Who was Roger I, Count of Sicily?

Roger was the youngest son of a minor Norman knight, Tancred de Hauteville. Through military conquest and political aptitude, he became an influential, wealthy, and respected lord of his own county in Sicily.

What religion dominated in Norman Sicily?

At the time of Roger I, Sicily was inhabited by a large Arabic-speaking Muslim population, with pockets of culturally Greek Orthodox Byzantine adherents. Although Roger and his Norman compatriots were Catholics and sought legitimacy from the pope, Islamic law and religion could still be practiced.

Roger I of Sicily

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Definition

Roger I, also known as Roger Bosso (c. 1031-1101) was a Norman knight and adventurer best known for conquering The Emirate of Sicily during the 11th century. His lifelong efforts helped lay the foundations of a wealthy new Mediterranean state based in Palermo, known as the Kingdom of Sicily founded in 1130.

More about: Roger I of Sicily

Timeline

1031 - 1101
Life of Roger I of Sicily.
1061
Battle of Enna; Norman victory in Sicily.
1063
Battle of Cerami; Roger I of Sicily defeats Ibn al-Hawas.
1068
The Normans under Robert Guiscard begin the three-year siege of Bari, the Byzantine provincial capital of southern Italy.
1068
Battle of Misilmeri; Roger I of Sicily defeats the Zirid prince Ayub.
1071 - 1072
Robert Guiscard besieges Palermo.
1072
Robert Guiscard formally invests Roger as the Count of Sicily under his authority as the Duke of Apulia, Calabria, and Sicily.