The War of the Vespers, also known as the Sicilian Vespers, was a significant conflict in medieval Sicily and Southern Italy that lasted from 1282 to 1302. The war originated from a rebellion against the rule of the House of Anjou, particularly against Charles I of Anjou, who had become the King of Sicily after his victory in the Battle of Benevento in 1266.
The conflict arose due to the dissatisfaction of the Sicilian people with Angevin rule, which was perceived as oppressive and foreign. The Papacy had supported the Angevins against the Hohenstaufen dynasty, creating tension between the local population and the ruling French nobility.
The spark of the rebellion was an incident known as the Sicilian Vespers, which took place on Easter Monday, March 30, 1282, in Palermo. A group of French soldiers allegedly insulted a Sicilian woman, leading to a riot that quickly escalated into a full-scale massacre of the French population in Sicily. This event symbolized the beginning of the uprising against Angevin rule.
The War of the Vespers led to the permanent division of the Kingdom of Sicily into two separate entities:
This division had lasting political, cultural, and economic impacts on Southern Italy.