Duchy of Gaeta

Duchy of Gaeta
Ducatus Caietae (Latin)
839–1140
Flag of Duchy of Gaeta
Flag
Coat of arms of Duchy of Gaeta
Coat of arms
The states present in Campania around the year 1000. In red, the Duchy of Gaeta
The states present in Campania around the year 1000. In red, the Duchy of Gaeta
CapitalGaeta
Common languagesMedieval Latin
Religion
Roman Catholicism
GovernmentOligarchy
Duke 
• 839–866
Constantine of Gaeta (first)
• 1121–1140
Richard III of Gaeta (last)
Historical eraMiddle Ages
• Established
839
• Disestablished
1140
CurrencyFollaro gaetano
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Duchy of Naples
Kingdom of Sicily
Today part ofItaly

The Duchy of Gaeta (Latin: Ducatus Caietae) was an early medieval state centered on the coastal South Italian city of Gaeta. It began in the early ninth century as the local community began to grow autonomous as Byzantine power lagged in the Mediterranean and the peninsula due to Lombard and Saracen incursions.

The primary source for the history of Gaeta during its ducal period is the Codex Caietanus, a collection of charters preserving Gaetan history better and in greater detail than that of its neighbouring coastal states: Naples, Amalfi, and Sorrento. In 778, it was the headquarters from which the patrician of Sicily directed the campaign against the Saracen invaders of Campania.