The Medieval History of Italy - 6-14-2026

The year is 477 AD. The Kingdom of Odoacer spans from Piedmont to Illyria and from Sicily to Bavaria. The city of Rome still stands a few miles from the coast, the new capital, Ravenna, lies many more miles toward the north on the coast of the Adriatic sea. On the other side of that sea, is the city of Salona and on the southeastern coast of Sicily is the city of Syracuse. In 490 AD, the Odoacer were taken over by the Ostrogoths. In 527 AD, some Lombards migrated to the Ostrogoth territory of Pannonia and created a kingdom. In 534 AD, the Ostrogothic kingdom lost control of the Croatian islands including Krk and Rab. By 536 AD, the Ostrogoths were not heeding the pope's teachings, so he ordered that the Eastern Roman Empire kill all of the Ostrogoths. The Eastern Roman Empire started by conquering Dalamatia, Sicily, and southern Naples. In 537 AD, Austrasia conquered Switzerland and the Eastern Roman Empire conqered central Naples from the Ostrogoths. In 538 AD, the Eastern Roman Empire conqered Rome from the Ostrogoths. In 541 AD, the Ostrogoths conquered half of Naples and all of Rome back. In 551 AD, the Eastern Roman Empire conquered Rome and all the land long the Adriatic coast of the Ostrogoths. In 554 AD, the Eastern Roman Empire finished conquered the rest of the Ostrogoths and the Lombards expanded their territory into formerly Ostrogothic territory. In 569 AD, the Lombards cross the Alps from Pannonia and began a conquest of Italy. In 573 AD, the Lombards conquered Pavia from the Eastern Roman Empire and established the duchy of Spoleto and the duchy of Benevento in Eastern Roman territory. In 591 AD, the Duchy of Benevento was formally established under the first Lombard duke, Zotto. They then conquered Atina. In 602 AD, the Lombards conquered Venice. In 604 AD, the Lombards conquered Parma. In 692 AD, Benevento conquered parts of southern Naples. In 720 AD, the Muslim empire of Umayyad conqered Sardinia from Byzantium (formerly, the Eastern Roman Empire). In 728 AD, the Lombards conquered Bologna. In 751 AD, the Lombards conquered Ravenna. In 752 AD, the Lombards conquered Spoleto and Byzantine Latium. In 757 AD, the Franks defeated the Lombards which allowed for the Papacy to have governmental control. In 775 AD, Francia conquered the Lombards. In 779 AD, Abbasid abbandoned Sardinia and the Sardinians inhabited the island. In 813 AD, Byzantium conquered Venice and half of the Pula peninsula from Francia. Venice became an independent state after a treaty between Francia and Byzatium. In 828 AD, Abbasid landed on the island of Sicily. In 832 AD, Abbasid conquered to border the north coast of Sicily. In 841 AD, Naples became an independent state. In 844 AD, Francia split into 3 and the kingdom of Lothargia got control on the Italian lands including the eastern lands of the Papacy. Abbasid also conquered most of Sicily. In 851 AD, 4 independent states were created in Sardinia, Logudoro, Gallura, Arborea, and Calari. In 852 AD, Salerno gained independence from Benevento. In 856 AD, Italy became an independent state ruled by the Franks. In 864 AD, Italy and Lothargia both partitioned Provence. In 874 AD, Byzantium conquered most of Benevento. In 879 AD, Abbasid conquered the rest of Sicily. In 880 AD, Provence became independent and Italy somehow got control of Switzerland and Baden-Wurttemburg. In 883 AD, Italy was conquered by East Francia. In 885 AD, the Franks temporarily reunited. In 888 AD, the Franks collapsed again and Italy became independent again. In 900 AD, Benevento conquered a nearby state. In 947 AD, Sicily became under the control of Fatmid. In 962 AD, king Otto II of Germany married the princess of the Lombards, hereby uniting Germany and Italy. -- Written by Vikenait Productions 🌍