Abelard of Hauteville

Abelard of Hauteville

count of Apulia and Calabria (1051–1057), and his Lombard wife, Gaitelgrima of Salerno, also known as Altrude. He was supposed to inherit his father's lands, but Robert Guiscard

, his uncle and guardian, who was elected count on Humphrey's death, confiscated them.

In April 1064, Abelard joined three discontented barons (

Seljuk

threat to their east. The rebellion fell apart and by February only Geoffrey remained. Abelard was exiled, but Robert forgave him and gave him cities.

Abelard was again at the head of a revolt later in December 1071. Then, he recruited not only the Byzantines, but his brother

prince of Salerno, Gisulf II, both of whom feared the ascendancy of Robert Guiscard. Robert, however, did not leave the siege of Palermo. He preferred to ignore the insurrection, then spreading to Calabria

, in favour of speeding up events in Sicily.

Abbey of the Santissima Trinità, Venosa

Palermo fell in 1072 and Robert returned to the peninsula the next year, easily putting down most of the rebels. However, he fell ill at Trani and was taken to Bari, where

Alexius I Comnenus. He died, perhaps assassinated, probably in Illyria, in 1081, around April. He was buried in Greece and never brought back to Venosa

, where most of his family lies to this day.

Notes

^ His name is Abélard in French and Abelardo or Abailardo in Italian. He is sometimes called Abagelard and it is sometimes asserted that his father was originally named Abagelard as well.

[1] His name is Abélard in French and Abelardo or Abailardo in Italian. He is sometimes called Abagelard and it is sometimes asserted that his father was originally named Abagelard as well.