Above: Marble sepulcher marker of Anna, died in 1148, inscribed in Jewish, Latin, Greek and Arabic
The fourth-born son of a king rarely grows up preparing to ascend to the throne. Yet, the deaths of the eldest three sons of Roger II (1095-1154), King of Sicily and Africa, all preceded their father’s. Ready or not, William I of Sicily (1121-1166) inherited the crown.
Of course, that makes things sound simpler than they were. Naturally, he faced challenges, quickly losing Africa to the Moors. Then there problems with popes, Byzantines, Romans, Greeks, scheming relatives and revolting barons. King William managed to stay in power, while refusing Sicilian nobles the participation in government they coveted. While his father was known as Roger the Great, William was dubbed the Bad or the Wicked. Perhaps this was unfair, but the history of his reign was penned by a nobleman with a definite chip on his shoulder.
Continue reading “Postcard from Palermo, Sicily: Zisa Palace bears Moorish imprint”
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