Drogo of Hauteville
Drogo of Hauteville | |
|---|---|
Statue of Drogo outside Coutances Cathedral | |
| Count of Apulia and Calabria | |
| Reign | 1046 - 1051 |
| Predecessor | William Iron Arm |
| Successor | Humphrey |
| Noble family | Hauteville |
| Spouse(s) | Altrude Gaitelgrima |
| Father | Tancred |
| Mother | Muriella |
Drogo of Hauteville (died 10 August 1051) was the second Norman Count of Apulia.
Life
Drogo was a son of Tancred of Hauteville by his first wife Muriella. Goffredo Malaterra records him as being the second son, after William Iron Arm, while Romuald Guarna records him as being the third, coming after Serlo and Geoffrey. Regardless, it is unlikely anyway that Drogo was older than Serlo, as Serlo stayed in Normandy to inherit their father’s possessions, while Drogo journeyed to Southern Italy.[1][2][3]
Since Tancred had many sons, and his possessions weren’t enough to satisfy all of them, Drogo and many of his brothers were soon forced to seek fortune elsewhere.[4]
First years in Southern Italy
Around 1035/7, Drogo journeyed to Southern Italy with his brothers William Iron Arm and Humphrey, to strengthen the ranks of Rainulf Drengot, Count of Aversa, the first Norman mercenary lord who had been granted a fief. Together with Rainulf, the Hauteville brothers took part in a military operation led by Guaimar IV of Salerno against Pandulf IV, Prince of Capua.[3][4]
With time, Drogo and his brothers put themselves under the direct service of Guaimar IV. Under Guaimar’s authority, Norman and Lombard forces served the Byzantine army in an attempt to conquer Sicily from the Saracens. After two years, however, they left the expedition because of a loot dispute. In 1040 they joined a Lombard rebellion in Apulia, this time against the Byzantines.[3][4]
During said rebellion, Drogo’s brother William Iron Arm had managed to keep the Normans under his control, and was the key to many victories. Thus, in September 1042, William was nominated Count of all the Normans in Apulia, with the Norman capital in Melfi. His title and territories were recognized by Guaimar IV; In turn, William declared himself Guimar’s vassal, as Guaimar assumed the title of Duke of Apulia and Calabria.[2][3][4] In this occasion, Drogo was given Venosa. He took advantage of his new possession, and also occupied Bovino in 1045.[1][4]
Count of Apulia and Calabria
When William Iron Arm died childless in 1046, Drogo succeeded him as Count of Apulia. Guaimar IV of Salerno acknowledged his succession, and gave him his daughter’s hand in marriage. His legitimacy grew significantly when Emperor Henry III came to Italy in 1047. Drogo paid homage to the Emperor on February 3, and Henry III confirmed the possession of his territories and invested him as “Dux et magister totius italiae comesque Normannorum totius Apuliae et Calabriae”, which translates to “Commander and master of all of Italy, and Count of all the Normans in Apulia and Calabria”.[1]
Drogo also met Pope Leo IX, when he came to southern Italy to restore the Libertas Ecclesiae under Henry III’s directives. However, as he was returning from the meeting with the Pope, he was assassinated in August 1051 at Monteilaro, near Bovino. He was possibly the victim of a conspiracy led by Argyrus, the Byzantine catepan of Italy, who was trying to reclaim the region. Drogo was buried at the Abbey of Santissima Trinità of Venosa.[1]
Issue
Drogo’s first wife was named Altrude. With her, he had three children:[2]
- Richard of Hauteville
- Rocca
- Eremburga
Drogo’s second wife was Gaitelgrima, daughter of Guaimar IV of Salerno (not the same as this Gaitelgrima, who was princess of Capua). No children result from this marriage.[2]
Notes
- ^ a b c d "ALTAVILLA, Drogone d' - Enciclopedia". Treccani (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ^ a b c d "SICILY". Foundation for Medieval Genealogy.
- ^ a b c d "ALTAVILLA, Guglielmo d', detto Braccio di Ferro - Enciclopedia". Treccani (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-10-25.
- ^ a b c d e Norwich, John Julius (1967). The Normans in the South, 1016-1130. Longmans. ISBN 978-0-571-25964-9.
Sources
- H. M. Gwatkin and J. P. Whitney, edd. The Cambridge Medieval History, vol. 3. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1926.
- John Julius Norwich. The Normans in the South, 1016–1130. London: Longmans, 1967.
- Ferdinand Chalandon. Histoire de la domination normande en Italie et en Sicilie. Paris: 1907.
- Christopher Gravett and David Nicolle. The Normans: Warrior Knights and their Castles. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2006.
- George Beech. A Norman-Italian Adventurer in the East: Richard of Salerno. 1993.
- Theotokis, Georgios (15 March 2021). Bohemond of Taranto: Crusader and Conqueror. Pen and Sword Military. p. 15. ISBN 978-1-5267-4429-6. Retrieved 10 September 2024.