The Lombards invaded Italy.

In 568 CE, the Lombards, a Germanic tribe originally from the Elbe region, invaded northern Italy under the leadership of King Alboin. Their arrival marked the beginning of a major transformation in the Italian peninsula following the collapse of centralized Roman authority. Unlike earlier invaders, the Lombards encountered little resistance; the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, weakened by prior wars and overstretched defenses, was unable to mount a strong defense. The Lombards swiftly occupied key regions in the north, including Milan and Pavia, the latter becoming their capital in 572. Over time, they established the Kingdom of the Lombards, which extended its influence across much of Italy, though the Byzantines retained control over some coastal areas and key cities like Ravenna and Rome. The invasion fragmented Italy into a patchwork of Lombard duchies and Byzantine territories, a division that would shape Italian political geography for centuries. Culturally, the Lombards gradually assimilated with the local population, adopting Latin, Christianity, and Roman administrative practices. #LombardInvasion #EarlyMiddleAges #ItalyHistory #ByzantineEmpire #GermanicTribes #MoofLife_Moment #MoofLife #MomentsOfLife