Norman Conquest of Southern Italy
Following the Islamic conquest of Sicily in 965, the Normans managed to conquer the island starting in 1060. The Normans had been expanding south, driven by the myth of a happy and sunny island in the Southern Seas. The Norman Robert Guiscard ("the cunning"), son of Tancred, invaded Sicily in 1060. The island was split between three Arab emirs, and the sizable Christian population rebelled against the ruling Muslims. One year later Messina fell under the leadership of Roger I of Sicily, and in 1071, Palermo was taken by the Normans. The loss of the cities, each with a splendid harbor, dealt a severe blow to Muslim power on the island. Eventually all of Sicily was taken. In 1091, Noto in the southern tip of Sicily and the island of Malta, the last Arab strongholds, fell to the Christians.
By the 11th century Muslim power in the Mediterranean had begun to wane. Under Norman rule, Palermo confirmed its role of one of the great capitals of the Mediterranean.
Read more about this topic: Arab-Norman Culture
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