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The Frontier Kingdom of Norman Sicily in Comparative Perspective

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University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020- 2020 The Uniqueness of a Kingdom: The Frontier Kingdom of Norman Sicily in Comparative Perspective Onyx De La Osa University of Central Florida, [email protected] Part of the European History Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2020 University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Masters Thesis (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020- by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation De La Osa, Onyx, "The Uniqueness of a Kingdom: The Frontier Kingdom of Norman Sicily in Comparative Perspective" (2020). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-. 33. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd2020/33 THE UNIQUENESS OF A KINGDOM: THE FRONTIER KINGDOM OF NORMAN SICILY IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE by ONYX DE LA OSA B.A. Florida Atlantic University, 2014 A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in the Department of History in the College of Arts and Humanities at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2020 © 2020 Onyx De La Osa ii ABSTRACT The frontier was once described as lands on the periphery of a culture. I argue that frontier spaces are a third space where hybridity can occur. Several of these areas existed in the medieval world with many centering around the Mediterranean and its surrounding lands. The Norman kingdom of Sicily is one such place. Utilizing three chronicles of the time, while looking through the lens of the frontier, something not done by other modern historical texts, a distinctiveness begins to become apparent. The geographic location, the island’s past, and the eventual conquest by the Normans provide a base for hybridity to appear. The eventual kingdom came to have more than Christian subjects, they would have Muslim, Jewish and Byzantine Greeks as well. These communities entangling with one another eventually adopted ideas, languages, building styles, and more which is common in a frontier environment. They created something unique when compared to other Norman settlements such as Antioch, Edessa, or in Wales. When looking at the administration, propaganda, toleration and material culture of the kingdom and these settlements a uniqueness becomes clear. After usurping the former ruler and instilling their own administration the Normans had maintained the former structures of power; they had also utilized their subjects to help create a lasting legacy, one which is admired even today. The other settlements shared similarities, Antioch, for instance, was conquered the same way as Sicily. The Norman administration pushed for full integration, but the Christian subjects often still clashed showcasing a long-held unease with the other cultures in the kingdom. The administration also experienced their own cultural entanglement adopting Muslim thinking. The hybridity of cultures experienced in Sicily went unmatched by any other Norman settlement and would be the cause of their unique identity. iii To Dr. Simon Barton, may you rest in peace, and to my love, Tatiana. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Duncan Hardy for providing unending support and guidance through this writing process. Without your help I would still be stuck trying to interpret a primary source into a thesis. I would also like to thank my committee, Dr. Peter Larson and Dr. Tiffany Earley-Spadoni for their help through this process and the years of wisdom provided over my time as a graduate student. I would also like to thank Dr. Amelia Lyons for her help in developing me into the professional I am today. I owe Dr. Graham A. Loud and Dr. Thomas Wiedemann for their work in translating both Malaterra and Falcandus. Without their work I would not have any shoulders to stand on. I would also like to thank Geoffrey Malaterra and Hugo Falcandus, whomever he is, for it is their work in the past that I owe my current success to. Next, I would like to thank some friends and colleagues for their support, time, perspectives, moments of calm, and moments of commiserating. Matthew Patsis, Quintella Greene, Bryce Forgue, Carys O’Neill, Sharon Rodriguez, Kody Whittington, Leabert Henry, Michael Dixon, Sean Welch, and Bronte Bettencourt. Finally, I wish to acknowledge my partner Tatiana A. Ramos for her love, her support, and her level headedness. She always knew how to give me the tough words I needed to get back on track. v TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 1: THE FRONTIER ................................................................................................... 11 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 11 The Frontier: What Does it Mean? ........................................................................................... 12 Sicily’s Prime Location ............................................................................................................. 16 Sicilian Occupation ................................................................................................................... 18 Toleration .................................................................................................................................. 24 Diplomacy and Propaganda....................................................................................................... 29 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 33 CHAPTER 2: HYBRIDITY ......................................................................................................... 35 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 35 Hybridity: Definition and Usage ............................................................................................... 36 Understanding the Established Cultures of the Lands .............................................................. 39 Norman Hybridity with Local Cultures .................................................................................... 50 Hybridity or Simply Tolerance? ................................................................................................ 55 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 58 vi CHAPTER 3: NORMAN-ARAB-BYZANTINE ......................................................................... 61 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 61 Analysis of Structures in Palermo ............................................................................................. 63 Analysis of the Locations Outside of Palermo .......................................................................... 77 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 80 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................. 82 APPENDIX A: FIGURES ............................................................................................................ 91 APPENDIX B: COPYRIGHT PERMISSION LETTER .......................................................... 111 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................... 114 Primary: ................................................................................................................................... 114 Secondary: ............................................................................................................................... 114 Articles: ................................................................................................................................... 116 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Santa maria dell’Ammiraglio and Santa Cataldo .......................................................... 92 Figure 2: Interior of Santa Maria dell'Ammiraglio ....................................................................... 93 Figure 3: Interior of Santa Cataldo ............................................................................................... 94 Figure 4:Royal Palace, Pisana Tower Exterior ............................................................................. 95 Figure 5:Royal Palace, Maqueda quadrangle, northern front with the medieval arcade of the Palatine Chapel ............................................................................................................................. 96 Figure 6: Palatine Chapel, Southern Aisle. ................................................................................... 97 Figure 7:Palatine Chapel, Dome. .................................................................................................. 98 Figure 8: San Giovanni degli Eremiti ..........................................................................................
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