Lando III (died 885) was the

count of Capua This is a list of the rulers of the Principality of Capua. Lombard rulers of Capua Gastalds and counts The gastalds (or counts) of Capua were vassals of the princes of Benevento until the early 840s, when Gastald Landulf began to clamour for the ...

for two years and ten months from 882 to his death. He was a son of Landenulf,

gastald A gastald (Latin ''gastaldus'' or ''castaldus''; Italian ''gastaldo'' or ''guastaldo'') was a Lombard official in charge of some portion of the royal demesne (a gastaldate, ''gastaldia'' or ''castaldia'') with civil, martial, and judicial powers. ...

Teano Teano ( Teanese: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, Campania, southern Italy, northwest of Caserta on the main line to Rome from Naples. It stands at the southeast foot of an extinct volcano, Rocca Monfina. Its St. Clement's ...

, and grandson of

Landulf I of Capua Landulf I (c. 795 – 843), called the Old, was the first gastald of Capua of his illustrious family, which would rule Capua until 1058. According to the ''Cronaca della dinastia di Capua'', he ruled in Old Capua for twenty five years and four mo ...

. In 879, when Landulf II died, Lando seized Calino and

Caiazzo Caiazzo (also Cajazzo) (Campanian: ) is a city and '' comune'' in the province of Caserta (Campania) in Italy. It is located on the right bank of the Volturnus, some northeast of Capua. History The ancient Caiatia was already in the hands of ...

and made his son, Landulf, only an adolescent, bishop of Capua. Pandenulf, however, seized Capua and appointed his brother Landenulf as bishop. Pandenulf recognised Lando in Caiazzo, but a schism began in the Capuan church over the rightful bishop.

Pope John VIII Pope John VIII ( la, Ioannes VIII; died 16 December 882) was the bishop of Rome and ruler of the Papal States from 14 December 872 to his death. He is often considered one of the ablest popes of the 9th century. John devoted much of his papacy ...

decided in favour of Landenulf, but made Landulf bishop of "Old" Capua, Santa Maria Capuavetere. Lando began building a coalition against Pandenulf. He brought on his cousins the deposed Lando II and Landulf of Suessola and the

prince of Salerno This page is a list of the rulers of the Principality of Salerno. When Prince Sicard of Benevento was assassinated by Radelchis in 839, the people of Salerno promptly proclaimed his brother, Siconulf, prince. War raged between Radelchis and Sico ...

, Guaifer. Pandenulf recruited to his side Gaideris, Prince of Benevento, and the

Byzantine The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

strategos ''Strategos'', plural ''strategoi'', Linguistic Latinisation, Latinized ''strategus'', ( el, στρατηγός, pl. στρατηγοί; Doric Greek: στραταγός, ''stratagos''; meaning "army leader") is used in Greek language, Greek to ...

'' Gregory.

Athanasius of Naples Athanasius (died 898) was the Bishop (as Athanasius II) and Duke of Naples from 878 to his death. He was the son of Gregory III and brother of Sergius II, whom he blinded and deposed in order to seize the throne while he was already bishop. In ...

allied with Pandenulf, but after seizing desired land in

Liburia Terra di Lavoro (Liburia in Latin) is the name of a historical region of Southern Italy. It corresponds roughly to the modern southern Lazio and northern Campania and upper north west and west border area of Molise regions of Italy. In Italian ...

, he abandoned the count. Lando and his allies sued for peace, but treacherously seized Capua and exiled Pandenulf and Landenulf, replacing them respectively with Lando and his son. Lando warred successfully with Lando II, who had hoped to revive his own rule, and Athanasius, who was desirous of more gains in the Capua province. Lando also allied with

Guy III of Spoleto Guy III of Spoleto (german: Wido, it, Guido; died 12 December 894) was the margrave of Camerino from 880 and then duke of Spoleto and Camerino from 883. He was crowned king of Italy in 889 and emperor in 891. He died in 894 while fighting for co ...

against Atenulf, his own brother, the gastald of the

Marsi The Marsi were an Italic people of ancient Italy, whose chief centre was Marruvium, on the eastern shore of Lake Fucinus (which was drained for agricultural land in the late 19th century). The area in which they lived is now called Marsica. ...

Erchempert Erchempert ( la, Erchempertus) was a Benedictine monk of the Abbey of Monte Cassino in Italy in the final quarter of the ninth century. He chronicled a history of the Lombard Principality of Benevento, in the '' Langobardia Minor'', giving an espec ...

here gives an indication of Lando's character, describing him as too indolent to even take action against his brother, who was then befriending his worst enemy. Lando died in 885 of natural causes. He had married a daughter of

Radelgar of Benevento Radelgar was the eldest son of Radelchis I of Benevento and he succeeded him as Prince of Benevento on his death in 851. Radelgar's mother was Caretrude and his brother was Adelchis. He was succeeded as prince by his brother, because his son, Gu ...

. He was succeeded by his brother Landenulf.

Sources

''Historia Langabardorvm Beneventarnorvm''
at

The Latin Library The Latin Library is a website that collects public domain Latin texts. It is run by William L. Carey, adjunct professor of Latin and Roman Law at George Mason University. The texts have been drawn from different sources, are not intended for rese ...

. *Caravale, Mario (ed). ''Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani: LXIII Labroca – Laterza''.

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, 2004.
885 deaths Lando 3 Lombard warriors 9th-century Lombard people 9th-century rulers in Europe Year of birth unknown {{Italy-noble-stub