The "Longobard Salerno" was the historical period of Lombards (or Longobards) domination in the city of San Matteo (as is often called Salerno), which lasted from the seventh century to a few years before the thirteenth century.
INTRODUCTION
«"It is known that the city of Salerno was, in this era, the Athens of Italy."...a phrase written by the famous numismatist Giulio Cordero di San Quintino (1778-1857) way back in 1841, but which still retains all its relevance today: "On sait que la ville de Salerne étoit, à cette époque, l’Athènes de l’Italie" Raffaele Lula»
Salerno was conquered for the first time by the Longobards of Prince Arechi I in 620 AD and from then for five centuries until 1077 the city of San Matteo was dominated by a minority of Germanic origin, which left an indelible mark on it. With the Principality of Salerno of Guaimario IV, Salerno became "de facto"[3] the capital of the entire southern Italian continent, unified for the first time since the end of the Roman Empire.
Furthermore, Longobard Salerno had the first "university" of medicine in Europe, the famous "Salerno Medical School", where for the first time women participated as the Mulieres Salernitanae: among the prominent personalities of the mulieres Salernitanae are handed down the names of the Lombards Trotula de Ruggiero, Rebecca Guarna and Abella Salernitana.
Salerno was also the only Longobard territory in Italy to develop a fleet for trade in the Mediterranean: in 1058 a "privilegium mercaturae" granted by Prince Gisulfo II of Salerno also attests to the birth of a free market connected with maritime activities. It should also be remembered that ships from Salerno took part in the capture of Mahdia, in present-day Tunisia: in the second half of the year 1000, Mahdia, then governed by the Zirid vassals of the Fatimids, was repeatedly attacked, and briefly conquered, by Genoa and Pisa with the help of Salerno, Amalfi and Gaeta, but the attack did not have lasting effects
HISTORY
Salerno - despite being in the coastal center of the Campania region - has always had northern "origins" in its History: it was founded by the Romans in an Etruscan territory
Unlike nearby Naples which was founded by the Greeks and then dominated by the Byzantines, "Roman" Salerno became "Longobard" in the seventh century, having a Romanized population with a large Germanic minority when Arechi II founded the Principality of Salerno in 774 AD.
Scholars such as Ajello estimate that in the eighth century in Salerno over a third of the population still spoke the Longobard language mixed considerably with neo-Latin words and phrases. Professor Ajello states that in Salerno in that century out of a population of about 6,000 inhabitants, over 2,500 were Lombards. And they were concentrated in the upper district of the historic center of Salerno, on the hill where the Castle of Arechi was located.
It should also be remembered that many Lombard refugees took refuge in Salerno and its surroundings - perhaps a thousand, according to Ajello, but other scholars (such as D'Ambrosio) believe there were double - who, with their families, fled from northern Italy conquered by Charlemagne's Franks.
After a long struggle between the Byzantines and the Lombards that began around 620 AD, in 646 the city finally fell into the hands of the latter as part of the Duchy of Benevento, although the evidence of Lombard presence, already starting from the 6th century, is confirmed by the discovery of a tomb, in the archaeological complex of San Pietro a Corte, of a little girl named Teodonanda, who died on 27 September 566.
With the advent of Lombard domination, the city experienced the richest and most famous period of its history, which lasted more than five centuries.
In 774 the prince of Benevento Arechi II decided to move his court to Salerno, which was populated by many Lombard families. The city gained importance and numerous works were built, including the sumptuous palace, of which traces remain scattered throughout the historic center. This palace (now almost completely disappeared) was a building next to the "Palatine Chapel" (Church of San Pietro a Corte).
A few decades later, in 849, the Principality of Salerno became independent from Benevento, acquiring the territories of the Principality of Capua, northern Calabria and Puglia up to Taranto.
Furthermore, the mint of Salerno began minting coins around 851, the year of the foundation of the principality following the struggles for succession to the throne of Benevento between Siconolfo and Radelchi[11]. The minting of coins in the city continued uninterruptedly even in the Norman era until the mint was suppressed in 1198 by order of Constance of Altavilla.
Dominion of the continental south of Italy
Starting with Prince Siconolfo, who titled himself "Langobardorum gentis princeps", Salerno became the capital of a principality that came to control with Guaimatio III and Guaimario IV all of continental southern Italy.
In fact, with Prince Guaimario III (who ruled from 994 to 1027), Salerno entered a phase of great splendor, as evidenced by the inscription Opulenta Salernum engraved on the coins of the time. He was responsible for reducing the cities of Amalfi, Gaeta and Sorrento to vassals of the Principality of Salerno and for the annexation of many of the Byzantine possessions in Puglia and Calabria.
