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Zotto (also Zotton or Zottone) was the military leader ( la, dux) of 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 an ...
in the
Mezzogiorno Southern Italy ( it, Sud Italia or ) also known as ''Meridione'' or ''Mezzogiorno'' (), is a macroregion of the Italian Republic consisting of its southern half. The term ''Mezzogiorno'' today refers to regions that are associated with the pe ...
. He is generally considered the founder of the
Duchy of Benevento The Duchy of Benevento (after 774, Principality of Benevento) was the southernmost Lombard duchy in the Italian Peninsula that was centred on Benevento, a city in Southern Italy. Lombard dukes ruled Benevento from 571 to 1077, when it was conq ...
in 571 and its first
duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are r ...
: “''…Fuit autem primus Langobardorum dux in Benevento nomine Zotto, qui in ea principatus est per curricula viginti annorum…''” ( Pauli Diaconi Historiae Langobardorum - Liber Tertius).“Pauli Diaconi Historiae Langobardorum - Liber Tertius”
/ref> With his troops, he penetrated
Campania (man), it, Campana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demog ...
in August 570, confronting the Byzantines, whom he defeated consistently. He fixed his camp in
Benevento Benevento (, , ; la, Beneventum) is a city and '' comune'' of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill above sea level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino (or Beneventano) and the ...
, which became the capital of the new duchy. He tried to take
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 adm ...
, but failed and had to lift the
siege A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characteriz ...
(581). As a duke he was quasi-independent, the north of the peninsula being under the control of the Lombard king Authari, who had little influence in the south. He finally submitted to royal authority in 589. He died in 591 and was succeeded by Arechis.


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Ducato (570 ca.-774) et Principato di Benevento (774-1077)
*
I Longobardi del Sud
{{end 591 deaths Dukes of Benevento Lombard warriors 6th-century Lombard people 6th-century rulers in Europe Year of birth unknown