Northmen

Since the second part of the IX century and all over X century western Europe was upset by a series of invasions which quickened the disintegration of the Carolingian Empire.These people were called Northmen or Vikings. They followed three directions: the Danes after conquering England turned to France and the territory they occupied was called Normandy " Northmen land ". The Norvegians settled in Greenland and in the Labrador coasts, the Swedes reached the Russia plains and founded the Novgorod and Kiew principalities.

At the end of the X century in the Southern part of Italy the Byzantine chiefs of Puglia and Calabria were in conflict with the Longobardic signories of Benevento, Capua and Salerno and the towns of Amalfi, Gaeta, Naples. In this conflictual situation some groups of knights coming from Normandy and directed as pilgrims to the Saint Micheal sanctuary offered their services as mercenaries to the two enemies. The Northmen aspired to receive lands in exchange for the help they had given as soldiers. In 1030 Rainulfo obtained from the Duke of Naples the County of Aversa; the Altavilla brothers became Dukes of Melfi, Robert the Guiscardo severed Puglia and Calabria to the Byzantine and his brother became prince of Capua. Later on the Northmen conquered Sicily from which the Arabs caused robberies to the Puglia and Calabria inhabitants.