…to escape invading Lombards from the north. The invasion of the Lombards went unopposed till they conquered Italy. The Lombards crossed to the Julian Alps in the spring of 568. Their arrival in the Italian peninsula was in the late 6th century. Lombards were Germanic people and conquered all of Italy.
Lombards were ruled by a king with dukes and other high-ranking aristocrats. The kingdom was also divided among these dukes with the political capital being Pavia. After a period of dominating Italy, the Lombards began to adopt Roman cultures. They changed their hairstyles, dressings, and language.
By the 7th century, the Lombards had almost converted fully to Catholicism. They were formally Arian Christians and pagans. However, to get in good standing with the Roman Empire, these people changed their ways till, in the 8th century, there was almost no trace of their original culture.