The Duke of Spoleto was the ruler of the Duchy of Spoleto during the Early and High Middle Ages (c. 570 – 1300). The first dukes were appointed by the Lombard king, but they were independent in practice. The Carolingian conquerors of the Lombards continued to appoint dukes, as did their successors the Holy Roman Emperors. In the 12th century, the dukes of Spoleto were the most important imperial vassals in Italy. From 1198, the Duchy came under the sovereignty of the States of the Church. As a papal province, the duchy continued to exist until 1816. Generally, its governors did not have the right to bear the ducal title, but there were exceptions, among them Guidantonio da MontefeltroEnciclopedia UTET, 1958, volume VIII, p. 915, entry "Montefeltro" (Guidantonio "received from the pope the rectorate of Spoleto with the title of duke")., Pedro Luis de Borja and Franceschetto Cybo.

They usually bore the title dux et marchio, "duke and margrave" as rulers of both Spoleto and Camerino.

List of dukes Historical sources preserve conflicting lists of the dukes of Spoleto, owing to gaps in medieval documentation and variations in historiographical interpretations. The following list is based on the 7th edition of Cronologia, cronografia e calendario perpetuo.

Lombard supremacy

Faroald I 570–592 Ariulf 592–602 Theodelap 602–650 Atto 650–665 Transamund I 665–703 Faroald II 703–724 Transamund II 724–739, first time Hilderic 739 Transamund II 739–742, second time Agiprand 742–744 Lupus 745–752 Unulf 752 Alboin 757–759 Gisulf 758–763 Theodicius 763–773 Hildeprand 774–788

Frankish supremacy Winiges 789–822 Suppo I 822–824 Adelard 824 Mauring 824–836 Berengar 836–841 Guy I (son of Lambert I of Nantes) 842–858 Lambert I (son of Guy I) 860–871, first time Suppo II 871–874 Lambert I 875–879, second time Guy II 876–882 Guy III (son of Lambert I; king of Italy, 889–894) 880–894 Lambert II (king of Italy, 891–898) 894–898 Guy IV (duke of Benevento, 895–897) 895–898

Feudal duchy Alberic I 898–922 Boniface I 923–928 Theobald I 933–936 Anscar of Ivrea 936–940 Sarlio 940–943 Hubert of Tuscany 943–946 Boniface II 946–953 Theobald II 953–959 Transamund III 959–967 Pandulf I 967–981 Transamund IV (duke of Camerino, 982–995) 982–989 Hugh I (margrave of Tuscany) 989–999 Adhemar 999–... Romanus 1003–... Rainier I (duke of Tuscany, 1014–27) 1010–1014 Hugh II 1020–1035 Hugh III 1036–1043

Tuscan supremacy Boniface (margrave of Tuscany, 1027–52) 1050–1052 Matilda (margravine of Tuscany, 1076–1115) 1053–1056, first time Pope Victor II 1056–1057 Godfrey (duke of Lower Lorraine, 1056–1070) 1057–1070 Matilda 1070–1082, second time Rainier II 1082–1086 Werner II of Lenzburg (margrave of Ancona, 1095) 1093–1119 Welf III of Bavaria (margrave of Tuscany, 1152–1160 and 1167–1171) 1152–1160 Welf VI of Bavaria (Imperial vicar of Tuscany, 1160) 1160–1167 Welf VI 1167–1171 Ridelulf of Urslingen 1172–... Conrad of Urslingen 1183–1190, first time Pandulf II 1190–1195 Conrad of Urslingen 1195–1198, second time

Papal supremacy Berthold of Urslingen 1222–1228 Rainald of Urslingen 1228 Conrad III of Urslingen 1227-1267 Berthold of Urslingen 1251-1276 Rainald II of Urslingen 1251-1276 Guidantonio da Montefeltro Pedro Luis de Borja, 1456-1458 Franceschetto Cybo, 1514-1519

House of Savoy Aimone of Savoy-Aosta, 1904-1942 Umberto di Savoia, since 2009

Historiography The reconstruction of a reliable series of the dukes of Spoleto is hindered by the scarcity and ambiguity of early sources. In the 17th century recorded the dukes in his history of Spoleto, while discussed them in his history of Camerino, the second city of the duchy.

Among later scholars, Gaspero Berretti, a Cassinese monk, treated the subject in the Tavola cronografica dell'Italia a' tempi di mezzo, included in the tenth volume of Ludovico Antonio Muratori's collection. Further attempts were made by Giuseppe Simone Assemani in De Italia Historia Scriptoribus, by Pratillo in the prolegomena to the works of Paul the Deacon, and by Grimaldi, Spinelli, and Turchi in the Serie de' vescovi di Camerino. later attempted to correct earlier series in his Manuale cronologico, though without complete accuracy.

Several scholars relied on catalogues preserved in the archive of Farfa Abbey, first published by Jean Mabillon in the Museo Italico and later reproduced by Muratori in the Chronicon Farfense. The Farfa archive forms the principal documentary basis for the duchy, containing thousands of records from the Duchy of Spoleto dating mainly to the 8th-10th centuries, many naming the reigning duke in their dating clauses.

Despite their importance, neither the Farfa catalogues nor Muratori's chronological notes provide a secure framework. Reconstruction of the ducal succession is further hindered by limited narrative sources for the Lombard and Carolingian periods. Paul the Deacon presented an unsystematic account of events without precise chronology. Even the Farfa documents themselves, though they frequently name a duke in the dating clause, do not always specify the year of accession, making it difficult to determine the beginning and duration of individual reigns.

See also List of dukes and princes of Benevento List of princes of Salerno List of princes of Capua

References