Drengot family
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UnclaimedA Norman mercenary and aristocratic family that helped establish Aversa and ruled the principality of Capua in medieval southern Italy.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
The Drengot family was a Norman lineage whose members became prominent military entrepreneurs, counts, and princes in southern Italy during the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The family originated at Carreaux, near Avesnes-en-Bray east of Rouen, and was also known by the Latin-derived name de Quarrel. Its early history is associated with five brothers, although medieval accounts disagree over which brother led the migration from Normandy to Italy. The group is variously identified with Osmond, Rudolph, or Gilbert Buatère, while Asclettin and Ranulf were probably younger members of the same sibling group. The family’s southern Italian career began in the turbulent political environment created by conflict between Lombard rulers, Byzantine authorities, local princes, and the papacy. Norman warriors traveled to Italy as mercenaries and joined the Lombard rebel Melus of Bari. The Drengots fought at the Battle of Cannae in 1018, where Gilbert Buatère was killed and the Norman-Lombard forces were defeated. After imperial intervention under Henry II, several Normans remained in the region and received opportunities to settle or serve local powers. Rudolph returned to Normandy, but Ranulf remained in Italy and became the principal architect of the family’s rise. Ranulf supported Sergius IV, the exiled duke of Naples, in his effort to recover power. After Sergius was restored in 1029, he rewarded Ranulf with a marriage alliance and control of Aversa and its surrounding territory. The Drengots fortified Aversa, creating the first Norman political state in Italy. This foundation gave the family a durable territorial base and placed it alongside the Hauteville family as one of the two leading Norman dynasties on the Italian mainland. Other Drengot members also received lordships: Asclettin was granted Acerenza in 1042 after participating in the Hauteville-led conquest of Apulia. The family reached its greatest political prominence through Richard, the son of Asclettin. In 1058 Richard conquered Capua after the death of Pandulf VI and assumed the principality, although the former ruling prince, Landulf VIII, remained in possession of the city for several years. Richard also asserted control over Gaeta and expanded Drengot influence into Latium and the Abruzzi. His son Jordan completed the takeover of Gaeta in the 1060s. From Capua, the Drengots became the principal mainland counterweight to the Hautevilles, whose power was expanding through Calabria and Sicily. Drengot rulers also became important allies and coercive supporters of the reforming papacy. Richard and Jordan intervened in papal politics and used military force to promote candidates associated with the reform movement. Richard began a siege of Naples in 1077 but died the following year, and Jordan did not continue the operation. Thereafter Drengot strength declined relative to the Hautevilles, who consolidated their control of Sicily and much of the southern Italian mainland. The dynasty suffered a major setback when the Drengots were expelled from Capua by the Lombard inhabitants between 1092 and 1098. Although they returned, their autonomy progressively weakened. The family was compelled to recognize the authority first of the dukes of Apulia and later of the kings of Sicily. Robert II of Capua resisted Roger II and attempted, with support from the emperor and the pope, to recover the principality, but he failed. Robert died in 1156, marking the effective end of the family’s princely power, although related branches remained active in local politics. The Drengot legacy continued through cadet lines in places such as Caiazzo, Carinola, Alife, and Rupecanina. Jonathan of Carinola was restored by Roger II and compensated with Conza, while Andrew of Rupecanina became a prominent opponent of William I of Sicily during the 1150s. The family therefore represents an important phase in the Norman transformation of southern Italy: it helped create the first Norman state at Aversa, controlled Capua for nearly a century, participated in papal and imperial politics, and contributed to the aristocratic structures later absorbed into the Kingdom of Sicily.
History
The Drengots emerged from the Norman settlement of Carreaux near Avesnes-en-Bray, east of Rouen. Their alternate designation, de Quarrel, derives from Quarrelis or Quadrellis, the Latin form associated with Carreaux. The earliest family tradition centers on five brothers. One of them, Osmond, had been exiled after killing a hunting companion of Duke Robert I of Normandy. Medieval writers differ over whether Osmond, Rudolph, or Gilbert Buatère led the group toward southern Italy. Some accounts describe a force of approximately 250 Normans stopping in Rome and meeting Pope Benedict VIII before proceeding to Salerno or Capua. In southern Italy they joined Melus of Bari, the Lombard leader opposing Byzantine authority in Apulia. The Drengots suffered defeat at Cannae in 1018. Gilbert Buatère was killed, while Rudolph eventually returned to Normandy. Other members stayed in Italy after Emperor Henry II reasserted imperial authority in the region. The surviving Drengots initially held modest positions, but Ranulf developed the family’s political base by supporting Sergius IV, the displaced duke of Naples. Sergius’s restoration in 1029 brought Ranulf a marriage connection and the county of Aversa. Ranulf fortified the settlement, turning it into the first Norman state in Italy and establishing a platform from which later Norman expansion could proceed. A second branch gained prominence through Asclettin, who received Acerenza in 1042 during the division of Apulian conquests. His son Richard became the most powerful Drengot ruler. After Pandulf VI died in 1057, Richard besieged Capua and took the princely title when the city surrendered in 1058. He initially allowed Landulf VIII, the previous prince, to remain in the city, but Drengot possession was consolidated in 1062. Richard also claimed suzerainty over Gaeta and sent his son Jordan to take control there. The occupation was completed in 1064. Richard and Jordan used Capua as a base for expansion into northern Campania, Latium, and the Abruzzi. Their power gave the Drengots a strategic position between the papal territories and the Hauteville conquests in Calabria and Sicily. The family’s alliances with the papacy were not merely ceremonial. Richard and Jordan supported reformist papal candidates with military intervention, helping shape the succession struggles of the period. Richard’s attempt to capture Naples began in 1077, but his death in 1078 ended the siege. Jordan inherited Capua and maintained the principality, but Drengot influence began to contract as Hauteville power grew. The Capuan dynasty was expelled by the Lombard citizenry from 1092 to 1098. After its return, it faced increasing dependence on the emerging political hierarchy of Apulia and Sicily. Richard II, Robert I, Jordan II, and Robert II successively held the Capuan principality, but their room for independent action narrowed. Robert II opposed Roger II and spent the remainder of his life trying to recover his position with imperial and papal assistance. His resistance formed part of a broader struggle by older mainland aristocracies against the consolidation of the Kingdom of Sicily. He died in 1156 without restoring Drengot rule. The disappearance of princely authority did not immediately end Drengot political activity. Cadet branches remained established in counties and lordships including Caiazzo, Carinola, Alife, and Rupecanina. Jonathan of Carinola was restored under Roger II and received Conza, while Andrew of Rupecanina emerged as a major opponent of William I of Sicily in the 1150s. The family’s history consequently extends beyond its Capuan princes: its descendants and collateral branches remained part of the aristocratic landscape of Terra di Lavoro during the twelfth century.
Battle of Cannae
[1]The Drengot-associated Norman force fighting with Melus of Bari was defeated, and Gilbert Buatère was killed.
Ranulf receives Aversa
[1]After helping Sergius IV recover Naples, Ranulf was granted Aversa and its surrounding territory, creating the first Norman state in Italy.
Asclettin receives Acerenza
[1]Asclettin obtained Acerenza during the division of the Norman conquests in Apulia.
Conquest of Capua
[1]Richard, son of Asclettin, took Capua after besieging the city and assumed the title of prince.
Drengot control of Gaeta completed
[1]Jordan completed the Drengot takeover of Gaeta, extending the family’s influence along the Tyrrhenian coast.
Siege of Naples begins
[1]Richard of Capua began an unsuccessful siege of Naples before his death in 1078.
Expulsion from Capua
[1]The Drengots were expelled from Capua by the Lombard citizenry during a period of growing local resistance.
Death of Robert II
[1]Robert II of Capua died after failing to recover the principality from the rulers of the Kingdom of Sicily.
Products and positioning
Medieval Norman military and aristocratic lineage associated with territorial rule, mercenary service, and the principality of Capua.
Sources2 sources
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