The Sicilian Vespers are one of the Isle of Sicily’s most famous historical events. In the years leading up to the start of the revolt, a struggle had broken out between the House of Hohenstafen and the Papacy in Rome over the control of Italy. The former ruled Germany and claimed authority over most of […]
Tag: Normans
The Anarchy
The period between 1135 and 1154 was a time of huge unrest in England, a Civil War which Victorian historians would later name The Anarchy. On December 1st 1135 King Henry I of England fell ill and died whilst on campaign in Normandy, supposedly after eating vast quantities of Lamprey, although poison has also been […]
THE MURDER OF KING RUFUS (WILLIAM II OF ENGLAND)
William was born in 1056, the third son of William the Conqueror, he was more commonly referred to as William the Red or William Rufus due to his rugged red appearance. He was never married nor did he have any children, legitimate or otherwise. When William I died in 1087 he left his title and […]