In the eleventh century, the Norman brothers, Robert and Roger Guiscard, and their families arrived in Southern Italy where other Normans had already settled and were fighting both Saracens and Byzantines. Robert became Count and Duke of Apulia. Roger became Grand Count of Sicily and papal legate.
Roger, dying in 1101, was succeeded by his eight-year-old son, Simon, with his last wife, Adelaide, as regent. Adelaide defeated a baronial revolt and, when Simon died, passed the realm to her son, Roger II, who, in 1121, set out to regain southern Italy which had been lost after Robert's death. Roger II was resisted by Pope Honorius II, who preached a crusade against him, Robert II of Capua, Rainulf of Avellino (Roger's brother-in-law) and republican-minded mainlanders.
Roger's army of Sicilian Normans, Saracens and Greeks defeated the opposing coalition so that, by the end of 1129, he was Duke of Naples, Capua etc but wanted to be king. When Honorius died in early 1130, rival Popes were elected, Roger backed Anacletus, who made him king of Sicily, and Innocent fled to France.
Louis VI of France, Henry I of England and Emperor Lothair backed Innocent. Rainulf led a revolt in southern Italy. When, in 1134, Roger was clearly winning, the Eastern Emperor, Pisa and Genoa pitched in against him. When Lothair, Innocent and Rainulf were victorious in Italy, Innocent made Rainulf Duke of Apulia. Roger counterattacked, sacked Capua, regained Naples and "...met Rainulf at Rignano...." (p. 326)
Everard learns that a knight from Anagni called Lorenzo de Conti killed Roger at Rignano. Will Lorenzo turn out to be a time traveler?
1 comment:
Kaor, Paul!
And we sees some of the earlier Normans to settle in southern Italy in vol 1 of Anderson's THE LAST VIKING: THE GOLDEN HORN. Indisputably brave but treacherous and ferocious. We see in them all the characteristics which enabled the Guiscards to eventually conquer southern Italy and Sicily.
Ad astra! Sean
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