Saracens were driven out of Apulia during 870s, and the Byzantine rule was imposed again throughout Apulia, with Bari becoming the capital of a distinctive Byzantine province (theme) known as Langobardia (in reference to regions recaptured from Beneventan Lombards), that was by the middle of the 10th century placed under jurisdiction of the newly created Catepanate of Italy.

With the advent of the Normans