Overview
The Norman conquest of southern Italy lasted from 999 to 1194, involving many battles and independent conquerors. In 1130, the territories in southern Italy united as the Kingdom of Sicily, which included the island of Sicily, the southern third of the Italian Peninsula (including Benevento, which was briefly held twice), the archipelago of Malta, and parts of North Africa. Itinerant Norman forces arrived in southern Italy as mercenaries in the service of Lombard and Byzantine factions, communicating swiftly back home news about opportunities in the Mediterranean. These groups gathered in several places, establishing fiefdoms and states of their own, uniting and elevating their status to de facto independence within 50 years of their arrival. Unlike the Norman Conquest of England.
Historical Periods
Norman Italy (1034–1039)
1034 CE – 1039 CE
Area: 120 km²
Norman Italy (1040–1045)
1040 CE – 1045 CE
Area: 1,249 km²
Norman Italy (1046–1055)
1046 CE – 1055 CE
Area: 24,673 km²
Norman Italy (1056–1065)
1056 CE – 1065 CE
Area: 15,479 km²
Norman Italy (1066–1071)
1066 CE – 1071 CE
Area: 40,453 km²
Norman Italy (1072–1084)
1072 CE – 1084 CE
Area: 44,877 km²
Norman Italy (1085–1093)
1085 CE – 1093 CE
Area: 77,692 km²
Norman Italy (1094–1125)
1094 CE – 1125 CE
Area: 79,419 km²
Norman Italy (1126–1138)
1126 CE – 1138 CE
Area: 79,419 km²