Mastalus I ( it, Mastalo) (died 953) was the penultimate ''patricius'' of Amalfi. He was succeeded by his son, Mastalus II, who was raised to the status of ''

dux ''Dux'' (; plural: ''ducēs'') is Latin for "leader" (from the noun ''dux, ducis'', "leader, general") and later for duke and its variant forms (doge, duce, etc.). During the Roman Republic and for the first centuries of the Roman Empire, '' ...

''. His own father was the last

prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...

, Manso I. In 946, he came to the rescue of Gisulf I of Salerno, who was assaulted by an alliance of Landulf II of Benevento and John III of Naples. Mastalus ambushed Landulf's forces in the pass at La Cava.

References

Excerpt
from 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 B ...

.
953 deaths 10th-century Italian nobility Year of birth unknown {{Italy-noble-stub