The Kingdom of Sicily was a state that existed in the south of the Italian Peninsula, including the island of Sicily, from 1130 until 1816. Its history can be divided into several distinct periods, each characterized by different rulers and cultural influences.
The Kingdom of Sicily was established in 1130 when Roger II of Sicily was crowned the first King of Sicily. This marked the consolidation of Norman power in the region, which had begun with the conquest of Sicily by Robert Guiscard and his brother Roger I of Sicily. Under Norman rule, the kingdom saw a fusion of Latin, Greek, and Arab cultures, making it one of the most culturally diverse regions in Europe at the time.
After the death of the last Norman king, William II of Sicily, in 1189, the kingdom passed through marriage to the Hohenstaufen Dynasty. Emperor Henry VI claimed the throne and was crowned King of Sicily in 1194. His son, Frederick II, was perhaps the most famous Hohenstaufen ruler, known for his administrative reforms, promotion of learning, and the establishment of the University of Naples.
Following the death of Conradin, the last Hohenstaufen heir, in 1268, the kingdom came under Angevin control when Charles I of Anjou was invited by Pope Clement IV to take the throne. This led to the War of the Sicilian Vespers in 1282, where the Sicilian population revolted against Angevin rule. The island of Sicily then came under Aragon rule, while the mainland territories, known as the Kingdom of Naples, remained under Angevin control until the Aragonese conquest in 1442.
The kingdom was eventually united with the Crown of Aragon and then passed to the Spanish Habsburgs in 1504. In 1713, following the Treaty of Utrecht, Sicily was ceded to the House of Savoy and then to the Habsburg Monarchy. By 1734, the Bourbons of Spain took control, and in 1816, Ferdinand I merged the Kingdom of Sicily with the Kingdom of Naples to form the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies.
The Kingdom of Sicily was known for its cultural vibrancy, where Latin, Greek, Arab, and Jewish influences melded to create a unique cultural milieu. Administratively, it was progressive for its time, with a centralized government and sophisticated legal and bureaucratic systems. Under Frederick II, the kingdom saw advancements in law, agriculture, and the arts.
The kingdom's decline began with internal conflicts, external pressures, and the shifting balance of power in Europe. The final dissolution came with the unification of Italy in 1860 when Giuseppe Garibaldi led the Expedition of the Thousand, which overthrew the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, leading to the incorporation of Sicily into the newly formed Kingdom of Italy in 1861.