Conferences - The Wives of Roger I of Hauteville

The Conquest of England and Sicily: Architecture of the Duchy and Norman Architecture in Southern Italy

Cycle of 3 conferences on the wives of Roger I of Hauteville.

This cycle of three conferences focuses on the wives of Roger I of Hauteville and their role in the construction of Norman power in the Mediterranean during the 11th century. It is set against the backdrop of Norman expansion initiated after the creation of the Duchy of Normandy in the 10th century, further reinforced by migrations to southern Italy due to political crises and land shortages.

Among the Norman families established in Mezzogiorno are the Hautevilles. Roger I, who became the count of Sicily and southern Calabria, established his capital in Mileto and led the conquest of Sicily between 1061 and 1091. Taking advantage of the weakening of the Kalbid emirate, he founded fortresses, cathedrals, and religious establishments that contributed to the political and spiritual organization of his territories and paved the way for the emergence of the future Regnum of the Hautevilles in the 12th century.

The conferences highlight the role played by marital alliances in this political success. They notably address the figure of Judith of Évreux, wife of Roger I and half-sister of Benedictine Robert of Grandmesnil. Former abbot of Saint-Évroult-en-Ouche and then abbot of Santa Eufemia in Calabria, he contributed to the development of Latin monasticism in Sicily and Calabria, an essential element of the control and occupation policy pursued by Roger I.

Through the study of the wives of Roger I and the familial, political, and religious networks surrounding them, this cycle sheds light on the relationships between Normandy and the Mediterranean, as well as the movements of people, influences, and powers accompanying the Norman rise alongside major figures like William the Conqueror and Roger I of Hauteville.

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Partnership: Culture Directorate of the City of Evreux