The daughter of the Prince of Capua, she got married in 999 with
Sergio III, the grand-son of Mansone I, but this was only a
marriage of convenience and political interests. Maria was very
interested in the political facts of the region and, in order to
back up her brother’s wish of territorial expansion, she
organized a coup d’état in 1028 against her husband, who
voluntary chose exile in Byzantium. As a consequence, Maria
proclaimed herself "Ducissa e Patricissa", and ruled together
with her son Mansone II. After a few months the other son
Giovanni, who, on the other hand, already ruled alongside with
his father, thinking that he was entitled to have the dukedom,
started a long fratricide war. Maria came to an agreement with
Giovanni. Mansone was blinded and shut in a tower (Torre del
Gallo Lungo). Such a cruel act against Mansone touched the
feelings of Amalfi people who, filled with indignation, rebelled
against the perpetrators of the crime. Nothing else is known
about Maria, who almost disappeared in th