# Robert I, Count of Conversano

> Italo-Norman noble

**Wikidata**: [Q1188752](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1188752)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_I,_Count_of_Conversano)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/robert-i-count-of-conversano

## Summary
Robert I, Count of Conversano, was a prominent Italo-Norman nobleman and military figure active during the 11th and 12th centuries. Also known by the alias Robert de Bassonville, he was a member of the Norman aristocracy in Southern Italy and was closely linked by marriage to the powerful Hauteville dynasty.

## Key Facts
- **Full Name/Aliases:** Robert I, Robert de Bassonville, Roberto Basunvilla.
- **Birth Date:** 1001.
- **Death Date:** 1138 (recorded as a Gregorian date earlier than 1584).
- **Occupation:** Military personnel.
- **Spouse:** Judith of Hauteville.
- **Children:** Robert III of Loritello.
- **Classification:** Human (male).
- **Historical Record Identifiers:** Freebase ID /m/0d0mhv; Roglo person ID p=robert;n=de bassonville.
- **Academic Reference:** Treccani’s Biographical Dictionary of Italian People ID: roberto-basunvilla_res-748942fc-87e7-11dc-8e9d-0016357eee51.
- **Language Presence:** Wikipedia entries exist in six languages: English (en), Italian (it), Spanish (es), Greek (el), Dutch (nl), and Romanian (ro).

## FAQs
**Who was Robert I, Count of Conversano married to and did he have children?**
Robert I was married to Judith of Hauteville, a member of the preeminent Norman family in Italy. They had a son named Robert III of Loritello, who continued the family's noble lineage.

**What are the alternative names for Robert I, Count of Conversano?**
In historical and academic contexts, he is frequently referred to as Robert de Bassonville. In Italian scholarly sources, such as the Treccani dictionary, he is identified as Roberto Basunvilla.

**What historical sources document the life of Robert I?**
His biography is detailed in the *Biographical Dictionary of Italian People* (Treccani), specifically in Volume 7, published in 1970. The entry was authored by Armando Petrucci and serves as a primary academic reference for his military and noble career.

## Why It Matters
Robert I, Count of Conversano, represents the consolidation of Norman power in Southern Italy. His life spans a critical period of Italo-Norman history, from the early 11th-century arrivals to the mid-12th-century establishment of stable noble territories. By marrying Judith of Hauteville, he aligned himself with the most influential dynasty of the region, illustrating how marriage alliances were used to solidify military and political control. His inclusion in major European biographical dictionaries and multi-language encyclopedias highlights his enduring relevance to the study of medieval Mediterranean nobility.

## Notable For
- **Noble Title:** Served as the Count of Conversano, a significant position within the Italo-Norman administrative structure.
- **Military Service:** Formally classified as military personnel, indicating a career defined by the martial requirements of the Norman conquest and governance.
- **Hauteville Connection:** His marriage to Judith of Hauteville placed him at the center of the Norman socio-political elite.
- **Longevity of Record:** His historical footprint is preserved across multiple modern digital and academic databases, including Treccani, Roglo, and Freebase.

## Body

### Biographical Overview and Identity
Robert I, Count of Conversano, was an Italo-Norman noble born in the year 1001. Throughout his life, he was known by several variations of his name, most notably Robert de Bassonville and the Italianized Roberto Basunvilla. He is categorized as a human male and spent his professional life as a member of the military personnel. Robert I lived until 1138, a date noted in historical records as preceding the 1584 Gregorian calendar transition.

### Family and Lineage
The social standing of Robert I was significantly bolstered by his domestic alliances. He was the spouse of Judith of Hauteville, a union that connected the Bassonville line with the Hauteville family, the primary architects of the Norman Kingdom of Sicily and Southern Italy. This lineage was furthered through his child, Robert III of Loritello, who maintained the family's status within the regional nobility.

### Academic and Digital Documentation
Robert I is a subject of significant interest in European historiography, evidenced by his presence in the *Biographical Dictionary of Italian People* (Treccani). His specific entry in this dictionary (ID: roberto-basunvilla_res-748942fc-87e7-11dc-8e9d-0016357eee51) was written by Armando Petrucci and published in 1970 within Volume 7 of the series. 

In the digital landscape, Robert I is tracked via several unique identifiers:
*   **Freebase:** /m/0d0mhv (published/updated October 28, 2013).
*   **Roglo:** p=robert;n=de bassonville.
*   **Sitelinks:** He maintains a sitelink count of six, with dedicated Wikipedia articles in English, Italian, Spanish, Greek, Dutch, and Romanian.

### Historical Context
As an Italo-Norman noble, Robert I functioned within the complex feudal and military systems of Southern Italy. His career as military personnel and his tenure as Count of Conversano occurred during the formative era of Norman influence in the Mediterranean. His life and titles are recognized as an "instance of human" in structured data repositories, emphasizing his role as a verifiable historical figure rather than a legendary one.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
2. Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani