Norman Kingdom of Sicily
Contents
Geography
Cities of Sicily
- Palermo -- medieval -- Capital of the New Kingdom of Sicily
- Syracuse -- medieval --
Locations of Interest
- Castel d'Ombro -- Better known as the "Castle of Shadows"
- The Lair of Nystor
History
Norman Conquest of Sicily
The Norman conquest of southern Italy lasted from 999 to 1139, involving many battles and independent conquerors. In 1130 these territories in southern Italy united as the Kingdom of Sicily, which included the island of Sicily, the southern third of the Italian Peninsula (except Benevento, which was briefly held twice), the archipelago of Malta and parts of North Africa.
Itinerant Norman forces arrived in the Mezzogiorno as mercenaries in the service of Lombard and Byzantine factions, communicating news swiftly back home about opportunities in the Mediterranean. These groups gathered in several places, establishing fiefdoms and states of their own, uniting and elevating their status to de facto independence within fifty years of their arrival.
Unlike the Norman conquest of England (1066), which took a few years after one decisive battle, the conquest of southern Italy was the product of decades and a number of battles, few decisive. Many territories were conquered independently, and only later were unified into a single state. Compared to the conquest of England, it was unplanned and disorganized, but equally complete.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_of_Sicily
