Richard II of Capua
Encyclopedia
Richard II called the Bald, was the count of Aversa and the prince of Capua from 1090 or 1091.
The eldest son and successor of Jordan I of Capua
and Gaitelgrima
, daughter of Prince Guaimar IV of Salerno
, he was named after his grandfather, Richard I of Capua
. While digressing on this impressive lineage, the chronicler William of Apulia
in his The Deeds of Robert Guiscard says that he "though now only a young man, already shows courage worthy of an adult."
He succeeded to his father's dominions at a very young age and immediately he and his family were thrown out of their city by the capricious Capuans. The counts of Aquino rose in rebellion and attacked Soria
, defended by Richard's uncle, Jonathan, Count of Carinola
.
Richard was an exile for the next seven years (during which a Lombard
named Lando IV
reigned) until, upon reaching his majority, he requested the aid of his great uncle, the count of Sicily, Roger I
, and his first cousin once removed, the duke of Apulia, Roger Borsa
. The two Rogers came, the former in exchange for the city of Naples
and the latter for Richard's recognition of Apulian suzerainty, in May 1098 and besieged Capua
for forty days.
It was an interesting siege, for Pope Urban II
, embroiled in a controversy with Count Roger, came down to discuss the legatine power in Sicily
with him and Anselm of Aosta, the archbishop of Canterbury
in self-exile from King William II of England
, came to meet the pope. With the aid of Sicilian Saracens, the city fell and the prince was reinstated, Apulian suzerainty acknowledged, and the pope and the count withdrew to Salerno
.
The final eight years of his reign were uneventful and he left no heir and was succeeded by his younger brother Robert
when he died (in 1105 or, more probably, 1106). Though he had accepted doing homage to the Hauteville
duke of Apulia, his successors did not and Capua returned to de facto independence under them.
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The eldest son and successor of Jordan I of Capua
Jordan I of Capua
Jordan I , count of Aversa and prince of Capua from 1078 to his death, was the eldest son and successor of Prince Richard I of Capua and Fressenda, a daughter of Tancred of Hauteville and his second wife, also named Fressenda, and the nephew of Robert Guiscard, duke of Apulia, Calabria, and Sicily...
and Gaitelgrima
Gaitelgrima, daughter of Guaimar IV
Gaitelgrima was the daughter of Guaimar IV of Salerno and Gemma. She was married off by her brother Gisulf II of Salerno to Jordan I of Capua as was her sister, Sichelgaita, to Robert Guiscard....
, daughter of Prince Guaimar IV of Salerno
Guaimar IV of Salerno
Guaimar IV was Prince of Salerno , Duke of Amalfi , Duke of Gaeta , and Prince of Capua in Southern Italy over the period from 1027 to 1052. He was an important figure in the final phase of Byzantine authority in the Mezzogiorno and the commencement of Norman power...
, he was named after his grandfather, 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...
. While digressing on this impressive lineage, the chronicler 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...
in his The Deeds of Robert Guiscard says that he "though now only a young man, already shows courage worthy of an adult."
He succeeded to his father's dominions at a very young age and immediately he and his family were thrown out of their city by the capricious Capuans. The counts of Aquino rose in rebellion and attacked Soria
Soria
Soria is a city in north-central Spain, the capital of the province of Soria in the autonomous community of Castile and León. , the municipality has a population of c. 39,500 inhabitants, nearly 40% of the population of the province...
, defended by Richard's uncle, Jonathan, Count of Carinola
Jonathan, Count of Carinola
Jonathan was the youngest son of Richard I of Capua. According to the Chronicon Amalfitanorum, however, he was a son of Jordan I, who was actually his brother, and married a sister of Roger I of Sicily, which may be accurate....
.
Richard was an exile for the next seven years (during which a Lombard
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
named Lando IV
Lando IV of Capua
Lando IV was the last independent Lombard ruler in Italy. He was the prince of Capua after leading a local rebellion of the citizens of the city against the Norman prince Richard II, then a minor, in 1091...
reigned) until, upon reaching his majority, he requested the aid of his great uncle, the count of Sicily, Roger I
Roger I of Sicily
Roger I , called Bosso and the Great Count, was the Norman Count of Sicily from 1071 to 1101. He was the last great leader of the Norman conquest of southern Italy.-Conquest of Calabria and Sicily:...
, and his first cousin once removed, the duke of Apulia, Roger Borsa
Roger Borsa
Roger Borsa was the Norman Duke of Apulia and effective ruler of southern Italy from 1085 until his death. He was the son of Robert Guiscard, the conqueror of southern Italy and Sicily; Roger was not as adept as his father, and most of his reign was spent in feudal anarchy.-Biography:Roger was the...
. The two Rogers came, the former in exchange for the city of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and the latter for Richard's recognition of Apulian suzerainty, in May 1098 and besieged Capua
Siege of Capua
The Siege of Capua was a military operation involving the states of medieval southern Italy, beginning in May 1098 and lasting forty days. It was an interesting siege historically for the assemblage of great persons it saw and militarily for the cooperation of Norman and Saracen forces which it...
for forty days.
It was an interesting siege, for Pope Urban II
Pope Urban II
Pope Urban II , born Otho de Lagery , was Pope from 12 March 1088 until his death on July 29 1099...
, embroiled in a controversy with Count Roger, came down to discuss the legatine power in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
with him and Anselm of Aosta, the archbishop of Canterbury
Archbishop of Canterbury
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. In his role as head of the Anglican Communion, the archbishop leads the third largest group...
in self-exile from King William II of England
William II of England
William II , the third son of William I of England, was King of England from 1087 until 1100, with powers over Normandy, and influence in Scotland. He was less successful in extending control into Wales...
, came to meet the pope. With the aid of Sicilian Saracens, the city fell and the prince was reinstated, Apulian suzerainty acknowledged, and the pope and the count withdrew to Salerno
Salerno
Salerno is a city and comune in Campania and is the capital of the province of the same name. It is located on the Gulf of Salerno on the Tyrrhenian Sea....
.
The final eight years of his reign were uneventful and he left no heir and was succeeded by his younger brother Robert
Robert I of Capua
Robert I , count of Aversa and prince of Capua from 1106, on the death of his elder and heirless brother Richard, was the second eldest son of Jordan I of Capua and Gaitelgrima, daughter of Guaimar IV of Salerno....
when he died (in 1105 or, more probably, 1106). Though he had accepted doing homage to the Hauteville
Hauteville family
The family of the Hauteville was a petty baronial Norman family from the Cotentin which rose to prominence in Europe, Asia, and Africa through its conquests in the Mediterranean, especially Southern Italy and Sicily...
duke of Apulia, his successors did not and Capua returned to de facto independence under them.
Sources
- William of Apulia, The Deeds of Robert Guiscard Books One (pdf)
- Norwich, John JuliusJohn Julius NorwichJohn Julius Cooper, 2nd Viscount Norwich CVO — known as John Julius Norwich — is an English historian, travel writer and television personality.-Early life:...
. The Normans in the South 1016-1130. Longmans: LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, 1967.
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