Summary of La Discesa dei Normanni in Sicilia nel 1060 - Documentario Youtube 2018

00:00:00 - 00:20:00

In this video, a documentary about the 1060 descent of the Normans in Sicily, Ruggiero, the grand count, delivers an emotional speech urging his troops to fight with all their strength. He then refers to Christ as their strongest ally, and the troops are inspired to fight under the name of Christ. The Normans continue to conquer land in Sicily, winning many battles in the process. Three years after the battle of Cerami, the Muslim army is defeated by the Normans at the Battle of Mesina, and the Normans soon capture Palermo. The count then assaults the city of Catania, and the Normans over-take it after a surprise attack. However, the city remains under the control of the Arabs, and the Normans soon face a new enemy in the form of the Byzantine Empire.

• 00:00:00 In the 1060s, young noble Ruggiero fought a bloody war with his brother, the Guiscardo, for control of southern Italy. After winning, he rested abroad, enjoying the spoils of victory: beautiful, blood-costly conquests. But Ruggiero's ambition never fades - in fact, it only grows stronger after he learns of an island off the coast of his possessions, controlled by Arabs for centuries. If Ruggiero could only conquer Sicily, he would gain religious and political leverage over the entire Muslim world - and create a Christian kingdom in a Muslim-controlled territory. In 1061, a man Ruggiero had helped escape from an Arab tyrant arrives in Sicily, penniless, seeking refuge. Ruggiero takes him in, and soon decides to conquer the island himself - with the help of his newly arrived troops and his old ally, Inaltum Aeche, the Emir of the southern coast of Sicily. But the internal political fractures of the island - caused by centuries of struggle between the three main centers of power - soon create an insurmountable military and political obstacle. Ruggiero's attempt to land in force at night in a more southern territory is foiled, and he
• 00:05:00 In 1060, Giorni Messina was fortified and subsequently Ruggiero decided to move his forces to the heart of Sicily, where he was joined by the forces of the Arab coalition. Any military campaign is not just a matter of moving armies or bloody battles, but also involving treason and struggles, all of which make conquering a territory a rather fragmentary and difficult undertaking. Added to this is the constant presence of Ruggiero due to political problems concerning his own possessions in Calabria. This causes military problems or his service to his brother, Roberto, who is clearly visible in the campaign as the conquest of Sicily can be considered rather organically, rather than a single event, despite the fact that Ruggero's forces fought numerous battles in the vicinity of Agira, winning a vast amount of war spoils. Later, after numerous invasions into Agrigento due to the approach of winter, Ruggero decided to stop military operations and celebrate Christmas in Troina, which was then a Christian city under the control of the Normans, in 1062. This was a moment full of great challenges for the great Count, after a military campaign that had produced excellent results, only a few months later he would reach Mileto, Giuditta's
• 00:10:00 In this YouTube video, a documentary about the 1060 descent of the Normans in Sicily, Ruggiero, the grand count, delivers an emotional speech urging his troops to fight with all their strength. He then refers to Christ as their strongest ally, and the troops are inspired to fight under the name of Christ. Frightened by the Normans' ferocity, their enemies try to glorify themselves by claiming that they are the only ones brave enough to fight. However, the Normans are sure because God will protect them. Gideon and Saint Peter, the pope, bless the count and his troops and inspire them to complete their mission. The Normans continue to conquer land in Sicily, winning many battles in the process. Three years after the battle of Cerami, the Muslim army is defeated by the Normans at the Battle of Mesina, and the Normans soon capture Palermo. The count then assaults the city of Catania, and the Normans over-take it after a surprise attack. However, the city remains under the control of the Arabs, and the Normans soon face a new enemy in the form of the Byzantine Empire. The count decides to build defensive walls around his various possessions in Sicily, starting with Mazara in
• 00:15:00 The documentary details the Norman conquest of Sicily in 1060 and the subsequent violence and instability it caused. Three important figures of the time - Pope Gregory VII, King William the Conqueror, and Robert Guiscard - all die in the end of the year, leaving the kingdom to their children. Ruggiero, the son of Robert, takes control of the region and signs a treaty with the great count for his possessions in Calabria. This leads to a new phase in the conquest of Sicily, as the Normans remain in a minority despite their greater numbers. The Arabs, led by the Emir of Siracusa, launch attacks against Robert, which could destabilize his power. After preparing a fleet, Berna raids and plunder churches in the territories under the count's control. The monasteries of Rocca dell'Asino and Roca delle Monache are attacked unsuccessfully. Ruggiero decides to launch a violent counterattack, defeating the Emir's forces in the process. The Normans then march on Siracusa. After celebrating the sacraments in the heart of the night, the Norman army siezes the city with Berna Vetta in the lead. Robert, wounded in the leg by the lupine
• 00:20:00 This video documents the descent of the Normans in Sicily in 1060.