Sicard (died 839) was the Prince of Benevento from 832. He was the last prince of a united Benevento which covered most of 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 ...

. On his death, the principality descended into civil war which split it permanently (except for very briefly under Pandulf Ironhead from 977 to 981). He was the son and successor of the Spoletan Sico. He warred against the

Saracens file:Erhard Reuwich Sarazenen 1486.png, upright 1.5, Late 15th-century Germany in the Middle Ages, German woodcut depicting Saracens Saracen ( ) was a term used in the early centuries, both in Greek language, Greek and Latin writings, to refer ...

and his neighbours continually, especially

Sorrento Sorrento (, ; nap, Surriento ; la, Surrentum) is a town overlooking the Bay of Naples in Southern Italy. A popular tourist destination, Sorrento is located on the Sorrentine Peninsula at the south-eastern terminus of the Circumvesuviana rail ...

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 ...

, and

Amalfi Amalfi (, , ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto (1,315 metres, 4,314 feet), surrounded by dramatic c ...

. He was the strongest military and economic power in the region. By the ''

Pactum Sicardi The Pactum Sicardi was a treaty signed on 4 July 836 between the Greek Duchy of Naples, including its satellite city-states of Sorrento and Amalfi, represented by Bishop John IV and Duke Andrew II, and the Lombard Prince of Benevento, Sicard. ...

'' of 4 July 836, he signed a five-year armistice with the three aforementioned cities and recognised the right of travel of their merchants. Nonetheless, war continued. In a war of 837 with Duke

Andrew II of Naples Andrew II was the duke of Naples from 834 to 840. During his reign, he was constantly at war with the Lombards and he allowed Gaeta, his vassal, to move towards independence under its own consuls. In September 834, Andrew overthrew his son-in-law, ...

, the latter called in the first Saracens as allies and a trend began, drawing more and more Muslims into Christian wars on the peninsula. He also captured Amalfi in 838 by sea. Despite his warmaking, he was also a builder. He built a new church in Benevento and to equip it with relics, rescued those of

Saint Bartholomew Bartholomew (Aramaic: ; grc, Βαρθολομαῖος, translit=Bartholomaîos; la, Bartholomaeus; arm, Բարթողիմէոս; cop, ⲃⲁⲣⲑⲟⲗⲟⲙⲉⲟⲥ; he, בר-תולמי, translit=bar-Tôlmay; ar, بَرثُولَماو� ...

, then in the

Lipari Islands Lipari (; scn, Lìpari) is the largest of the Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the northern coast of Sicily, southern Italy; it is also the name of the island's main town and ''comune'', which is administratively part of the Metropolit ...

, from the Saracens by hiring some Amalfitan merchants to retrieve them. In his capture of Amalfi, he took the relics of

Saint Trofimena Trofimena is a female saint canonised in the Roman Catholic Church. Originally from the town of Patti in Sicily (and closely connected to the figure of Saint Febronia), the relics of Trofimena are venerated in the basilica in the town of Minori, I ...

, recently brought there from Minori, Italy

Sicard was assassinated in 839 and the treasurer Radelchis immediately proclaimed himself prince. But Sicard's brother,

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 ...

, whom he had imprisoned,"History of Italy"
p. 12, Retrieved 21 oct 2009. broke out and 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 ...

; a ten-year civil war ensued. Sicard's wife Adelchisa's brother

Guaifer of Salerno Guaifer (also ''Guaifar'', ''Waifer'', ''Waifar'', or ''Guaiferio'') (c. 835 – 880) was the Prince of Salerno from 861. The son of Daufer the Mute and grandson of Daufer the Prophet, he was the first of the Dauferidi to sit on the Salernitan ...

aided Siconulf.

Notes

References

* Gwatkin, H.M., Whitney, J.P. (ed) et al. ''The Cambridge Medieval History: Volume III''.

Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII of England, King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press A university press is an academic publishing hou ...

, 1926.
The Art of ''Mercantantia'': Medieval Commerce and Culture in Southwestern Italy
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Sicard Of Benevento 839 deaths Lombard warriors Princes of Benevento Princes of Salerno Assassinated Italian people 9th-century rulers in Europe 9th-century Lombard people Year of birth unknown