The Lombards
By: Lauryn Givens
Why are they Barbarians?
The Lombards or Langobards originated in the lower Elbe valley. They were a germanic tribe who ruled the Italian kingdom from 568 to 744. Their invasion of italy was almost unopposed and by 569 they had taken control of all the cities north of the Po river.
The Conquest of Italy
The Lombards king Alboin lead them to take over Italy. Alboin seized Italy quickly Aqueila and much of the Venetian plain. In less than a year he had conquered Milan and control the Po Valley. Alboin then went south to Tuscany and by 575 he had taken over Rome. Alboin also changed laws by combining german and roman traditions. Their invasion was almost unopposed.
Clash with the Pope
The Lombards got into political conflicts with the pope. The pope had to call help from the Frankish king Charlemagne. The franks entered Italy in 773 and after a year of fighting the Lombards surrendered to Charlemagne's armies. After Charlemagne became the king of the Lombards and the Franks. This ended the Lombards rule over Italy.