Seeing opportunity, the Lombards overthrew the meagre Roman garrison, establishing a capital at Pavia in 572 CE. Later, they watched as Emperor Justinian attempted to reclaim Italy from the Ostrogoths.
Having fled across Europe from the relentless Huns and the freezing weather, they found relative safety in the west. The Lombards have endured hardships and trials to become powerful, founding their kingdom atop the crumbling Western Roman Empire in Italy.
