Landulf of Conza 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...

 nobleman, was briefly Prince of Benevento in 940 and then briefly Prince of Salerno in 973. The son of Atenulf II of Benevento

Atenulf II of Benevento

Atenulf II was the younger brother of Prince Landulf I of Benevento, who associated him with the government in June 910 or 911 .In 909, Landulf went to Constantinople to receive the titles of anthypatos and...

, Landulf ruled on his father's death (940) as co-prince with his uncle, Landulf I

Landulf I of Benevento

Landulf I , sometimes called Antipater, was a Lombard nobleman and the Prince of Benevento and of Capua from 12 January 901, when his father, Atenulf I, prince of Capua and conqueror of Benevento, associated his with him in power...

, who soon sent him into exile. He initially took refuge at the court of Marinus II of Naples

Marinus II of Naples

Marinus II was the Duke of Naples from 968 to his death. He was the son and successor of John III and brought Naples back into the Byzantine fold, receiving the title eminentissimus consul et dux, atque imperialis anthipatus patricius. In 970, Marinus did homage for his duchy to the patrician...

, from where he sought shelter in Salerno through his sister, Gaitelgrima, the second wife of Prince Guaimar II of Salerno

Guaimar II of Salerno

Guaimar II was the Lombard prince of Salerno from 901, when his father retired to a monastery, to his death. His father was Guaimar I and his mother was Itta. He was associated with his father in the principality from 893...

. This he received and he was soon appointed 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 Conza, while his sons—Landenulf, Landulf, Indulf, and Guaimar—were invested with land in Salerno. The Chronicon Salernitanum

Chronicon Salernitanum

The Chronicon Salernitanum, or "Salerno Chronicle", is an anonymous 10th century chronicle of the history of the Principality of Salerno. It was probably written around 990 and has been attributed to Radoald of Salerno, Abbot of San Benedetto, by Huguette Taviani-Carozzi...

, which is the most important source for Landulf's life, names the counties of Marsi

Marsica

Marsica is a geographical area in the Abruzzo, central Italy, including 37 comuni in the province of L'Aquila, the most important of which is Avezzano. It is located between the plain of the former Lake Fucino, the National Park of Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise, the plain of Carsoli and the valley of...

, 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:...

, and Lauro

Lauro

Lauro is a town and comune in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy....

 as those of Guaimar, Indulf, and Landenulf, respectively, but does not name a county for Landulf.

With the help of his allies, Marinus of Naples and Manso I of Amalfi

Manso I of Amalfi

Manso I was the duke of Amalfi and prince of Salerno . He was the son of Duke Sergius I and the greatest independent ruler of Amalfi, which he controlled for nearly half a century...

, Landulf and his surviving sons (Landenulf died in 971), seized power in Salerno after expelling the reigning prince, Guaimar II's son by his first wife, Gisulf I

Gisulf I of Salerno

Gisulf I was the eldest son of his father, Guaimar II, and his second wife Gaitelgrima. He was associated with his father as prince of Salerno in 943 and he succeeded him on his death in 952...

, who fled to the court of Pandulf Ironhead

Pandulf Ironhead

Pandulf I Ironhead was the Prince of Benevento and Capua from 943 until his death. He was made Duke of Spoleto and Camerino in 967 and succeeded as Prince of Salerno in 977 or 978...

, son of Landulf I and ruler of Benevento. With Pandulf's aid Gisulf was re-installed as prince later that year, with Pandulf's son Pandulf

Pandulf II of Salerno

Pandulf II was the prince of Salerno , the second of such princes of the family of the princes of Capua. He was originally appointed heir to the childless Gisulf I of Salerno, who had been reinstated on his throne by Pandulf's father, Pandulf Ironhead. On the former's death in 977, he succeeded...

 co-ruling with him. Despite the brevity of his reign, Landulf appears to have succeeded in minting coins in Salerno. One denarius

Denarius

In the Roman currency system, the denarius was a small silver coin first minted in 211 BC. It was the most common coin produced for circulation but was slowly debased until its replacement by the antoninianus...

weighing .66g survives bearing the legend +LAN / SALRN (in two lines, with LR ligatured). The other side bears an image of a saint and indiscernible Greek letters. If the attribution of the denarius to Landulf is correct, he would be the first Salernitan ruler to mint them since Guaimar I

Guaimar I of Salerno

Guaimar I was the prince of Salerno from 880, when his father entered the monastery of Monte Cassino in August. His parents were Prince Guaifer and Landelaica, daughter of Lando I of Capua...

before 900. Unfortunately, the authenticity of the coins is also in doubt.