Sikilgaita of Salerno

  General Notes:

Born: 1040
Marriage: Robert Guiscard of Apulia in 1058
Died: 16 Apr 1090 at age 50
General Notes:
Sikilgaitas navn skrives forskjellig, Sychelgaita, Sichelgaita, Sigelgaita. Hun var en vakker og heltemodig langobardisk prinsesse.Ifølge "Histoire de la Domination Normande en Italie et en Sicile" av Ferdinand Chalandon var Sikilgaita mor til Mathilde. I henhold til samme døde hun 15.04.1090 og ble begravet i Monte Casino, mens andre kilder angir at hun døde 04.09.1090.Hun forsto å øve stor innflytelse på sin mann og synes å ha vært nettopp den kone som passet ham. Mer enn en gang nevner kronistene at hun deltok i sin manns kamper, og at hun oppflammet hans soldater til kamp. Orderic Vital beskylder henne for å ha forgiftet Robert, hvilket ikke kan være riktig, da hun ikke var hos ham dengang han ble syk. Hun kom derimot til hans dødsleie sammen med sønnen Robert.______________________________Sikelgaita was a Lombard princess, the second wife of Robert Guiscard.She was the daughter of Guiamarius IV, prince of Salerno. She married Robert in 1058, after Robert divorced his first wife Alberada due to supposed consanguinity. Her sister had earlier married Robert's half-brother Drogo. In 1060 she gave birth to Roger Borsa, and sometime later she gave birth to a second son, Guy, as well as a daughter, Maud, who married Ramon Berenguer II, Count of Barcelona.Sikelgaita frequently accompanied Robert on his conquests. Although at first she tried to persuade him not to attack the Byzantine Empire, she accompanied him on his campaign against them as well. At the Battle of Dyrrhachium she fought in full armour, rallying Robert's troops when they were initially repulsed by the Byzantine army. According to the Byzantine chronicler Anna Comnena, she was "like another Pallas, if not a second Athena," and Anna attributes to her a quote from the Iliad.In 1083 Sikelgaita returned to Italy with Robert to defend the Pope against Holy Roman emperor Henry IV. She accompanied him on a second campaign against the Byzantines, during which Robert died on Corfu in 1085 with Sikelgaita at his side. Supposedly, she tried to poison Robert's son by his first wife, Bohemund of Taranto, although the two eventually came to an agreement by which Roger Borsa was allowed to succeed Robert.
Noted events in her life were:
• She was a princess.
Sikilgaita married Robert Guiscard of Apulia, son of Tancred of Hauteville and Fransenda, in 1058. (Robert Guiscard of Apulia was born in 1015 in Hauteville, Normandy and died on 17 Jul 1085 in Kefallinía.) The cause of her death was fever.

Sikilgaita married Robert Guiscard of Apulia, son of Tancred of Hauteville and Fransenda, in 1058. (Robert Guiscard of Apulia was born in 1015 in Hauteville, Normandy and died on 17 Jul 1085 in Kefallinia.)