Lando I of Capua
Encyclopedia
Lando I was the count of Capua from 843. He was the eldest son and successor of Landulf the Old
. Like his father, he supported Siconulf against Radelchis
in the civil war dividing the Principality of Benevento in the 840s.
It was Lando who, in early 849, solicited the Emperor Louis II to arbitrate the claims of the two claimants and resolve the ongoing war which had brought Saracen mercenaries to the Mezzogiorno
. In Louis's partition, Capua was made part of the Principality of Salerno, but Lando did not long obey Siconulf his overlord. Instead he allied with Duke Sergius I of Naples
. To cement the alliance, Lando married his second-eldest son Landulf, the gastald
of Suessola, to Sergius' daughter.
During the minorities of Princes Sico
and Adhemar
, Lando dominated Salerno. The Salernitans took exception to rising Capuan influence and Adhemar called upon Guy I of Spoleto
to intervene on his behalf. Lando responded by allying the Prefect Marinus of Amalfi to his side. He even married his brother Pando
to Marinus' daughter. In the subsequent war, Guy ravaged the lands and conquered some of the territory of Landenulf, gastald of Teano
, Lando's brother, but Lando himself came out unharmed.
In May 859, a massive joint expedition of Salerno, Naples, Amalfi, and Suessola marched on Lando. Lando was in a paralysis at that time and his son Lando II
took up arms to defend the city of Capua. He defeated the forces sent against them at the bridge of Teodemondo over the Volturno
. Lando did not long survive this great victory. One of his last acts was another marital alliance, this time with Guaifer
, a Salernitan nobleman who had found shelter in Capua during the reign of Adhemar. Guaifer married Lando's daughter Landelaica and, upon returning to Capua, seized power with the support of the people.
Lando had moved—against his wishes—the site of Capua definitively from its old location to the new hill of Triflisco in 856. He built a monastery at Teano and died probably in 861 (possibly in 860). He left by his wife Aloara five sons: Lando (II), Landulf (of Suessola), Landenulf, Pando, and Peter; and left a daughter, Landelaica, who married Guaifer of Salerno
.
Landulf I of Capua
Landulf I , called the Old, was the first gastald of Capua of his illustrious family, which would rule Capua until 1058. According to the Cronaca della dinastia di Capua, he ruled in Old Capua for twenty five years and four months and in New Capua for another year and eight months...
. Like his father, he supported Siconulf against Radelchis
Radelchis I of Benevento
Radelchis I was the treasurer, then prince of Benevento from 839, when he assumed the throne upon the assassination of Sicard and imprisonment of Sicard's brother, Siconulf, to his death, though in his time the principality was divided.According to the Chronica S...
in the civil war dividing the Principality of Benevento in the 840s.
It was Lando who, in early 849, solicited the Emperor Louis II to arbitrate the claims of the two claimants and resolve the ongoing war which had brought Saracen mercenaries to the Mezzogiorno
Mezzogiorno
The Midday is a wide definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the southern half of the Italian state, encompassing the southern section of the continental Italian Peninsula and the two major islands of Sicily and Sardinia, in addition to a large number of minor islands...
. In Louis's partition, Capua was made part of the Principality of Salerno, but Lando did not long obey Siconulf his overlord. Instead he allied with Duke Sergius I of Naples
Sergius I of Naples
Sergius I was the first duke of Naples of his dynasty, often dubbed the "Sergi," which ruled over Naples for almost three centuries from his accession in 840 until the death of his namesake Sergius VII in 1137....
. To cement the alliance, Lando married his second-eldest son Landulf, the gastald
Gastald
A gastald was a Lombard official in charge of some portion of the royal demesne with civil, martial, and judicial powers. By the Edictum Rothari of 643, the gastalds were given the civil authority in the cities and the reeves the like authority in the countryside...
of Suessola, to Sergius' daughter.
During the minorities of Princes Sico
Sico of Salerno
Sico II was the first prince of Salerno. Son and successor of Siconulf, he reigned from his father's death in 851 to his deposition in 853. He is given the ordinal "II" because he was the second Sico to rule in the south, the previous Sico being prince of Benevento.Sico was a minor when his father...
and Adhemar
Adhemar of Salerno
Adhemar was the son of Prince Peter of Salerno. He succeeded his father, an usurper, in 853.Adhemar's rule was unpopular. The counts of Capua whittled away at his princely authority and territory...
, Lando dominated Salerno. The Salernitans took exception to rising Capuan influence and Adhemar called upon Guy I of Spoleto
Guy I of Spoleto
Guy I was the Duke of Spoleto from 842. He was the son of Lambert I of Nantes and Adelaide of Lombardy, the eldest daughter of Pepin of Italy. He travelled with his father in 834 in the entourage of Lothair I. He was given the abbey of Mettlach in Lotharingia in 840, when the Emperor Louis the...
to intervene on his behalf. Lando responded by allying the Prefect Marinus of Amalfi to his side. He even married his brother Pando
Pando of Capua
Pando the Rapacious was the second son of Landulf I of Capua and brother of Lando I. When his father died , Lando succeeded to the countship, but Pando and their younger brother Landulf were associated as co-rulers...
to Marinus' daughter. In the subsequent war, Guy ravaged the lands and conquered some of the territory of Landenulf, gastald of Teano
Teano
Teano is a town and comune of Campania, Italy, in the province of Caserta, 30 km north-west of that town on the main line to Rome from Naples. It stands at the south-east foot of an extinct volcano, Rocca Monfina.- Ancient times and Middle Ages:...
, Lando's brother, but Lando himself came out unharmed.
In May 859, a massive joint expedition of Salerno, Naples, Amalfi, and Suessola marched on Lando. Lando was in a paralysis at that time and his son Lando II
Lando II of Capua
Lando II, called Cyruttu, was the count of Capua briefly for six months in 861. He was the eldest son and successor of Lando I.In May 859, a massive joint expedition of Salerno, Naples, Amalfi, and Suessola marched on Capua. Lando I was in a paralysis at that time and his son Lando II took up arms...
took up arms to defend the city of Capua. He defeated the forces sent against them at the bridge of Teodemondo over the Volturno
Volturno
The Volturno is a river in south-central Italy.-Geography:It rises in the Abruzzese central Apennines of Samnium near Rocchetta a Volturno and flows southeast as far as its junction with the Calore River near Caiazzo and runs south as far as Venafro, and then turns southwest, past Capua, to...
. Lando did not long survive this great victory. One of his last acts was another marital alliance, this time with Guaifer
Guaifer of Salerno
Guaifer was the Prince of Salerno from 861. The son of Daufer the Mute and grandson of Daufer the Prophet, he was the first of the Dauferidi to sit on the Salernitan throne which his family dominated unobstructed until 977.Guaifer's sister, Adelchisa, married Sicard of Benevento and when Sicard...
, a Salernitan nobleman who had found shelter in Capua during the reign of Adhemar. Guaifer married Lando's daughter Landelaica and, upon returning to Capua, seized power with the support of the people.
Lando had moved—against his wishes—the site of Capua definitively from its old location to the new hill of Triflisco in 856. He built a monastery at Teano and died probably in 861 (possibly in 860). He left by his wife Aloara five sons: Lando (II), Landulf (of Suessola), Landenulf, Pando, and Peter; and left a daughter, Landelaica, who married Guaifer of Salerno
Guaifer of Salerno
Guaifer was the Prince of Salerno from 861. The son of Daufer the Mute and grandson of Daufer the Prophet, he was the first of the Dauferidi to sit on the Salernitan throne which his family dominated unobstructed until 977.Guaifer's sister, Adelchisa, married Sicard of Benevento and when Sicard...
.
Sources
- ErchempertErchempertErchempert was a monk of Monte Cassino in the final quarter of the ninth century. He chronicled a history of Lombard Benevento, giving especially vivid account of the violence surrounding his monastic retreat in his own day. The work, Historia Langobardorum Beneventanorum, stops in the winter of...
. Historia Langabardorvm Beneventarnorvm at The Latin LibraryThe Latin LibraryThe Latin Library is a website that collects public domain Latin texts. The texts have been drawn from different sources. Many were originally scanned and formatted from texts in the Public Domain. Others have been downloaded from various sites on the Internet . Most of the recent texts have been...
. - Caravale, Mario (ed). Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani: LXIII Labroca – Laterza. RomeRomeRome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, 2004.