Kingdom of Sicily: Map & History
The Kingdom of Sicily was a state that existed in Sicily and the southern Italian Peninsula as well as, for a time, in North Africa, from its founding by Roger II of Sicily in 1130 until 1816.
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The Kingdom of Sicily was a state that existed in Sicily and the southern Italian Peninsula as well as, for a time, in North Africa, from its founding by Roger II of Sicily in 1130 until 1816. It was a successor state of the County of Sicily, which had been founded in 1071 during the Norman conquest of the southern peninsula. The island was divided into three regions: Val di Mazara, Val Demone and Val di Noto.
Modern Countries Once Part of Kingdom of Sicily
At its mapped extent, Kingdom of Sicily covered territory in 2 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Kingdom of Sicily's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Kingdom of Sicily in Depth
History
By the 11th century, mainland southern Lombard and Byzantine powers were hiring Norman mercenaries, who were descendants of Vikings in northern France. It was the Normans under Roger I who conquered Sicily, taking it away from the Sicilian Muslims. After taking Apulia and Calabria, Roger occupied Messina with an army of 700 knights. In 1068, Roger I of Sicily and his men defeated the Muslims at Misilmeri but the most crucial battle was the Siege of Palermo, which led to Sicily being completely under Norman control by 1091.
In 1130, Roger II convened the Curiae Generales in the Royal Palace in Palermo to proclaim the first King of Sicily, which could be considered the first parliament in the modern sense. Thus, the Kingdom of Sicily was created and born.
Economy
The high fertility of the land led the Norman kings to bring settlers from neighbouring regions or to resettle farmers to areas where cultivation of land was needed. This led to an increase in agricultural production. The main sources of wealth for the Kingdom of Sicily in that time were its maritime cities, most important of which were the ancient port cities of Naples and its nearby counterpart Amalfi, from which local products were exported. The main export was durum wheat, with other exports including nuts, timber, oil, bacon, cheese, furs, hides, hemp and cloth. Grain and other dry products were measured in salme, which was equivalent to 275.08 litres in the western part of the Kingdom, and 300.3 litres in the eastern part. The salma was divided in 16 tumoli.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Kingdom of Sicily (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Kingdom of Sicily: Key Facts
| Capitals | Naples, Catania |
|---|---|
| Official languages | Greek, Arabic, Sicilian |
| Form of government | monarchy, feudal monarchy |
| Currencies | Sicilian piastra, tarì |
| Founded | 1130 |
| Dissolved | 1816 |
Facts from Wikidata Q188586 (CC0).
Kingdom of Sicily Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Kingdom of Sicily appears, with the other states of the time.
Kingdom of Sicily Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 91,977 km² in 1174 CE.
Kingdom of Sicily: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Kingdom of Sicily exist?
The Kingdom of Sicily is dated to 1139 CE – 1384 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Kingdom of Sicily?
The capital of the Kingdom of Sicily was Palermo.
How large was the Kingdom of Sicily at its peak?
At its peak in 1174 AD the Kingdom of Sicily covered about 91,977 km².
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