Gaitelgrima

Gaitelgrima is a Lombard feminine name. There are several notable Gaitelgrimas in history. The identities of these five women (as well as some others of the same name) are often confused because they were all closely related to each other and to two men: Guaimar III of Salerno and his son, Guaimar IV; they were the princes of Salerno from about 983 to 1027 and from 1027 to 1052.

The first was Gaitelgrima of Capua, daughter of Atenulf I of Capua, married Guaimar II of Salerno and was the mother of Gisulf I of Salerno.

The second, also Gaitelgrima of Capua or Gaitelgrima of Benevento (died after 1027), was the daughter of Pandulf II of Benevento and sister of Pandulf IV of Capua. She was the second wife of Guaimar III and mother of Guaimar IV (his successor), Guy (later duke of Sorrento), and Pandulf (later lord of Capaccio). She was also the mother of the third Gaitelgrima.

This third was Gaitelgrima of Salerno, also known as Altrude, who married successively two brothers, Drogo of Hauteville and Humphrey of Hauteville, who were counts of Apulia. Through the latter, she was mother to Abelard and Herman.

The fourth, also named after Gaitelgrima of Benevento, was also a Gaitelgrima of Salerno. She was the daughter of Guaimar IV of Salerno (see above) and Gemma. She was married off by her brother Gisulf II of Salerno to Jordan I of Capua as was her sister, Sichelgaita, to Robert Guiscard.

The last was Gaitelgrima, Duchess of Apulia, the second wife of William II, Duke of Apulia. She was the daughter of Jordan II of Capua. She deeply loved her husband and cut off her hair to cover his coffin at his funeral.