Count of Apulia

County of Apulia and Calabria
Contea di Puglia e Calabria
Vassal state of the Papacy
1043–1130
Coat of arms
Motto Servire Nescit
The Duchy in the political context of Italy and the Balkans in 1084.
Capital		Melfi (1043–1077) Salerno (1077–1130)
Languages		Norman, Neapolitan-Sicilian, Greek (minority)
Religion		Roman Catholicism
Demonym		Normans (generally), Apulians, Calabrians
Government		Feudal absolute monarchy
Count/Duke
•	1043–1046	William I
•	1059–1085	Robert I
•	1111–1127	William II
Historical era		Middle Ages
•	Lombard lords elect William of Hauteville as Count	1043
•	Norman conquest of Salerno	1076
•	Emperor Henry III recognize the County	1047
•	Battle of Civitate; Pope Leo IX recognize the County	1053
•	Treaty of Melfi; the County become Duchy	1059
•	Death of the childless William II	1127
•	Coronation of Roger; Duchy annexed to Sicily	1130
Currency		Follis (common)
Preceded by Succeeded by Principality of Salerno Duchy of Benevento Emirate of Sicily Kingdom of Sicily
Today part of		Italy

Coat of arms

The County of Apulia and Calabria, later the Duchy of Apulia and Calabria, was a Norman country founded by William of Hauteville in 1042 in the territories of Gargano, Capitanata, Apulia, Campania, and Vulture. It became a duchy when Robert Guiscard was raised to the rank of duke by Pope Nicholas II in 1059.

The duchy was disestablished in 1130 when the last duke of Apulia and Calabria, Roger II of Sicily became King of Sicily. The title of duke was thereafter used intermittently as a title for the heir apparent to the Kingdom of Sicily.

William I of Hauteville, who returned in September 1042 in Melfi, was recognized by all the Normans as supreme leader. He turned to Guaimar IV, Lombard, Prince of Salerno, and Rainulf Drengot, Count of Aversa, and offered both an alliance. With the unification of the two Norman families, Altavilla and Drengot, Guaimar offered official recognition of the conquests and at the end of the year, an assembly of Lombards and Norman barons at Melfi met with Rainulf and William, which ended at the beginning of the following year (1043). In this meeting, Guaimar V of Salerno ensured the Hauteville dominance over Melfi. William of Hauteville formed the second core of his possessions and differentiated himself from Rainulf I of Aversa, head of the territories of Campania. All the barons present offered a tribute as a vassal to Guaimar, which recognized William I of Hauteville as the first of the title of Count of Apulia. To tie it to himself, he offered to marry her niece Guide, daughter of Guy, Duke of Sorrento. Guaimar reconfirmed the title of count to Rainulf as well, which created the County of Puglia.