We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Translating German Emperors: A Staufen–Sicilian Synthesis under Henry VI?
- Authors
Byrne, Philippa
- Abstract
The Staufen conquest of the Kingdom of Sicily in 1194 can be understood as the violent destruction of a sophisticated and cosmopolitan Norman kingdom and its replacement by a new dynasty with starkly different cultural and political models. Indeed, many contemporary authors decried the brutality associated with Henry VI's conquest. This article considers the other side of the coin by examining the evidence for attempts to integrate Henry VI into the local models associated with the previous monarchy. Despite the limited survival of evidence, there is reason to think that Staufen administrators deliberately continued and cultivated the ceremonies and traditions associated with the Norman Hauteville crown. Moreover, Sicilian elites had meaningful incentives to help translate between Norman and Staufen cultures. Finally, this article examines how a language of Staufen imperial authority could be blended with traditions of Norman rule.
- Subjects
STAUFEN im Breisgau (Germany); SICILY (Italy); HISTORY; HENRY VI, Holy Roman Emperor, 1165-1197; NORMANS; CULTURE
- Publication
German Quarterly, 2023, Vol 96, Issue 2, p163
- ISSN
0016-8831
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/gequ.12333