Legend has it that, during the siege by the Greeks, the young Romoaldo, faced with serious difficulties, asked his servant to reach his father in Pavia, where he was engaged in “warfare,” to request reinforcements. The soldier managed to find the Duke and returned to Benevento to inform his Prince that help was on its way. However, before reaching his destination, he was captured by Costante II’s men and, in exchange for his freedom, agreed to lie to his Prince. Yet, when finally face to face with his Lord, Cavalier Gesualdo openly announced that the Duke had already ordered his troops to march to Benevento. Forced to lift the siege, Costante II did not spare Cavalier Gesualdo and had him captured and beheaded.
Gesualdo repeatedly proved his loyalty to the Dukes, earning important roles of trust, including overseeing the construction of a large fortress to defend the Lords’ vast lands. A highly strategic location was chosen: the northern bank of the Fredane river, in a valley crossed by one of the main roads leading to Benevento, atop a hill 650 meters high, from which much of the Gastaldato di Quintodecimo territory could be controlled. There, a manor was built, and over time many houses sprang up nearby, eventually forming a real village. Duke Grimoaldo decided to grant this portion of his duchy as a fief to his loyal Knight and his descendants, giving the settlement the name it bears today. Gesualdo also gained control over neighboring villages such as Frigento Mirabella Eclano and San Mango. In the 12th century, the fortress became a true castle, hosting even the Benedictines from Montecassino, who visited Lagopesole to meet Pope Innocent II. With the Lombard Gesualdo family extinct, the Norman dynasty began in 1078. Official records of the settlement date back to the period when the fief was ruled by Guglielmo d’Altavilla, lord of Lucera and nephew of Robert Guiscard. Born from an affair between Ruggiero Borsa, Duke of Apulia, and Maria, a Salernitan woman, Guglielmo held, besides Gesualdo, other lands in Irpinia and was given the title of Baron by King Roger.
