Maria of Gaeta (born 1020) was an Italian regent, countess of Aquino by marriage and regent of the

Duchy of Gaeta The Duchy of Gaeta was an early medieval state centered on the coastal South Italian city of Gaeta. It began in the early ninth century as the local community began to grow autonomous as Byzantine power lagged in the Mediterranean and the penins ...

for her son in 1062–65. She was daughter of

Pandulf IV of Capua Pandulf IVAlso spelled ''Randulf'', ''Bandulf'', ''Pandulph'', ''Pandolf'', ''Paldolf'', or ''Pandolfo''. (died 1049/50) was the Prince of Capua on three separate occasions. From February 1016 to 1022 he ruled in association with his cousin Pa ...

and Maria, was the wife (from before 1038) of Atenulf, count of Aquino, while her sister Sikelgaita was the wife of Atenulf's brother Lando. According to

Amatus of Montecassino Amatus of Montecassino ( la, Amatus Casinensis), (11th century) was a Benedictine monk of the Abbey of Montecassino who is best known for his historical chronicles of his era. His ''History of the Normans'' (which has survived only in its medieva ...

, Atenulf was consequently supported by Pandulf in taking the

duchy of Gaeta The Duchy of Gaeta was an early medieval state centered on the coastal South Italian city of Gaeta. It began in the early ninth century as the local community began to grow autonomous as Byzantine power lagged in the Mediterranean and the penins ...

from Asclettin, Count of Aversa, on the death of

Ranulf Drengot Rainulf Drengot (also Ranulph, Ranulf, or Rannulf; died June 1045) was a Norman adventurer and mercenary in southern Italy. In 1030 he became the first count of Aversa. He was a member of the Drengot family. Early life and arrival in Italy When Ra ...

in 1045. Her eldest son was betrothed to a daughter of

Richard I of Capua Richard Drengot (died 1078) was the count of Aversa (1049–1078), prince of Capua (1058–1078, as Richard I) and duke of Gaeta (1064–1078). Early career in Italy Richard, who came from near Dieppe in the Pays de Caux in eastern Normandy, was t ...

in 1058, but died before the marriage could take place. Richard extorted the ''

morgengab Dower is a provision accorded traditionally by a husband or his family, to a wife for her support should she become widowed. It was settled on the bride (being gifted into trust) by agreement at the time of the wedding, or as provided by law. ...

'' anyway and Gaeta became a feudatory of

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 ...

. As ''senatrix'' and ''ducissa'' of Gaeta, Maria ruled 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 ...

for her and Atenulf's son Atenulf II after her husband's death on 2 February 1062. On 1 June, a pact was confirmed between Maria and the counts of

Traietto Minturno is a city and ''comune'' in the southern Lazio, Italy, situated on the north west bank of the Garigliano (known in antiquity as the Liris), with a suburb on the opposite bank about from its mouth, at the point where the Via Appia crosse ...

, Maranola, and

Suio Suio is a ''frazione'' (rural borough) of Castelforte, a municipality in southern Latium, central Italy. Overview It is located on the northernmost slopes of the Monti Aurunci, near the Garigliano river, and is composed of two villages: Suio Paes ...

. The allies were excluded from forming any pact with the

Normans The Normans (Norman language, Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norsemen, Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Fran ...

and sworn to protect the territory of the Gaetan duchy. The treaty was finalised at Traietto and was to last for a year. The league was successful in preventing Richard of Capua from extending his conquests during the year. However, Richard skillfully negotiated to prevent a renewal of the pact and on 28 June 1063, he was in possession of Gaeta. Maria allied with the counts of Traietto and Aquino, her sons Lando and the aforementioned Atenulf, and with

William of Montreuil William of Montreuil (french: Guillaume de Montreuil) († aft. 1068), was an Italo-Norman freebooter of the mid-eleventh century who was briefly Duke of Gaeta. He was described by Amatus of Monte Cassino as "an exceptional knight, small in st ...

, who repudiated his wife in order to marry her, in late 1064. In February 1065, the revolted were put down by Richard of Capua and Maria and William were expelled from Gaeta. Richard offered to compensate her by marrying her to his son

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

.Amatus V.1, pp 148–150.

Notes

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Sources

* Chalandon, Ferdinand. ''Histoire de la domination normande en Italie et en Sicilie''.

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, 1907.
Southern Italy.
1020s births 11th-century deaths 11th-century Italian women 11th-century Italian nobility 11th-century women rulers