Guaimar II of Salerno

Who was Guaimar II of Salerno?

Guaimar II was the Lombard prince of Salerno from 901, when his father retired to a monastery, to his death. His father was Guaimar I and his mother was Itta. He was associated with his father in the principality from 893. He was responsible for the rise of the principality: he restored the princely palace, built the palace church of San Pietro a campanile, and restored gold coinage.

In 895, when his father was captured, he ruled the principality and when Duke Athanasius of Naples incited a revolt against Guaimar I, it was only through his assistance that the revolt was put down. After his despotic and unpopular father retired, or was forced by him, to enter the monastery of San Massimo, he took over the reins of government completely.

At first, he continued the Byzantine alliance of his father and received the titles of patricius and protospatharius. He also allied himself to Capua, then united to the Principality of Benevento, by marrying Atenulf I's daughter Gaitelgrima. That was his second marriage: he married the daughter of his first marriage, Rotilda, to Atenulf III, the nephew of Atenulf II and son of Landulf I. His first marriage is also interesting in that he may have had a son named Guaimar by this marriage. This Guaimar has caused some to renumber succeeding Guaimars, making Guaimar III Guaimar IV and Guaimar IV Guaimar V.