Geoffrey, Count of Conversano
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey the Elder was an Italo-Norman
nobleman. A nephew of Robert Guiscard
through one of his sisters, he was the count of Conversano
from 1072 and the lord of Brindisi
and Nardò
from 1070, until his death.
According to Goffredo Malaterra
, Geoffrey conquered most of his lands with his own energy (sua strenuitate) and without the help of the Guiscard. Thus, when, in 1067, the Guiscard demanded homage for the castle of Montepeloso, Geoffrey refused. Robert brought him to heel in the subsequent war and Geoffrey did homage. Among the other lands Geoffrey had conquered from the Byzantines were Polignano and Monopoli
.
Geoffrey joined his cousins Abelard
and Herman
, his brother Robert
, and Henry, Count of Monte Sant'Angelo
in the rebellion of 1079–1082, while the Guiscard was away fighting the Byzantine Empire
in the Balkans
. His brother died in July 1080 and Abelard a year later. While he was besieging Oria
, a city on the Via Appia between Brindisi and Taranto
, Robert returned at Otranto
and began to march towards him. Geoffrey, though he had numerous troops, fled anyway.
By 1083, Geoffrey was reconciled to Robert Guiscard and accompanied him on his final Byzantine expedition. He was present at the synod held in Melfi in 1089. He was a patron of the local monasteries.
Geoffrey died, most likely in Brindisi, in 1100 or 1101. He left three sons and a daughter: Robert, Alexander, Tancred
, and Sybilla, who married Robert Curthose, duke of Normandy
.
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...
nobleman. A nephew 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...
through one of his sisters, he was the count of Conversano
Conversano
Conversano is an ancient town and comune in the province of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. It is located 30 km south-east of Bari, 7 km from the Adriatic coast, at 219 m above sea-level....
from 1072 and the lord of Brindisi
Brindisi
Brindisi is a city in the Apulia region of Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.Historically, the city has played an important role in commerce and culture, due to its position on the Italian Peninsula and its natural port on the Adriatic Sea. The city...
and Nardò
Nardò
Nardò is a town and comune of 31,185 inhabitants and comune in the southern Italian region of Apulia, in the province of Lecce.-History:...
from 1070, until his death.
According to Goffredo Malaterra
Goffredo Malaterra
Gaufredo Malaterra was an eleventh century Benedictine monk and historian, possibly of Norman origin. He travelled to the southern Italian peninsula, passing some time in Apulia before entering the monastery of Sant'Agata at Catania, on the isle of Sicily...
, Geoffrey conquered most of his lands with his own energy (sua strenuitate) and without the help of the Guiscard. Thus, when, in 1067, the Guiscard demanded homage for the castle of Montepeloso, Geoffrey refused. Robert brought him to heel in the subsequent war and Geoffrey did homage. Among the other lands Geoffrey had conquered from the Byzantines were Polignano and Monopoli
Monopoli
Monopoli is a town and comune in Italy, in the province of Bari, region of Apulia. The town is roughly in area and lies about 40 km southeast from Bari. It has about 50,000 inhabitants....
.
Geoffrey joined his cousins 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...
, his brother Robert
Robert, Count of Montescaglioso
Robert was the first Norman count of Montescaglioso.He wa a nephew of Robert Guiscard through one of his sisters and a brother, Geoffrey of Conversano....
, and Henry, Count of Monte Sant'Angelo
Henry, Count of Monte Sant'Angelo
Henry was the Count of Monte Sant'Angelo, with his seat at Foggia, from November 1081.He was the second son of Robert, Count of Lucera, and Gaitelgrima, daughter of Guaimar IV of Salerno. The identity of his father is disputable...
in the rebellion of 1079–1082, while the Guiscard was away fighting the Byzantine Empire
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...
in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. His brother died in July 1080 and Abelard a year later. While he was besieging Oria
Oria
-Places:Italy* Oria, Apulia, a town in the Apulia region, Province of Brindisi* Oria, Lombardy, a village in the municipality of Valsolda, in the Province of ComoSpain* Oria, Spain, a municipality in the Province of Almería, Andalusia...
, a city on the Via Appia between Brindisi and 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....
, Robert returned at Otranto
Otranto
Otranto is a town and comune in the province of Lecce , in a fertile region once famous for its breed of horses.It is located on the east coast of the Salento peninsula. The Strait of Otranto, to which the city gives its name, connects the Adriatic Sea with the Ionian Sea and Italy with Albania...
and began to march towards him. Geoffrey, though he had numerous troops, fled anyway.
By 1083, Geoffrey was reconciled to Robert Guiscard and accompanied him on his final Byzantine expedition. He was present at the synod held in Melfi in 1089. He was a patron of the local monasteries.
Geoffrey died, most likely in Brindisi, in 1100 or 1101. He left three sons and a daughter: Robert, Alexander, Tancred
Tancred of Conversano
Tancred of Conversano, the youngest son of Geoffrey, Count of Conversano, became the count of Brindisi on his father's death .Tancred's elder brother Alexander succeeded their father as count of Conversano...
, and Sybilla, who married Robert Curthose, duke of Normandy
Duke of Normandy
The Duke of Normandy is the title of the reigning monarch of the British Crown Dependancies of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey. The title traces its roots to the Duchy of Normandy . Whether the reigning sovereign is a male or female, they are always titled as the "Duke of...
.
Sources
- Lexikon de Mittelalters.
- 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.