Radoald (also ''Raduald'') (died 651) was the
duke of Benevento (the southernmost
Lombard duchy in medieval
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
) from 646 to his death in 651. His elder brother,
Aiulf, was mentally unstable and Radoald and their younger brother
Grimoald served as
regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
s. Radoald and Grimoald were brothers and younger sons of
Gisulf II of Friuli
Gisulf II (''Gisulfo II di Friuli''; abt. 545 – 611) was the Duke of Friuli from around 591 to his death. He was the son and successor of Gisulf I.
Gisulf and Gaidoald of Trent were at odds with King Agilulf until they made peace in 602 or 603. ...
and
Romilda of Friuli Romilda or Ramhilde (died 611), was a Duchess consort of Friuli by marriage to Duke Gisulf II of Friuli. She served as regent of Friuli in 611, during the invasion of the Pannonian Avars.
Romilda was reportedly the daughter of Garibald I of Bavaria ...
. They were adopted sons of
Arechis I of Benevento
Arechis I (also ''Arigis'', ''Aretchis'', ) was the second duke of Benevento from 591 to his death in 641, a reign of half a century. He was from Friuli and was a relative of the dukes there, maybe a nephew of Zotto, his predecessor. He was appo ...
, of whom Aiulf was a natural son.
In 646,
Slavic plunderers landed near
Siponto
Siponto ( la, Sipontum, grc-gre, Σιπιούς) was an ancient port town and bishopric in Apulia, southern Italy. The town was abandoned after earthquakes in the 13th century; today the area is administered as a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' ...
on the
Adriatic. Aiulf personally led his forces against the intruders, but his horse fell into a pit dug by the Slavs around their camp and he was surrounded and killed. Radoald succeeded him with the support of King
Rothari
Rothari (or Rothair) ( 606 – 652), of the house of Arodus, was king of the Lombards from 636 to 652; previously he had been duke of Brescia. He succeeded Arioald, who was an Arian like himself, and was one of the most energetic of Lombard kings ...
. Radoald knew the
Slavic language
The Slavic languages, also known as the Slavonic languages, are Indo-European languages spoken primarily by the Slavic peoples and their descendants. They are thought to descend from a proto-language called Proto-Slavic, spoken during the Ea ...
and induced them to depart. He was succeeded by Grimoald.
651 deaths
Dukes of Benevento
Lombard warriors
7th-century Lombard people
7th-century rulers in Europe
Year of birth unknown
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