duke of Amalfi ruler of Amalfi
He was the son of Duke Sergius I and the greatest independent ruler of Amalfi, which he controlled for nearly half a century. When his father Sergius, of the Musco Comite family, assumed the Amalfitan throne in 958, he immediately associated his young son Manso with him.
He is sometimes numbered Manso III. In 966, Manso succeeded to the full dukedom. He was even granted the Byzantine title patricius. From the start he had designs on the Principality of Salerno.
In 973, Manso conspired with Landulf of Conza and Marinus II of Naples to depose Gisulf I of Salerno.
In 974, Gisulf was reinstated by Pandulf Ironhead. In 981, Manso took advantage of the youth of Pandulf II of Salerno and invaded that principality, removing him from office.
Manso associated John with him in the rule, but the Amalfitans were tyrannical and unpopular. In 983, they were overthrown by the people, who elected the exiled count of the palace, John Lambert.
Nevertheless, Manso continued to rule Amalfi until his death.
He built the cathedral of South. Andrea Apostolo and succeeded in getting Pope John XV to make Amalfi an archiepiscopal see (987). According to the Arab traveller Ibn Hawqal, writing in 977, described Amalfi as:
..the most prosperous Lombard city, the most noble, the most illustrious for its conditions, the most wealthy and opulent. The territory of Amalfi borders that of Naples.
A beautiful city, but less important than Amalfi.
