Normans in Palermo: How Royal Power Shaped Sicily
Introduction: The Normans in Palermo — a primer on royal power in Sicily When people think of Palermo, Sicily’s capital, they often picture raucous markets, unbeatable street food, and sun-drenched beaches. But tucked into the city’s core is a quieter yet decisive legacy: the Norman imprint. Arriving in Sicily at the end of the 11th century, the Normans brought more than military control; they built a model of centralized, multi-ethnic royal rule that reshaped the…