Kingdom of Sicily

A medieval kingdom founded in 1130 that united Sicily and much of southern Italy under Norman rule. It later passed through several dynasties and political unions.

Roger II of Sicily: The first king of Sicily, crowned in 1130, who consolidated Norman rule across southern Italy and the island. His coronation established the kingdom and his reign shaped its central authority.
Norman conquest of southern Italy: The eleventh-century expansion by Norman forces that established their rule across much of southern Italy. It supplied the territorial base from which the Kingdom of Sicily was built.
Tancred of Hauteville: A Norman noble whose descendants conquered territories in southern Italy and founded the Hauteville dynasty there. The dynasty he founded produced the rulers who established the kingdom.
Kingdom of Naples: A medieval and early modern kingdom centered on Naples and southern Italy, distinct from the island kingdom of Sicily. After the Sicilian Vespers, the mainland and island came under rival rulers.
Siculo-Norman art: A medieval artistic tradition in Sicily that blended Norman, Byzantine, and Islamic forms and techniques. Its surviving buildings and objects reflect the kingdom's multilingual court and diverse population.
Assizes of Ariano: A body of laws promulgated by Roger II at Ariano in 1140 to strengthen royal authority. These laws show how Roger II sought to govern the kingdom through centralized royal justice.
County of Sicily: A Norman-ruled territory in Sicily created after the island's conquest began in 1061. The county was the immediate predecessor of the island's elevation into a kingdom.
Constance of Sicily: The posthumous daughter of Roger II who became queen of Sicily and mother of Emperor Frederick II. Her marriage and succession transferred the kingdom from the Hauteville line to the Hohenstaufen dynasty.
Kingdom of Trinacria: A name used for the Aragonese-ruled kingdom on the island of Sicily after the Sicilian Vespers. It distinguished the island crown from the Angevin-controlled mainland kingdom.
Palatine Chapel: A royal chapel in Palermo built under Roger II and decorated with mosaics and an Arabic wooden ceiling. It is a concentrated example of the kingdom's architectural and artistic synthesis.

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