Roger II

Normans, Byzantines and Saracens fought in southern Italy. Norman brothers Robert and Roger Guiscard arrived in the eleventh century. Robert became Count and Duke of Apulia while his brother became Grand Count Roger I, and apostolic legate, of Sicily and died in 1101, to be succeeded by Simon, then Roger II, whom we met on this blog two posts ago.

Roger II, leading a Sicilian Norman-Saracen-Greek army, regained southern Italy, which had been lost since Robert Guiscard's death, defeating a coalition of:

Pope Honorius II, who preached a Crusade against him;
Robert II of Capua;
his brother in law, Rainulf of Avellino;
urban autonomists and republicans.

Honorius was succeeded by rival Popes. Roger backed Anacletus, who rewarded him with the kingship of Sicily, while Innocent fled to France but also gained the support of Louis VI of France, Henry I of England and Emperor Lothair. While war raged through Italy, the Eastern Emperor and the city states of Pisa and Genoa also helped against Roger. This war led to the battle of Rignano, which is where we were before.