In 551 it was taken by Totila, but reconquered after his death by Narses for the Byzantine Empire.
The country was overrun by the Goths in the 4th and 5th centuries, but reconquered by Justinian in 535.
Spain reconquered the duchies in the war of succession (1745); they were recovered by Austria in 1746; and Maria Theresa again surrendered them to Don Philip, infante of Spain, in 1748.
Ferdinand did not openly break his constitutional promises until Sicily was reconquered.
The fifth Turkish war (1645-1668) entailed the loss of Crete; and though Morosini reconquered the Morea for a brief space in 1685, that province was finally lost to Venice in 1716.