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The Lombard Conquest and the Rise of the Duchy of Spoleto (570-573 CE)
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In the year 570 CE, the Lombards, a Germanic people who had migrated into Italy, began their conquest of the Italian peninsula. This marked a significant turning point in the history of the region, as the Lombards established their dominance over much of northern and central Italy, including the area that would become the Duchy of Spoleto.
The Lombards, led by their king Alboin, invaded Italy in 568 CE, taking advantage of the weakened state of the Byzantine Empire, which had been exhausted by decades of war with the Ostrogoths and other conflicts. By 570 CE, the Lombards had secured control over large portions of northern Italy, including the Po Valley, and were pushing southward into central Italy.
The Duchy of Spoleto, located in the central Apennine Mountains, was one of the key territories that fell under Lombard control. The exact circumstances of the Lombard takeover of Spoleto are not entirely clear, but it is believed that the Lombards established their authority over the region by 573 CE. The duchy was likely founded as a Lombard vassal state, with a Lombard noble appointed as its duke. This was part of a broader Lombard strategy to consolidate their control over Italy by establishing semi-autonomous duchies ruled by loyal Lombard leaders.
The Duchy of Spoleto became one of the most important Lombard duchies in central Italy, serving as a buffer zone between the Lombard kingdom in the north and the Byzantine territories in the south. The duchy played a crucial role in the Lombard-Byzantine conflicts that would dominate Italian politics for the next two centuries.
The Lombard conquest of Spoleto and the establishment of the duchy had significant implications for the region. The Lombards brought with them their own customs, laws, and administrative practices, which blended with the existing Roman and Byzantine traditions. This fusion of cultures would shape the identity of the region for centuries to come.
In summary, the events of 570-573 CE marked the beginning of Lombard dominance in central Italy and the establishment of the Duchy of Spoleto as a key Lombard vassal state. This period laid the foundation for the complex political and cultural landscape of medieval Italy.