Rainulf Drengot
Rainulf Drengot (also Ranulph, Ranulf or Rannulf; † June 1045) was a Norman adventurer and the first count of Aversa (1030-1045). His family came from Les Carreaux near Avesnes-en-Bray, east of Rouen in the department of Seine-Maritime.
When Rainulf's brother Gilbert Buatère was expelled from the country, the two of them, together with their brothers Osmond, Raulf and Asclettin, later Count of Acerenza, went on a pilgrimage to the tomb of the Archangel Michael on Monte Sant'Angelo in the Byzantine catepanate of Italy. They carried with them 250 warriors - other exiles, younger brothers not entitled to inherit, and other adventurers.
In 1017 they reached lower Italy, where at that time practically anarchic conditions prevailed. In 1017-1019 they took part in the Lombard revolt under Meles of Bari against the Byzantine feudatories. The first encounter with the Byzantine catepan Basilios Boioannes at Cannae ended in disaster for the Normans. Rainulf's brother Gilbert was killed and their forces were severely weakened. Rainulf was then able to establish himself as the undisputed leader and retreated with the rest to Campania. There they shifted to protecting pilgrims on their way to the shrine of St. Michael the Archangel from plunder by other highwaymen in return for appropriate payment.
Rainulf was leader of the Norman mercenaries in the county of Comino in 1024, then partisan of Waimar IV of Salerno and a little later of Pandulf IV of Capua. The frequent change of parties clearly shows the Norman self-image as a fighting mercenary force.
For Rainulf's change to the side of Duke Sergius IV of Naples, the latter gave him his sister as a wife around 1029/30 and transferred the county of Aversa, located in the border area against Capua, to him. This was the beginning of a separate Norman rule. In the following period, the county of Aversa was a port of call for the Normans who were increasingly migrating to Lower Italy. After the death of his wife, Rainulf switched to the side of Pandulf IV of Capua and married his niece, the daughter of the Duke of Amalfi. He expanded his territory at the expense of the Abbey of Montecassino. After a new change of front to the side of Waimar V of Salerno, he was enfeoffed with the county of Aversa by Emperor Conrad II in Capua in May 1038. This meant the recognition of Norman rule in Lower Italy.
After the crushing of the Byzantine forces in 1038, Rainulf declared himself prince, thus making clear his independence from Naples and from his former Lombard allies. He conquered the principality of Capua. The union of these two territories to form the largest commonwealth in southern Italy was approved by Conrad II. Around 1041 Rainulf I Drengot of Waimar V received the duchy of Gaeta for his support. From 1040 Rainulf I was instrumental in the Norman conquest of Byzantine territories in Apulia and Calabria. In 1042, after the victory of his Norman ally William of Hauteville, he was awarded Siponto and the Gargano, the nucleus of the later county of Monte Sant'Angelo, in the distribution of the conquered or yet-to-be-conquered territories in lower Italy.
After his death in June 1045 his nephew Asclettin, son of his brother Asclettin of Acerenza, succeeded him.
The historians Amatus of Montecassino and William of Apulia are two contemporary sources for the life of Rainulf of Drengot.
