Principality of Capua

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Principality of Capua Principatus Capuae ( Latin) Principato di Capua (Italian)
861–1139
The Principality of Capua shown within Italy in 1000
Status	Originally part of the Duchies of Benevento and Salerno, vassal states of the Lombard Kingdom
Capital	Capua
Government	Monarchy
Prince
• 887–910	Atenulf I (first)
• 1127–1156	Robert II (last)
Historical era	Middle Ages
• After Pando's proclamation, Capua acts independently	861
• Atenulf is victorious in a war of succession and becomes the Prince of Capua	887
• Atenulf declares Capua and Benevento inseparable and introduced the principle of co-rule	899
• Richard of Aversa conquers Capua	1058
• Roger II, the Count of Sicily claims overlordship of Capua	1127
• The Normans defeat Pope Innocent. Roger II becomes King of Sicily, Duke of Apulia, and commander of Capua	1139
Preceded by Succeeded by Kingdom of the Lombards Kingdom of Sicily
Today part of	Italy

The Principality of Capua (

A civil war between Benevento and Salerno ensues.[2] In 849, Emperor Louis II ends the civil war by decreeing that Benevento be split into two distinct principates - Benevento and Salerno. In 851, as a part of the Divisio of Louis II, Capua is included as a part of Salerno.^[3]

In 861, Pando the Rapacious declared Capua independent of Salerno.^[4] On his death in the following year, the succession to the county was thrown into dispute. His son was deposed by Bishop Landulf who thus united the ecclesiastical and secular rule of the region as Athanasius was to do near-contemporaneously in Naples. Disputes over the bishopric and the countship befell Capua on Landulf's death and a civil war enveloped the principality between Pandenulf, the earlier deposed son of Pando, and Lando III, another grandson of Landulf I. Salerno allied with Lando and Benevento with Pandenulf. A succession crisis followed in 887 and Atenulf I established himself and his princely status with the aid of the aforementioned Athanasius of Naples. Atenulf would try to avert future succession crises and to vindicate the independent pretensions of Capua à la those of Benevento and Salerno.

Union with Benevento

In 899, Atenulf defeated Radelchis II and conquered Benevento. He declared Capua and Benevento inseparable and introduced the principle of co-rule, whereby sons would be associated with their fathers and brothers with each other, a principle soon borrowed by Salerno. Atenulf associated his son, Landulf, as co-prince and built up alliances with the local Greek states, like Naples and Gaeta, which alliances were continued under his successor.

Atenulf also began planning the eventual reconquest of Muslim-occupied territory in the region, but died before his plans came to fruition at the

The old dynasty was reinstalled in 1000 under Landulf VII, who made his brother, Pandulf II of Benevento, regent for his heir, Pandulf II of Capua. Thus, Capua and Benevento were briefly united for the last time.

The chief interest of Lombard Capua in this, its declining period, was the control of a seaport, especially a large and important one, such as Gaeta or Naples. Capua experienced a new zenith under Pandulf IV, who was deposed twice between his succession in 1016 and his death in 1050. He was originally an ally of the Byzantines and remained allied with them against all his neighbours until the end. His reign was occupied by constant disputes with the church, whose bishops and abbots he treated with disdain, and with the coastal duchies of Naples, Gaeta, and Amalfi. He desired to give Capua a seaport and deposed both Sergius IV of Naples and John V of Gaeta. His personal character, however, soon involved him in a war with Guaimar IV of Salerno, who had him deposed by the Holy Roman Emperor, and took his principalities. Despite the importance of Capua in the region, the city declined under Pandulf's successors until it was eventually taken by the Norman allies of Guaimar.

Norman rule

In 1058, a year after the death of Pandulf's weak successor, the Norman count

With the death of Jordan I, the principality declined fast. From 1090 to 1098, the city of Capua itself was in the hands of Lando, a Lombard count who was raised by the citizens in opposition to the young Richard II. The latter was only reinstalled with the aid of his fellow Normans and thus Capua became dependent on the Hautevilles and their duchy, though the princes continued to try and influence papal elections and act as papal protectors. With the death of the religious Jordan II in 1127, the principality became the object of desire of Roger II, who in 1130 united the Sicilian and peninsular domains of his family into the Kingdom of Sicily.

More than a decade of constant war followed thereafter between the Normans and the Lombard principalities, the Papal States, and the Holy Roman Empire.^[6] Ultimately during the summer of 1139, Pope Innocent II invaded the kingdom of Sicily with a large army. On 22 July 1139, at Galluccio, Pope Innocent was captured by Roger's son, Roger III. Days later, by means of the Treaty of Mignano, the pope proclaimed Roger II rex Siciliae ducatus Apuliae et principatus Capuae (King of Sicily, Duke of Apulia and commander of Capua).^[7][8]

See also

• List of Princes of Capua

Citations

References

• Chalandon, Ferdinand. Histoire de la domination normande en Italie et en Sicile. Paris, 1907.
• Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani. Rome, 1960–Present.
• Oman, Charles. The Dark Ages 476-918. Rivingtons: London, 1914.
• Whitney, J.P. (ed) et al. The Cambridge Medieval History: Volume III. Cambridge University Press
  , 1926.
• Longmans: London
  , 1967.

• Medieval Capua

41°10′00″N 14°17′00″E / 41.1667°N 14.2833°E / 41.1667; 14.2833