Siconulf of Salerno
Encyclopedia
Siconulf was the first prince of Salerno, the brother of Sicard
, prince of Benevento (832–839), who was assassinated by Radelchis
. In response to Sicard's murder, the people of Salerno
proclaimed Siconulf prince in opposition to Radelchis. At the time Radelchis was holding Siconulf prisoner in Taranto
. A group of people from the cities of Salerno
and Amalfi
went there in disguise as Amalfian merchants and rescued Siconulf from prison, bringing him to Salerno.
It was Radelchis who first called in the aid of the Saracens against Siconulf in 841, though Siconulf soon retaliated by doing the same against his opponent. The war lasted ten years, during which the Saracen ravages worsened and churches were despoiled. Finally, in 849, the king of Italy
, Louis II, came down into Southern Italy and confirmed the division of the Beneventan principality, forcing the two rivals to sign a peace and making Siconulf prince of Salerno. The major cities in the new principality were Taranto
, Cassano Irpino
, Paestum
, Conza, Sarno
, Cimitile (Nola
), Capua
, Teano
, and Sora
. He died soon after and was succeeded by his son Sico.
Sicard of Benevento
Sicard was the Prince of Benevento from 832. He was the last prince of a united Benevento which covered most of the Mezzogiorno. On his death, the principality descended into civil war which split it permanently...
, prince of Benevento (832–839), who was assassinated by 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 response to Sicard's murder, the people of 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....
proclaimed Siconulf prince in opposition to Radelchis. At the time Radelchis was holding Siconulf prisoner in Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
. A group of people from the cities of 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....
and Amalfi
Amalfi
Amalfi is a town and comune in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno, c. 35 km southeast of Naples. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto , surrounded by dramatic cliffs and coastal scenery...
went there in disguise as Amalfian merchants and rescued Siconulf from prison, bringing him to Salerno.
It was Radelchis who first called in the aid of the Saracens against Siconulf in 841, though Siconulf soon retaliated by doing the same against his opponent. The war lasted ten years, during which the Saracen ravages worsened and churches were despoiled. Finally, in 849, the king of Italy
King of Italy
King of Italy is a title adopted by many rulers of the Italian peninsula after the fall of the Roman Empire...
, Louis II, came down into Southern Italy and confirmed the division of the Beneventan principality, forcing the two rivals to sign a peace and making Siconulf prince of Salerno. The major cities in the new principality were Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
, Cassano Irpino
Cassano Irpino
Cassano Irpino is a town and comune in the province of Avellino, Campania, southern Italy....
, Paestum
Paestum
Paestum is the classical Roman name of a major Graeco-Roman city in the Campania region of Italy. It is located in the north of Cilento, near the coast about 85 km SE of Naples in the province of Salerno, and belongs to the commune of Capaccio, officially also named...
, Conza, Sarno
Sarno
Sarno is a town and comune of Campania, Italy, in the province of Salerno, 20 km northeast from the city of Salerno and 60 km east of Naples by the main railway.-Overview:...
, Cimitile (Nola
Nola
Nola is a city and comune of Campania, southern Italy, in the province of Naples, situated in the plain between Mount Vesuvius and the Apennines...
), Capua
Capua
Capua is a city and comune in the province of Caserta, Campania, southern Italy, situated 25 km north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. Ancient Capua was situated where Santa Maria Capua Vetere is now...
, 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:...
, and Sora
Sora, Italy
Sora is a city and comune of Lazio, Italy, in the province of Frosinone. It is built in a plain on the banks of the Liri. This part of the valley is the seat of some important manufactures, especially of paper-mills....
. He died soon after and was succeeded by his son Sico.
Sources
- Gwatkin, H. M., Whitney, J. P., edd. The Cambridge Medieval History: Volume III. Cambridge University Press, 1926.