Year 1068, almost all of Puglia is under the dominion of the Norman conquerors, with the sole exception of some ports which remain in the hands of the Byzantines, however the “Men of the North” are preparing to launch the decisive attack, aimed at total control of the region, before concentrating on the conquest of Sicily, still in possession of the Arabs. Some forces were withdrawn from the island, subsequently placed under the orders of Count Goffredo, who laid siege to Otranto. At the same time, Robert Guiscard, at the head of another army, laid siege to Bari on 5 August.
The population of the city is divided into two parties, one pro-Byzantine and another, led by Argirizzo di Gioannaccio, pro-Norman. Between the two factions the pro-Byzantine one prevails so, as soon as Guiscardo lays the siege, the people of Bari close the city gates and ask for help from the Eastern Roman Emperor IV Diogenes, sending some ambassadors to Constantinople and refusing the offers of surrender of Guiscardo. The Norman siege, however, did not seem to produce considerable effects, since the walls withstood the impact well, while the resistance of the Bari people prevailed over the enemy offensives. In October Otranto falls and Roberto, determined to conclude the capture of Bari as soon as possible, attempts to isolate the port by building a fortified bridge, so as to prevent any supplies by sea. However, the Bari family manage to destroy the work.
Concerned by the evolution of the situation, Romanus IV appoints general Avartutele as the new catapan of Italy, placing him at the head of a fleet loaded with men and food, with the task of rescuing the besieged city.
The fleet arrived in Bari in the first months of 1069, at the same time an army moved by land towards the city, but was intercepted by the Norman forces who faced it in a pitched battle and defeated it. Following the clash, Gravina also falls into the hands of Roberto. The latter, however, decided not to return to Bari immediately. In January 1070 he resumed operations, heading towards Brindisi, also under siege, which was forced to surrender in the autumn.
Meanwhile, Bari risks capitulating due to starvation. Avartutele organizes a plot aimed at assassinating Guiscardo but the assassin, the patrician Byzantium Guideliku, fails in the undertaking. Revenge was not long in coming, in fact in July 1070 Argirizzo had Guideliku murdered. Following this event, the power of the pro-Norman party strengthened. Concerned by the evolving situation, Avartuteles sends some emissaries to Constantinople with a request for food aid and, promptly, Romanus IV sends a new fleet loaded with grain to Bari. Soon the supplies run out and the catapan is forced to ask for a new supply. With great difficulty the emperor manages to arm 20 ships, under the orders of a Norman renegade named Gozzelino and the new catapan Stefano Paterano.
In February 1071, however, the Normans managed to intercept the ships, forcing them into a naval battle off the coast of Bari, in which they were defeated and dispersed. The Byzantines lose 150 men, while Gozzelino is captured. Only Paterano managed to reach the city, but he realized that it was impossible to continue the resistance, so on 15 April he handed it over to the Normans.
Cosimo Enrico Marseglia
