Romuald Guarna

Romuald Guarna (* 1115 in Salerno, † April 4, 1181 ibid ) was historian and since 1153 archbishop of Salerno.

Romuald came from the Campanian noble family Guarna. At the school of Salerno, he studied medicine, sometimes his work is attested as a doctor.

Under William I and in the first years of William II, who was crowned by him, he was one of the most influential prelates of Sicily. After Archbishop Walter had taken over from Palermo the lead in Familiarenkolleg, Romuald went back increasingly influence, especially since he does not regularly for a long time resided in Palermo at the court. As a negotiator he had significant influence on the Concordat of Benevento between Adrian IV and William I ( 1156 ) and the Peace of Venice ( 1177 ).

His Chronicle of the World, ranging from the creation of the world by the year 1178, is the first example of this kind from Italy. Models were Orosius, Bede, Paul the Deacon or Boso in the Liber Pontificalis. For Southern Italy and Sicily, it provides additions to Alexander of Telese for Roger II, Hugo Falcandus for the time of William I. and the beginnings of Wilhelm II for the first decade of his reign, it is the only detailed account, over a purely local horizon beyond. For the Peace of Venice, which was concluded in 1177 between Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, Pope Alexander III. , The Lombard communes and Wilhelm II, Romualdo's chronicle is the main source.

Writings

• Wilhelm Arndt, Romoaldi II archiepsicopi Salernitani annales, in Monumenta Historica Germaniae, SS XIX, Hannover 1866, pp. 387-461 beginning of the edition in the Digital Monumenta
• Carlo Alberto Garufi, Romualdi Salernitani Chronicon, Città di Castello, 1935. [ Rerum Scriptores Italicarum, NS t. VII / 1]