Guy IV of Spoleto

Guido IV redirects here. It can also refer to Guy V, Count of Saint-Pol.

Guy IV (Guido or Wido; assassinated 897) was the Duke of Spoleto and Camerino from 889 and Prince of Benevento from 895. He was the son of Guy II of Spoleto.^[1]

In either 888, when his father was crowned King of France, or 889, when his father was crowned King of Italy, Guy was granted the Duchies of Spoleto and Camerino. Though his father never secured the French kingdom, he did maintain his Italian crown and thus happily divested himself of his responsibilities in Spoleto itself, the hereditary possession of his family. Guy was a capable warrior and leader. He conquered Benevento from the Greeks and made himself prince there (895). He offered the regency of his conquered principality to Guaimar I of Salerno, the husband of his sister Itta, but Guaimar was captured en route to Benevento by Adelfer, the gastald of Avellino. Guy had to go down and besiege Avellino to get his release.

After reigning in Benevento for a year and eight months, Guy travelled to Rome to meet the Emperor Lambert. He was murdered on the Tiber by agents of Alberic, who seized Spoleto and set himself up as duke.

Notes

1. His parentage is highly disputed. He is referred to as a son of Guy III of Spoleto and Ageltrude and also of one Conrad, count of Lecco.Guaimar I of Salerno He is called both a first cousin and a brother of Lambert II of Spoleto. Thus, his exact relationship to the emperors Guy and Lambert and to the Empress Ageltrude is uncertain.

Sources

• Caravale, Mario (ed). Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani: LX Grosso – Guglielmo da Forlì. Rome, 2003.
• Caravale, Mario (ed). Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani: LXI Guglielmo Gonzaga – Javobini. Rome, 2003.
• Lexikon des Mittelalters: Wido IV. Herzog von Spoleto (882/83-897).