Winichis 1 was Lombard dux of Spoletium ("gloriosus dux Spolitanus"); after pope Leo III (Leo 11) was taken to St Peter's by his supporters following the assaults on him (on 25 April 799) and his subsequent rescue, Winichis 1 went to St Peter's with his army to meet him; he greeted pope Leo III (Leo 11) with veneration and escorted him to safety in Spoletium; there Leo 11 was joined by many supporters before leaving to see the Frankish king, Charlemagne (Karoulos 1): Lib. Pont. 98. 15.

A Frank, Winigis (Winichis 1) had been sent by Charlemagne (Karoulos 1) in 788 with some Frankish troops to check the activities of Hildeprand 2, dux of Spoletium, and Grimoald 6, dux of Beneventum; with them he fought successfully against imperial troops in Italy; they encountered the imperial forces under Theodoros 13 in Calabria and won an overwhelming victory at no cost to themselves and returned with much booty and many prisoners; Winichis 1 later succeeded Hildebrand 2 as dux of Spoletium: Annales regni Francorum s.a. 788. In 799 he was dux of Spoletium; on learning of the attack on the bishop of Rome, Leo 11, he hurried to St Peter's basilica where he and abbot Wirund (not in PBE) received Leo 11 and escorted him to Spoletium: Annales Regni Francorum s.a. 799. In 802 he was a comes and still in command of Spoletium; he was in command of a garrison of Frankish troops in Lucera when he was besieged by the dux of Beneventum, Grimoald 6; weakened by ill-health, he surrendered but was held in honourable captivity: Annales regni Francorum s.a. 802. In the following year he was released from captivity by Grimoald: Annales regni Francorum s.a. 803. In 815, when the bishop of Rome, Leo 11, was on his deathbed, Winichis 1, dux of Spoletium, was sent by Bernard (king of Italy) with soldiers to suppress a revolt by Romans who tried to recover property allegedly stolen by Leo: Annales regni Francorum s.a. 815. By 822 Winichis 1, dux of Spoletium, was an old man and he retired in that year from the world and became a monk; soon afterwards he fell ill and died; he was succeeded as dux by Suppo (not in PBE): Annales Regni Francorum s.a. 822.

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