Rollo, also known as Rollo of Normandy, was a Viking chieftain who became the founder and first ruler of the region of Normandy.

Rollo’s significance lies in his role as the founder of what became the most powerful French dukedom. He established Viking control of the lands at the mouth of the Seine River. He converted to Christianity as part of a deal with the Frankish king Charles the Simple in 911, changing his name to Robert. His rule was based on a Viking code of law centered on personal honor and individual responsibility. He is the great-great-great-grandfather of William the Conqueror, the first Norman King of England, and ancestor of a number of European monarchs who trace their line to his immediate descendants. His legacy includes far more than raiding and pillaging, as his descendants went on to shape the course of history in significant ways.