Peter II of Trani
Encyclopedia
Peter II (died 1081) was the third Italo-Norman
count of Trani
. He was the youngest of three sons of Peter I
; his elder brothers were Amico and Geoffrey
.
Peter was on good terms with his overlord Drogo
, Count of Apulia, who had been his father's enemy. Peter continued his father's attempts to secure Trani, still a Byzantine
possession at the time of the latter's death. Peter II also strengthened the fortifications of Bisceglie
, constructing several towers. In 1073 he began the Cathedral of Bisceglie (finished 1295), which he dedicated to his namesake, Saint Peter
.
In 1054 Peter finally captured Trani. He also took Canosa and "other cities" dominated by the Saracens, according to the Cronaca Cavese. In 1059 he legislated laws for his new principality. In 1057 he began receiving those Normans disaffected by the rise of Robert Guiscard
after the death of Count Humphrey
, whose young sons, Abelard
and Herman
, were pushed aside. According to William of Apulia
, Peter began strengthening the walls of Trani and preparing the city to resist an attack. By 1068 Trani was in the hands of Peter's brother Geoffrey, who was loyal to Guiscard. Geoffrey died later that year and Peter returned to power, still opposed to Guiscard. Peter also acted as regent
of the County of Taranto for Geoffrey's young son Richard.
Peter then sought the support of the Byzantine emperor Michael VII
. He was recognised as a Greek vassal and granted the title imperialis vestis. In 1077 a local presbyter, Maraldus, donated a house to the church of San Eustachio in Corato
in the presence of Erberto, Goffredo, and Guarino, who witnessed the charter as "faithful vassals" (fideles) of the imperialis vestis et comitis normannorum (imperial vestes and count of the Normans). At a congress of Norman leaders at Melfi
in 1072 Peter refused to acknowledge Guiscard, then campaigning in Sicily
, as Duke of Apulia. According to Amatus of Montecassino
Peter then accepted the leadership of Richard I of Capua
. Abelard, son of Humphrey, and Robert Arenga also joined the opposition to Guiscard, led by Richard. In the ensuing war—which Amatus places before Guiscard's return from Sicily and which William dates to after his return—Peter, with Abelard's brother Herman, took the duke's castles in Apulia and ravaged his lands, collecting a large booty. Abelard and Robert, enfeoffed in Calabria
, ravaged Guiscard's lands there while Richard guarded Canne. After Guiscard returned from Sicily (according to Amatus) he immediately laid siege to Trani, which was surrendered by the citizens in less than a month, on 2 February 1073. Peter was forced into exile, first to Corato, which Guiscard besieged with ditches, siege tower
s, and the trebuchet
s and other engines used at Trani. When Peter and Herman tried to intercept the engines coming up from Trani they were met by Guiscard's brother-in-law, Guy, Duke of Sorrento
, who imprisoned them, Herman in Rapolla
, Peter in Trani. When Richard left Canne for Capua, Guiscard marched on his cities, taking Andria
after a brief siege and forcing the surrender of Cisterna
, where he had Peter tied to a timber screen and exposed so that the defenders, who were his vassals, could not counterattack without injuring or killing him. At Peter's insistence they surrendered.
Peter was later freed and forced to swear an oath of fealty to Guiscard and promise to fight in his service. His county, save Trani itself, was restored to him on the condition that he lead an expedition into the Balkans
(1073). Unlike Peter's brother Geoffrey's attempted expedition against Byzantine lands in the Balkans, this campaign was directed against the Dalmatia
n lands of the Kingdom of Croatia. Peter's cousin, Amico, son of Walter of Giovinazzo, attacked Rab
on 14 April and took Cres
on 9 May, taking the Croatian king, Peter Kresimir IV, captive. The king was ransomed for a large sum by the Bishop of Cres and died shortly thereafter, being buried in the church of Saint Stephen in the fortress of Klis
.
In 1080 Peter was again in control of Trani and in rebellion. Guiscard left the siege of the place under the watch of his wife, Sichelgaita, with some Bari
ot reinforcements, and himself besieged Taranto, which Peter had been ruling for his nephew, by land and sea. Peter was forced to surrender and seek forgiveness. He died in 1081 in Epirus
in battle against the Byzantines while taking part in Guiscard's expedition against Durazzo.
Italo-Norman
The Italo-Normans, or Siculo-Normans when referring to Sicily, were the Italian-born descendants of the first Norman conquerors to travel to the southern Italy in the first half of the eleventh century...
count of Trani
Trani
Trani is a seaport of Apulia, southern Italy, on the Adriatic Sea, in the new Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani , and 40 km by railway West-Northwest of Bari.- History :...
. He was the youngest of three sons of Peter I
Peter I of Trani
Peter I , also known as Petronius , was the first Norman count of Trani. He was one of the most prominent of the twelve leaders of the Norman mercenaries serving Guaimar IV of Salerno. Though it had not yet been conquered from the Byzantine Empire, Peter received Trani in the Normans' division of...
; his elder brothers were Amico and Geoffrey
Geoffrey of Taranto
Geoffrey, Godfrey, or Goffredo , called Lofredus in Latin, was an Italo-Norman military leader and the first Count of Taranto. He was the second son of Peter I of Trani, though of his elder brother, Amicus, nothing is known...
.
Peter was on good terms with his overlord Drogo
Drogo of Hauteville
Drogo of Hauteville succeeded his brother, William Iron Arm, with whom he arrived in southern Italy c. 1035, as the leader of the Normans of Apulia....
, Count of Apulia, who had been his father's enemy. Peter continued his father's attempts to secure Trani, still a Byzantine
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
possession at the time of the latter's death. Peter II also strengthened the fortifications of Bisceglie
Bisceglie
Bisceglie is a town and comune on the Adriatic Sea, with a population of c. 54,000, in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, Apulia , southern Italy....
, constructing several towers. In 1073 he began the Cathedral of Bisceglie (finished 1295), which he dedicated to his namesake, Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
.
In 1054 Peter finally captured Trani. He also took Canosa and "other cities" dominated by the Saracens, according to the Cronaca Cavese. In 1059 he legislated laws for his new principality. In 1057 he began receiving those Normans disaffected by the rise of Robert Guiscard
Robert Guiscard
Robert d'Hauteville, known as Guiscard, Duke of Apulia and Calabria, from Latin Viscardus and Old French Viscart, often rendered the Resourceful, the Cunning, the Wily, the Fox, or the Weasel was a Norman adventurer conspicuous in the conquest of southern Italy and Sicily...
after the death of Count Humphrey
Humphrey of Hauteville
Humphrey of Hauteville , surnamed Abagelard, was the Count of Apulia and Calabria from 1051 to his death.Humphrey was probably the youngest son of Tancred of Hauteville by his first wife Muriel. Some sources make Geoffrey and Serlo his younger brothers...
, whose young sons, Abelard
Abelard of Hauteville
Abelard of Hauteville was the eldest son of Humphrey, count of Apulia and Calabria , and his Lombard wife, Gaitelgrima of Salerno, also known as Altrude...
and Herman
Herman of Hauteville
Herman of Hauteville was the younger son of Humphrey, count of Apulia and Calabria , and his Lombard wife, Gaitelgrima of Salerno, also known as Altrude...
, were pushed aside. According to William of Apulia
William of Apulia
William of Apulia was a chronicler of the Normans, writing in the 1090s. His Latin epic, Gesta Roberti Wiscardi , written in hexameters, is one of the principal contemporary sources for the Norman conquest of southern Italy, especially the career of Robert Guiscard, Duke of Apulia . It was composed...
, Peter began strengthening the walls of Trani and preparing the city to resist an attack. By 1068 Trani was in the hands of Peter's brother Geoffrey, who was loyal to Guiscard. Geoffrey died later that year and Peter returned to power, still opposed to Guiscard. Peter also acted as regent
Regent
A regent, from the Latin regens "one who reigns", is a person selected to act as head of state because the ruler is a minor, not present, or debilitated. Currently there are only two ruling Regencies in the world, sovereign Liechtenstein and the Malaysian constitutive state of Terengganu...
of the County of Taranto for Geoffrey's young son Richard.
Peter then sought the support of the Byzantine emperor Michael VII
Michael VII
Michael VII Doukas or Ducas , nicknamed Parapinakēs , was Byzantine emperor from 1071 to 1078.- Life :...
. He was recognised as a Greek vassal and granted the title imperialis vestis. In 1077 a local presbyter, Maraldus, donated a house to the church of San Eustachio in Corato
Corato
Corato is a town and comune in Italy. It is located in Bari province, Puglia region, southeastern Italy. Founded by the Normans, it became subject to Alfonso V, king of Aragon, at the end of the 15th century, and later to the Carafa family. The chief features of the ancient centre of the town,...
in the presence of Erberto, Goffredo, and Guarino, who witnessed the charter as "faithful vassals" (fideles) of the imperialis vestis et comitis normannorum (imperial vestes and count of the Normans). At a congress of Norman leaders at Melfi
Melfi
Melfi is a town and comune in the Vulture area of the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata.-Geography:On a hill at the foot of Mount Vulture, Melfi is the most important town in Basilicata's Vulture, both as a tourist resort and economic centre.-Early history:Inhabited...
in 1072 Peter refused to acknowledge Guiscard, then campaigning in Sicily
Emirate of Sicily
The Emirate of Sicily was an Islamic state on the island of Sicily , which existed from 965 to 1072.-First Arab invasions of Sicily:...
, as Duke of Apulia. According to Amatus of Montecassino
Amatus of Montecassino
Amatus of Montecassino , a Benedictine monk at the Abbey of Montecassino is one of three Italo-Norman chroniclers, the others being William of Apulia and Goffredo Malaterra...
Peter then accepted the leadership of Richard I of Capua
Richard I of Capua
Richard I Drengot was a count of Aversa and prince of Capua .He was the son of Asclettin, count of Acerenza, younger brother of Asclettin, count of Aversa, and nephew of Rainulf Drengot, the Norman adventurer who had first travelled to southern Italy in 1017 and progressed to set up the first...
. Abelard, son of Humphrey, and Robert Arenga also joined the opposition to Guiscard, led by Richard. In the ensuing war—which Amatus places before Guiscard's return from Sicily and which William dates to after his return—Peter, with Abelard's brother Herman, took the duke's castles in Apulia and ravaged his lands, collecting a large booty. Abelard and Robert, enfeoffed in Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
, ravaged Guiscard's lands there while Richard guarded Canne. After Guiscard returned from Sicily (according to Amatus) he immediately laid siege to Trani, which was surrendered by the citizens in less than a month, on 2 February 1073. Peter was forced into exile, first to Corato, which Guiscard besieged with ditches, siege tower
Siege tower
A siege tower is a specialized siege engine, constructed to protect assailants and ladders while approaching the defensive walls of a fortification. The tower was often rectangular with four wheels with its height roughly equal to that of the wall or sometimes higher to allow archers to stand on...
s, and the trebuchet
Trebuchet
A trebuchet is a siege engine that was employed in the Middle Ages. It is sometimes called a "counterweight trebuchet" or "counterpoise trebuchet" in order to distinguish it from an earlier weapon that has come to be called the "traction trebuchet", the original version with pulling men instead of...
s and other engines used at Trani. When Peter and Herman tried to intercept the engines coming up from Trani they were met by Guiscard's brother-in-law, Guy, Duke of Sorrento
Guy, Duke of Sorrento
Guy was the duke of Sorrento from 1035, the brother of Guaimar IV of Salerno, father-in-law of William Iron Arm and William of the Principate, and brother-in-law of Humphrey of Hauteville. He was the son of Guaimar III and Gaitelgrima. Guy's place in history is secured primarily through his...
, who imprisoned them, Herman in Rapolla
Rapolla
Rapolla is a town and comune in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. It is bounded by the comuni of Barile, Lavello, Melfi, Rionero in Vulture, Venosa.-Main sights:...
, Peter in Trani. When Richard left Canne for Capua, Guiscard marched on his cities, taking Andria
Andria
-Places:Italy*Andria, a city in the Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani*Roman Catholic Diocese of Andria, a Roman Catholic diocese...
after a brief siege and forcing the surrender of Cisterna
Cisterna
A cisterna comprises a flattened membrane disk that makes up the Golgi apparatus. A typical Golgi has anywhere from 3 to 7 cisternae stacked upon each other like a stack of dinner plates, but there are usually around 6...
, where he had Peter tied to a timber screen and exposed so that the defenders, who were his vassals, could not counterattack without injuring or killing him. At Peter's insistence they surrendered.
Peter was later freed and forced to swear an oath of fealty to Guiscard and promise to fight in his service. His county, save Trani itself, was restored to him on the condition that he lead an expedition into the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
(1073). Unlike Peter's brother Geoffrey's attempted expedition against Byzantine lands in the Balkans, this campaign was directed against the Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
n lands of the Kingdom of Croatia. Peter's cousin, Amico, son of Walter of Giovinazzo, attacked Rab
Rab
Rab is an island in Croatia and a town of the same name located just off the northern Croatian coast in the Adriatic Sea.The island is long, has an area of and 9,480 inhabitants . The highest peak is Kamenjak at 408 meters...
on 14 April and took Cres
Cres
Cres is an Adriatic island in Croatia. It is one of the northern island in the Kvarner Gulf and can be reached via ferry from the island Krk or from the Istrian peninsula ....
on 9 May, taking the Croatian king, Peter Kresimir IV, captive. The king was ransomed for a large sum by the Bishop of Cres and died shortly thereafter, being buried in the church of Saint Stephen in the fortress of Klis
Klis
Klis is a village located around a mountain fortress bearing the same name. It is located in central Dalmatia, Croatia, located just northeast of Solin and Split near the eponymous mountain pass...
.
In 1080 Peter was again in control of Trani and in rebellion. Guiscard left the siege of the place under the watch of his wife, Sichelgaita, with some Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
ot reinforcements, and himself besieged Taranto, which Peter had been ruling for his nephew, by land and sea. Peter was forced to surrender and seek forgiveness. He died in 1081 in Epirus
Epirus
The name Epirus, from the Greek "Ήπειρος" meaning continent may refer to:-Geographical:* Epirus - a historical and geographical region of the southwestern Balkans, straddling modern Greece and Albania...
in battle against the Byzantines while taking part in Guiscard's expedition against Durazzo.