Landulf I (c. 795 – 843), called the Old, was the first

gastald 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 ...

of his illustrious family, which would rule

Capua Capua ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, in the region of Campania, southern Italy, situated north of Naples, on the northeastern edge of the Campanian plain. History Ancient era The name of Capua comes from the Etrusc ...

until 1058. According to the ''Cronaca della dinastia di Capua'', he ruled in Old Capua for twenty five years and four months and in New Capua for another year and eight months. According to

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 ...

, he was "a very bellicose man" (''vir bellicosissimus''). In 839, according to the ''Chronica S. Benedicti Casinensis'' Landulf took the initiative in freeing

Siconulf Siconulf (also ''Siconolf'', ''Sikenolf'', ''Siconolfo'', or ''Siconulfus'') was the first prince of Salerno, the brother of Sicard, prince of Benevento (832–839), who was assassinated by Radelchis. In response to Sicard's murder, the people ...

, the imprisoned brother of the assassinated prince of Benevento, Sicard. He supported Siconulf in his war with the usurper Radelchis. Siconulf was proclaimed prince in

Salerno Salerno (, , ; nap, label= Salernitano, Saliernë, ) is an ancient city and ''comune'' in Campania (southwestern Italy) and is the capital of the namesake province, being the second largest city in the region by number of inhabitants, after ...

and Landulf pledged his city to him. He had fought for Sicard against

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

in his early years, but he concluded a peace treaty with the Neapolitans in order to be able to fully enter the war against Radelchis. Radelchis called in

Saracen upright 1.5, Late 15th-century German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek and Latin writings, to refer to the people who lived in and near what was designated by the Romans as Arabia Pe ...

mercenaries and they sacked Capua in 841. The ruins of that city are all that is left of "Old Capua" (see

Santa Maria Capua Vetere Santa Maria Capua Vetere ( nap, Santa Maria 'e Capua) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Caserta, part of the region of Campania (southern Italy). Though it is not connected with the ''Civitas Capuana'', the town is a medieval place and i ...

). Landulf founded the present-day Capua, "New Capua", at the hill of nearby

Triflisco Bellona is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about north of Naples and about northwest of Caserta. Bellona borders the following municipalities: Camigliano, Capua, Pontelatone, Vi ...

, which he fortified as "Rebelopolis", according to the ''

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 (or 974) and has been attributed to Radoald of Salerno, Abbot of San Be ...

''. It is from then that the chronicler says he ruled another year and eight months, dying probably in 843. It seems that, by the end of his life, he was employing the title of count. He left four sons of prominence in the next decades in the

Mezzogiorno Southern Italy ( it, Sud Italia or ) also known as ''Meridione'' or ''Mezzogiorno'' (), is a macroregion A macroregion is a geopolitical subdivision that encompasses several traditionally or politically defined regions or countries. The meaning ...

: Lando, who succeeded him; Pando, who became '' marepaphias'' at Salerno and later count of Capua; Landenulf, the first count of

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 father of three later

counts of Capua Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

; and Landulf, who became both bishop and later count of Capua.

Sources

''Historia Langabardorvm Beneventarnorvm'' at The Latin Library
*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. {{DEFAULTSORT:Landulf 01 Of Capua 843 deaths Counts of Capua Lombard warriors Year of birth uncertain 9th-century rulers in Europe 9th-century Lombard people