Faroald I (also spelled Faruald) (died 591 or 592) was the first

Duke of Spoleto The Duke of Spoleto was the ruler of Spoleto and most of central Italy outside the Papal States during the Early and High Middle Ages (c. 500 – 1300). The first dukes were appointed by the Lombard king, but they were independent in practice. Th ...

, which he established during the decade of interregnum that followed the death of

Alboin Alboin (530s – 28 June 572) was king of the Lombards from about 560 until 572. During his reign the Lombards ended their migrations by settling in Italy, the northern part of which Alboin conquered between 569 and 572. He had a lasting effe ...

's successor (574 or 575). He led the

Lombards The Lombards () or Langobards ( la, Langobardi) were a Germanic people who ruled most of the Italian Peninsula from 568 to 774. The medieval Lombard historian Paul the Deacon wrote in the ''History of the Lombards'' (written between 787 and ...

into the centre of the Italian peninsula while

Zotto Zotto (also Zotton or Zottone) was the military leader ( la, dux) of the Lombards in the Mezzogiorno. He is generally considered the founder of the Duchy of Benevento in 571 and its first duke : “''…Fuit autem primus Langobardorum dux in Bene ...

led them into the south. In 579, he sacked Classis, the harbour of

Ravenna Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the cap ...

. Between 584 and 588, Classis was retaken by

Droctulf Droctulf (Droctulfus, Droctulfo, Drocton) was a Byzantine general of Suevic or Alemannic origin. According to Paul the Deacon's ''Historia Langobardorum'', he was raised among the Lombards, with whom he entered the Italian peninsula in 569. He e ...

. His sons fought over the duchy in 602 and Theudelapius was victorious.

References

Sources

Paul the Deacon Paul the Deacon ( 720s 13 April in 796, 797, 798, or 799 AD), also known as ''Paulus Diaconus'', ''Warnefridus'', ''Barnefridus'', or ''Winfridus'', and sometimes suffixed ''Cassinensis'' (''i.e.'' "of Monte Cassino"), was a Benedictine monk, s ...

''Historia Langobardorum''
Available at Northvegr. {{DEFAULTSORT:Faroald 01 of Spoleto Dukes of Spoleto Lombard warriors 6th-century births 590s deaths Year of birth unknown Year of death uncertain 6th-century Lombard people 6th-century rulers in Europe