Europe · The successor kingdoms
Duchy of Naples
drawn on the map AD 763–1027, 1034–1138
The Duchy of Naples was a Byzantine duchy on the Campanian coast, established in the 7th century as part of the Byzantine holdings in Italy (under the Exarchate of Ravenna, later directly). As Byzantine power in Italy waned, Naples became effectively autonomous from the 8th century, ruled by its own dukes (initially Byzantine appointees, later hereditary), while nominally acknowledging the emperor in Constantinople.
- Shown on the map
- AD 763–1027, 1034–1138 (2 periods)
- Peak area
- 1k km²
- Region
- Europe
Overview
The Duchy of Naples was a Byzantine duchy on the Campanian coast, established in the 7th century as part of the Byzantine holdings in Italy (under the Exarchate of Ravenna, later directly). As Byzantine power in Italy waned, Naples became effectively autonomous from the 8th century, ruled by its own dukes (initially Byzantine appointees, later hereditary), while nominally acknowledging the emperor in Constantinople.
Decline and legacy
Naples maintained a remarkable degree of independence for centuries, navigating between the Lombard principalities (with which it frequently warred), the papacy, the Franks, Byzantium, and even at times allying with Muslim forces against its Christian rivals. Its long autonomy ended with the Norman conquest: Duke Sergius VII submitted to Roger II of Sicily, and Naples was absorbed into the Norman Kingdom of Sicily around 1137/1139.
Common questions
- What was the Duchy of Naples?
- The Duchy of Naples was a Byzantine duchy on the Campanian coast, established in the 7th century as part of the Byzantine holdings in Italy (under the Exarchate of Ravenna, later directly). As Byzantine power in Italy waned, Naples became effectively autonomous from the 8th century, ruled by its own dukes (initially Byzantine appointees, later hereditary), while nominally acknowledging the emperor in Constantinople.
- When is the Duchy of Naples shown on the map?
- The border data draws the Duchy of Naples AD 763–1027, 1034–1138, in 2 separate periods. The source samples borders at fixed dates, so a span can begin late or run on past the end.
- How large was the Duchy of Naples?
- At its greatest extent drawn on this map, the Duchy of Naples covered about 1,000 km². That is the largest area the border data gives it across the years it is drawn, not necessarily its greatest extent in history.
- How did the Duchy of Naples end?
- Naples maintained a remarkable degree of independence for centuries, navigating between the Lombard principalities (with which it frequently warred), the papacy, the Franks, Byzantium, and even at times allying with Muslim forces against its Christian rivals. Its long autonomy ended with the Norman conquest: Duke Sergius VII submitted to Roger II of Sicily, and Naples was absorbed into the Norman Kingdom of Sicily around 1137/1139.
Sources
This compendium cites its sources once for the whole document rather than per territory. Its bibliography names the English Wikipedia articles for each polity as the primary basis, cross-checked against Encyclopædia Britannica and the World History Encyclopedia, while flagging entries built on thin or contested evidence — Samo's Empire on a single Fredegar passage, Venice's 697 founding date as legendary, the Pacta conventa as a probable forgery. The article this entry is anchored on:
- Wikipedia — Duchy of Naples en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchy_of_Naples
This entry was last updated .
This entry was researched and drafted with AI from the sources above, and has not been reviewed by a historian. How entries are made
Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page. Passages drawing on the Wikipedia articles listed above are also licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 by their contributors.
Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).
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