ABSTRACT
At the same time as this battle took place in September, and King Baldwin had a bloody victory, in the first year of his reign, a host of Lombards from the kingdom of Italy, countless in number, who had heard of the Christians’ remarkable victory after Antioch and Jerusalem had been taken, gathered from different regions of Italy and travelled through the kingdom of hungary, making good progress, then set out for the kingdom of the Bulgars, wanting to add reinforcements and to be of use to their Christian brothers.1 Among the company who had taken this same vow were some very noble men: the bishop of Milan; Albert, distinguished count of Biandrate; Guido his brother, an outstanding knight; hugo of Montbeel; Otto, son of the sister of the aforementioned Albert, surnamed Altaspata; Guibert count of the city of Parma, and the other Italian chiefs, men of wonderful nobility and leaders of the army, who had massed together around thirty thousand and, as we have said already, entered the land and kingdom of the Bulgars in strength.
