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Robert of Bassunvilla
(also
Basunvilla
and
Bassonville
) (
c.
1125 ? died 15 September 1182) was the count of
Conversano
(from 1138) and
Loritello
(from 1154, as Robert III). His family had a long history in
Vassonville
, near
Dieppe
.
Robert (II) was the son of
Robert I of Bassunvilla
, who had been granted Conversano by
Roger II
. Robert inherited this possession on his father's death. Roger II had cause later to confiscate the county of Loritello from
William
, his own relative. On his deathbed, he asked his son
William I
to appoint Robert count of Loritello, a quasi-autonomous post. Soon however, he was implicated (truly or falsely) in rebellion and fled first to the
Holy Roman imperial
court of
Frederick Barbarossa
and then the
Byzantine imperial
court of
Manuel I Comnenus
. He may have laid claim to the throne, on the basis of a forged will. He had the assistance of
John Ducas
when he returned to lead the revolt of 1155?1156, but the Byzantine general
Michael Palaeologus
died at
Bari
and William defeated the imperial troops.
By the
Treaty of Benevento
of 1156,
Pope Adrian IV
guaranteed Robert's right to leave the kingdom peacefully, but he renewed instead his designs on the land of the
diocese of Penne
. In 1157 he was encouraged in his rebellious efforts by a new emissary of Manuel I. This was Alexius Axuch, the son of Manuel's chief advisor
John Axuch
.
[1]
Though his
constable
,
Richard of Mandra
, was captured, he evaded the royal army and continued in defiance of William I's authority. In 1161, he conquered much territory to the south. William responded by chasing him from
Taranto
and almost razing
Salerno
. In 1163, however, he was forced to flee again to Barbarossa.
In 1167, he was with the army of
Rainald of Dassel
at the
Battle of Monte Porzio
on 29 May, when a great Roman army was defeated.
In 1169,
Margaret of Navarre
,
regent
of
William II
and widow of William I, and her council of advisors restored Robert to all his former possessions. His widow
Adelisa
, daughter of Roger II, inherited Conversano.
Notes
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Sources
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Preceded by
|
Count of Loritello
1154?1182
|
Succeeded by
Richard de Say
|
Preceded by
|
Count of Conversano
1138?1182
|
Succeeded by
Adelisa
|