- Italo-Norman
The Italo-Normans, or Siculo-Normans when referring to
Sicily , were the Italian-born descendants of the first Norman conquerors to travel to theMezzogiorno in the first half of the eleventh century. While maintaining much of their distinctly Norman piety and customs of war, they were shaped by the diversity of southern Italy, by the cultures and customs of the Greeks,Lombards , andArabs .Normans first arrived in Italy as pilgrims probably either on their way or returning from
Jerusalem or visiting the shrine at Monte Gargano in the late tenth and early eleventh century. In 1017, the Lombard lords inApulia recruited their assistance against the dwindling power of the ByzantineCatapanate of Italy . They soon established vassal states of their own [The Norman leaderRainulf Drengot was granted a base in the fortress ofAversa in 1029.] and began to expand their conquests until they were encroaching on the Lombard principalities of Benevento and Capua, Saracen controlled territories, and territory underpapal allegiance, as well as Greek. They began the conquest of Sicily in1061 and it was complete by1091 .Italo-Normans were the primary Norman mercenaries in the employ of the
Byzantine emperors and theArmenia ns. Many found service inRome , under the pope, and some went toSpain to join theReconquista . In1096 , the Normans of Bohemond of Taranto joined theFirst Crusade . These Italians set up theprincipality of Antioch in theLevant . The entire Mediterranean world was touched by the unique Italo-Norman civilisation. In1130 , underRoger II , they created a lasting polity likeWilliam the Conqueror 's inEngland : theKingdom of Sicily , encompassing the whole of their conquests in the peninsula and the island.Further reading
*Loud, Graham A. "The Age of Robert Guiscard: Southern Italy and the Norman Conquest" (series The Medieval World) Essex: Longman 2000.
Notes
ee also
*
Anglo-Norman , the Normans in England
*Cambro-Norman , the Normans in Wales
*Hiberno-Norman , the Normans in Ireland
*Scoto-Norman , the Normans in Scotland
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