 973), son of Henry I the Fowler, king of the Germans, and Matilda of Ringelheim, was Duke of Saxony, King of the Germans and arguably the first Holy Roman Emperor. ... Pandulf II (died 13 July 982) was the prince of Salerno (981), the second of such princes of the family of the princes of Capua. ... Pandulf II (d. ...

The first decades of the eleventh century saw Benevento dwindle to less than either of her sister duchies, Salerno, then prominent, or Capua. Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor conquered, in 1022, both Capua and Benevento, but returned to Germany after the failed siege of Troia. The Normans arrived in the Mezzogiorno in these years and Benevento, then acknowledgin papal suzerainty, was only an off-and-on ally. The Beneventan duke still had enough prestige to lend his son, Atenulf, to the Norman-Lombard rebellion in Apulia as leader, but Atenulf abandoned them and Benevento lost what was left of its influence. The greatest of Norman rulers of the south was Robert Guiscard, who captured Benevento in 1053. He gave it to its technical suzerain, the pope, who appoitned a series of minor Lombards as dukes until he gave it to Guiscard in 1078. It was finally returned to the pope in 1081, with little but the city remaining of the once-great principality which had determined the direction of South Italian affairs for generations. No dukes or princes were thereafter named. In 1806, Napoleon, after conquering it, named as prince the famous Charles Maurice de Talleyrand, but the title had no significance and it left with Napoleon in 1815. Saint Henry II of Germany (972 – 13 July 1024), was the fifth and last Holy Roman Emperor of the Saxon or Ottonian dynasty. ... Events Several Catharist heretics are killed in Toulouse. ... Walls of the excavated city of Troy This article is about the city of Troy / Ilion as described in the works of Homer, and the location of an ancient city associated with it. ... The Normans (adapted from the name Northmen or Norsemen) were a mixture of the indigenous people of France and the Viking invaders under the leadership of Hrolf Ganger, who adopted the French name Rollo and swore allegiance to the king of France (Charles the Simple). ... Robert Guiscard (i. ... Events June 18 - Battle of Civitate - 3000 horsemen of Norman Count Humphrey rout the troops of Pope Leo IX Good harvests in Europe Malcolm Canmore invades Scotland. ... Events Romanesque church begun at Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain Anselm of Canterbury becomes abbot of Le Bec William the Conqueror ordered the White Tower to be built Births Deaths Categories: 1078 ... Events Corfu taken from Byzantine Empire by Robert Guiscard, Italy Byzantine emperor Nicephorus III is overthrown by Alexius I Comnenus, ending the Middle Byzantine period and beginning the Comnenan dynasty Alexius I helps defend Albania from the Normans (the first recorded mention of Albania), but is defeated at the Battle... 1806 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... Charles Maurice de Talleyrand Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (February 2, 1754 - May 17, 1838) was a French diplomat. ... The Battle of New Orleans 1815 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

See also

• List of Dukes and Princes of Benevento

This is as list of the Dukes and Princes of Benevento, it is one of Wikipedias Lists of Incumbents. ...

Sources

• Gwatkin, H.M., Whitney, J.P. (ed) et al. The Cambridge Medieval History: Volume III. Cambridge University Press, 1926.
• Oman, Charles. The Dark Ages 476-918. London, 1914.