Robert, Count of Montescaglioso
Encyclopedia
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
.
Along with his brother Geoffrey and his cousins, Abelard
and Herman
, Robert was constantly in rebellion against his uncle the duke. In April 1064, Robert joined Abelard, Geoffrey, and Joscelin, Lord of Molfetta, in rebellion against Robert, who had just left for Sicily
. They received the aid, financial and military, of Perenos, the Byzantine duke of Durazzo. Between 1 September 1065 and 31 August 1066, Byzantine troops landed at Bari
. The rebels held out for several years, neither making headway against Robert nor he against them. On 1 January 1068, Romanus Diogenes was acclaimed emperor in Constantinople
and the Greeks transferred their military attention to the Seljuk threat to their east. The rebellion fell apart and by February Robert had surrendered.
In 1071, with Abelard, and in 1078, with his cousin Prince Jordan I of Capua
, Robert was in rebellion again. Robert and his brother and cousins continued in rebellion after the 1079 peace between Jordan and the Guiscard. Robert was one of the first to cease revolting: he died in July 1080. He left a son, Rudolf
, who succeeded him.
Montescaglioso
Montescaglioso is a town and comune in the Province of Matera, Basilicata, southern Italy.The economy is mostly based on agriculture, including production of renowned oil and wine, as well as traditional food....
.
He wa 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 and a brother, Geoffrey of Conversano
Geoffrey, Count of Conversano
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....
.
Along with his brother Geoffrey and 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...
, Robert was constantly in rebellion against his uncle the duke. In April 1064, Robert joined Abelard, Geoffrey, and Joscelin, Lord of Molfetta, in rebellion against Robert, who had just left for 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,...
. They received the aid, financial and military, of Perenos, the Byzantine duke of Durazzo. Between 1 September 1065 and 31 August 1066, Byzantine troops landed at 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...
. The rebels held out for several years, neither making headway against Robert nor he against them. On 1 January 1068, Romanus Diogenes was acclaimed emperor in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
and the Greeks transferred their military attention to the Seljuk threat to their east. The rebellion fell apart and by February Robert had surrendered.
In 1071, with Abelard, and in 1078, with his cousin Prince 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...
, Robert was in rebellion again. Robert and his brother and cousins continued in rebellion after the 1079 peace between Jordan and the Guiscard. Robert was one of the first to cease revolting: he died in July 1080. He left a son, Rudolf
Rudolf, Count of Montescaglioso
Rudolf was the second Norman count of Montescaglioso from the death of his father Robert in 1080....
, who succeeded him.
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.