Roger Ier of Sicily

Roger Ier of Sicily (1031 – June 22nd 1101), called the Bosso and the Large Count , was the Norman count of Sicily of 1071 with 1101.

Biography

Roger of Hauteville ( Ruggero D' Altavilla - it Bosso ) {towards 1034 - Mileto, Calabria, Italy of the South, June 22nd 1101} called (it) “ Bump ” or “ Bosso ” (nickname indicating its robustness), born between 1031 and 1037 (of the sources of time say it twenty years old at the time of its arrival in Italy), is the son junior by Tancrède de Hauteville, small noble Norman of the Cotentin and its second marry (or concubine), Frédésende.

Arrived to Italy in 1057 perhaps accompanying his/her brother Mauger (and perhaps also Godefroi), and a small troop of adventurers, its older brother Robert Guiscard, become count d' Apulie and of Calabria the same year, prefers to draw aside it, being wary of its young person and ambitious brother. Roger is then directed with his band to Calabria where it is charged to choke a revolt and to maintain the order there. He takes part in the fight against the Byzantine of Italy of the South before installing his stronghold with Mileto in 1061. Guiscard appoints it “count de Sicile” in 1062. Roger can begin the conquest of Sicily to release it from the Moslem occupation and especially, to cut a stronghold there: in spite of the weakness of its “army” or rather of its band (hardly 60 warriors during the first forwarding of 1061) it can start with guerroyer in the island. The conquest will be long because of the small number of the Norman warriors (not less than 30 years) and difficult…

After thirty long and difficult years of war with in particular the outstanding episodes of the Metz-native catch of (1061), the seat of Troina (1062; where Roger is besieged during approximately 4 months under very difficult conditions: ), the battles of Cérami (1063) and of battles of Misilmeri, the catch of Palermo in 1072 (coordination of attacks terrestrial, ordered by Roger, and maritime, under the command of his/her Guiscard brother), and finally the catch of Noto (1091), it releases finally the Sicily of the Moslem occupation. At the same time, the death of his/her powerful brother in July 1085 leaves it completely free in its acts and he becomes the only true Master of Sicily which he organizes in county by introducing the feudal system in particular there, while keeping Mileto like capital of its possessions; it is the beginning of Sicily Norman.

Roger had three legitimate wives in turn: Judith d' Évreux pertaining to the Norman big family of the Grandmesnil and related to the ducal family of Normandy, which he marries in his stronghold of Mileto (December 1061); Eremburge de Mortain (towards 1080), pertaining it-also to the nobility Norman by his father Guillaume Guerlenc and by his mother Mathilde (family Montgommery); Adelaide de Montferrat, resulting from the old nobility of origin lombarde of Italy of the North, which he marries in 1089. The latter gives him two wire, Simon of Sicily, prematurely dead in 1105 and especially the future king Roger of Sicily.

One also knows several concubines to him who give him the many bastard ones including one some Mauger , dead young person, or some Godefroi, count of Raguse. His/her legitimate oldest son is the Jordan, died probably front him.

Roger de Hauteville called the Large Count , dies of natural causes on June 22nd, 1101 in its stronghold of Mileto where it is buried.

The chronicler of origin Norman, Godefroi Malterre ( Goffredo Malaterra / Gaufredus Malaterra ), pilot contemporary, says to us of Roger:

“… Roger is an young man of the greatest beauty, robust, of high stature, gracious form, extremely eloquent (…). He is far-sighted in all his actions, friendly and merry with all his men, extremely and courageous, and wild in the battle (…)…”

Family

The elder one of wire of Roger was a bastard name of the Jordan which died before him. Its second wire, Geoffrey is perhaps bastard but it can also be the son of the first or second woman of Roger. In all the cases, it was leprous and thus was not likely any to inherit.

The first marriage of Roger took place in 1061, with Judith, girl of William, Count d' Évreux and of Hawisa d' Échaffour. She died in 1076, leaving him only girls:

  1. a girl married to Hugues de Gercé
  2. Matilda, married to Raymond IV of Toulouse
  3. Adelisa, married to Henry, Count de Monte Sant' Angelo
  4. Emma (deceased in 1120), briefly promised in marriage to Philippe Ier de France; married initially with the Count de Clermont then with Rudolf, Count de Montescaglioso

In 1077, Roger Maria one second time with Eremburga de Mortain, girl of " William, Count de Mortain" (probably William Warlenc). They had eight children:

  1. Mauger, Count de Troina
  2. Matilda, married to Robert, Count of Have
  3. Murielle, married to Josbert de Lucy
  4. Constancy of Sicily, married to Conrad of Italy
  5. Felicia, married with the king Coloman of Violating Hungary
  6. , married to Robert of Burgundy, wire of Robert Ier, Duke of Burgundy
  7. Flandina, married to Henri del Vasto
  8. Judith, married to Robert Ier de Bassunvilla

The third and last woman of Roger Adelaide de Montferrat, niece of Boniface del Vasto, lord of Soap. They married in 1087 and had four children:

  1. Simon of Sicily
  2. Matilda, married to Ranulf II, Count d' Alife
  3. Roger II Count then King de Sicile
  4. Maximilla, married to Hildebrand VI (of the family of Aldobrandeschi)

Sources

  • Geoffrey Malaterra
  • Norwich, John Julius. The Normans in the South 1016-1130 . Longmans: London, 1967.
  • Huerbt Houben (translated by Graham A. Loud and Diane Milburn). Roger II off Sicily: Ruler between East and West . Cambridge University Close, 2002.

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