Invasione, migrazione o invito? L’arrivo dei longobardi in Italia

Moving from the History of the Longobards of Paul the Deacon (end of the VIII century CE), this essay analyses the different documentary reactions to the Lombard “invasion” of Italy. The strict chronology (569-572 CE) of this “invasion” allows us to discover two Paul’s sources: Gregory the Great and Gregory of Tours. The two Gregory will be placed at the centre of a network of witnesses, ranging from the pseudo-Fredegarius to the so-called Consularia italica. A special place is given to the Chronicle of Mario of Avenches. Thanks to Mario, we will be able to interpret the connections between history and genetics and give meaning to the word migration, between invasion and invitation