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Roger II, King of Sicily 1130-1154,
(1095-1154)
Born 22 December 1095 / 1097
Died 27 January 1154 / 26 February 1154
Married (1) 1120
Elvira of Castile,
daughter of Alfonso VI "the Brave", King of Castile 1072-1109
and Leon 1065-1109 and Isabel
Died 1135
Married (2) 1150
Sibylle de Bourgogne,
daughter of Hugues II Borel, Duke of Bourgogne 1102-1143
and Mathilde de Mayenne
Born circa 1126
Died 1150
Married (3) 1151
Beatrice de Vitry-Rethel,
daughter of Vuiton/Withier, Comte de Rethel, Chatelain de Vitry
and Beatrice de Namur
Born 1130 / 1135
Died 31 March 1185
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When his father died in 1101, his mother, Adelaide de Savona, ruled
Sicily until 1112 when Roger became of age. Adelaide then went to Palestine
and married King Baudouin of Jerusalem.
Roger claimed the vacant Duchies of Calabria and Apulia which had belonged
to his deceased cousin, William. With a show of his army, he forced Pope
Honorius II to invest him with these Duchies. He then returned to Sicily
and, in 1130 at Palermo, assuming the title of King of Sicily and Italy,
was crowned by a representative of Anti-pope Anacletus. In 1133 the Latheran
Council cancelled all actions of Anacletus but, in 1139, Roger captured
Pope Innocent II and treated him with such reverence that the pope rewarded
him with the titles of King of Sicily, Duke of Apulia, and Prince of Capua.
King Roger II then conquered Tripoli in North-Africa while his admiral,
George of Antioch, conquered Corfu, Thebes and Corinthe and attacked Constantinople.
Roger spent his last years in Palermo where he surrounded himself with
learned Arabs while the literature in
Sicily flourished.
Ruling with the assistance of a kind of parliament, Roger was tolerant
towards his Saracen subjects while the Moslem religion was only practised.
In public documents Greek, Latin and Arabic were used. As well, Saracen
workmen were employed by him to build churches and the Palace of La Favara.
In 1129 he began building the Cathedral of Cefalu.
Source: Leo van de Pas |
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