Christian Europe—Norman and Crusaders
845 to 1270
Viking's besiege Paris to Battle of Bouvines
Era Summary Characters Timeline Reading Assignments
Characters—Norman and Crusaders
| Character/Date | Short Biography |
|---|---|
Dukes of Normandy | |
d. 931 |
Viking Leader who was granted the Dukedom of Normandy if he became Christian. |
932–996 |
Grandson of Rollo the Viking who introduced Feudalism into Normandy and increased influence of Duchy. |
1008–1035 |
Duke of Normandy and Father of William the Conqueror. |
1028–1087 |
Claimed the crown of England and won it at the Battle of Hastings. Ruled forcefully but justly. |
1051–1134 |
Eldest son of William the Conqueror, querreled with Father but succeeded him in Normandy. Leader of First Crusade. |
| Arthur of Brittany 1187-1203 | Grandson of Henry II, and rightful king of England, murdered by his uncle John I. His murder led to the King of England's loss of Normandy. |
Normans of Italy | |
1015–1085 |
Norman mercenary who conquered Southern Italy and Sicily from the Greeks and Saracens. |
1093–1154 |
Formed the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily, a great sea power of southern Italy for 7 centuries. |
Last of the Carolingians | |
823–877 |
Grandson of Charlemagne who Inherited Kingdom of the West Franks. Dealt with Norse pirates who besieged Paris. |
879–929 |
French King who conceded the Dukedom of Normandy to Rollo the Viking. |
860–898 |
Ruled briefly as king of France after Charles the Fat was deposed. Gained renown for fighting vikings, but died without issue. |
Early Capet Kings | |
938–996 |
Noble who became a king of France after the death of the last Carolingian King. |
972–1031 |
Second of the Capet Kings of France. Married to Constance, a woman of great intrigue and mischief. |
1081–1137 |
Influential Capet King who centralized royal power and fought the Normans. |
| Louis VII 1120-1180 | Led the disastrous 2nd Crusade with his queen Eleanor of Aquitaine (later divorced). |
1165–1223 |
King of France who expanded his realm by retaking Normandy and Anjou from the Plantagenets. |
Clergy and Ministers | |
850–913 |
Scheming minister of Arnulf, and regent for Louis the Child. Secured vacant throne for Conrad I. |
1079–1142 |
Eminent Priest and Teacher, famed for his ill-fated affair with Heloise. |
1081–1151 |
Trusted Counsellor of Louis VI. Remodeled St. Denis Abbey in Paris in Gothic style and popularized Gothic Architecture. . |
1050–1115 |
Monk who helped instigate the First Crusade, by preaching against the Moslems of Jerusalem. |
1091–1153 |
Monk who helped revive the original spirit of monasticism among the Cistercian Order. |
| Pope Sylvester II 946-1003 | First French Pope. Originally a noted scholar, Gerbert of Aurillac. Promoted use of decimal number system in Europe. |
| Pope Urban II 1035-1099 | Second French Pope. Called for the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont. |
Crusader Kings | |
1060–1118 |
Leader of the first Crusade, served as Count of Edessa, the first Crusader state, and then 'king' of Jerusalem. |
1054–1111 |
Norman Prince of Italy who led the first Crusade became ruler of Antioch crusader state. |
1060–1100 |
Leader of the First Crusade. Reconquered Jerusalem for the Christians. |
1072–1112 |
Leader of the first Crusade who eventually became regent of Antioch and Galilee. |
1197–1249 |
Count of Toulouse who sided with the Albigensian heretics against the King of France. |
Timeline—Norman and Crusaders
| AD Year | Event |
|---|---|
Last of the Carolingian Kings | |
| 843 | Treaty of Verdun: Sons of Louis the Pious divide the Empire into three Parts. |
| 875 | Charles the Bald crowned Holy Roman Emperor, but then dies "suddenly". |
| 879 | Grandsons of Charles the Bald succeed him as joint kings of West Francia. |
| 888 | Charles the Simple, crowned HRE in 881, briefly reunites Frankish Empire, but dies without an heir. |
| 888-898 | Odo of Paris serves as the first Robertian king of France. |
| 898 | Charles the Simple declared king of Franks on death of Odo. Period of weak Franksih kings. |
| 910 | Monastery at Cluny is established (influential in Gregorian Reforms during 11th century). |
| 987 | Death of Last Carolingian king. Hugh Capet chosen as successor. |
| 996-1031 | Robert II, son of Hugh Capet succeeds his father as king of West Franconia. |
Vikings and Dukes of Normandy | |
| 845 | Paris besieged by Ragnar Lodbrok. Seige lifted when Charles the Bald pays ransom. |
| 858 | Chartres is besieged by Northmen, and burned. |
| 885 | Vikings, lead by Rollo the Viking, besiege the City of Paris. Odo of Paris resists |
| 911 | Rollo besieges Chartres, negotiates with Charles the Simple. Made Duke of Normandy; pays homage to king of Franks. |
| 942-996 | Richard the Fearless, grandson of Rollo, expands Norman territory, donates to Church, builds alliances, rules fifty years. |
| 1027-35 | Robert the Magnificent, becomes Duke of Normandy after his brother's "sudden" death. |
| 1035-87 | William the Conqueror reigns in Normandy for over fifty years, becomes strongest baron in Northern Europe. |
| 1066 | William the Conqueror defeats Saxons at Hastings, becomes king of England. |
| Reign of Robert Curthose , son of William the Conqueror, as Duke of Normandy. | |
Normans in Italy | |
| 999 | Normans arrive in Italy to serve as mercenaries for Byzantine wars against Lombards. |
| 1042 | William of Hauteville conquers Byzantine territory in Italy, rules as Count of Calabria. |
| 1053 | Normans begin conquest of Lombard territory in Southern Italy. |
| 1054 | Schism with Eastern Church, due in part to Norman aggression in Italy. |
| 1059 | After Battle of Civitate, Pope recognizes Robert Guiscard as Duke of Calabria, and Normans protect Papal interests. |
| 1061 | Guiscard and Roger of Sicily begin conquest of Sicily, held by Moslems for 200 years. |
| 1077 | Robert Guiscard adds Naples to his territories in Southern Italy. |
| 1080 | Christians in Sicily and S. Italy forced to switch allegiance from Constantinople to Roman. |
| 1091 | Roger of Sicily completes conquest of Sicily, attempts to conquer Moslem-held Malta. |
| 1130 | Roger II made first 'King of Sicily' with territory encompassing all of southern Italy. |
Normans Heroes of the First Crusade | |
| 1095 | Pope Urban II calls for a Crusade at the Council of Clermont. First Crusade led primarily by Norman princes. |
| 1098 | Baldwin I founds Crusader kingdom of Edessa, later governed by Baldwin II, lasts until 1148. |
| 1098 | Bohemond I , son of Robert Guiscard, founds Principality of Antioch, lasts until 1268. |
| 1099 | Godfrey of Bouillon founds Kingdom of Jerusalem, lasts until 1291. |
Rise of the Capet Kings of France | |
| 1108-37 | Louis VI (the Fat) first strong French king since Charlemagne, begins centralization of power. |
| 1120 | St Denis Abbey rebuilt in Gothic style by Abbot Suger , advisor to Louis VI and VII. |
| 1137-80 | Louis VII rules 43 years. Fifteen year marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine anulled without issue. |
| 1147 | Louis VII leads the disastrous 2nd Crusade. |
| 1150 | University of Paris Founded |
| 1163 | Begin construction of Notre Dame of Paris in Gothic style, under Bishop de Sully. |
| 1180-1223 | Philip Augustus ascends to throne, reigns for 43 years. Continues consolidation of power. |
| 1189 | Third Crusade led by Philip II Augustus and Richard I. Crusaders fail to recover Jerusalem. |
| 1209-29 | Albigensian Crusade called by Innocent III. After great loss of life, their protector, Raymond VII of Toulouse makes peace. |
| 1214 | Battle of Bouvines: Philip II victory over English-Flemish force, assuring French control over Brittany and Normandy. |
Later Crusades | |
| 1202 | Fourth Crusade launched; crusaders allied with Venice sack Constantinople. |
| 1248 | Louis IX leads 7th crusade to Egypt. Perishes on 8th Crusade in Tunisia. |
| 1291 | Kingdom of Jerusalem, the last Crusader kingdom falls to the Mamluks when the city of Acre was taken. |
Recommended Reading—Norman and Crusaders
Core Reading Assignments | ||
|---|---|---|
| Guerber - The Story of Old France | Normans Besiege Paris to The Battle of Bouvines (10) | |
| Marshall - A History of France | Paris defies the Sea Kings to Battle of Bouvines (18) | |
Supplemental Recommendations | ||
| Macgregor - The Story of France | The Vikings to The Battle of Bouvines (10) | |
| Marshall - The Story of Europe | Coming of the Northmen to Normans in Sicily (4) | |
| Wilmot-Buxton - The Story of the Crusades | entire book | |
| Yonge - The Little Duke | entire book | |
| Tappan - In the Days of William the Conqueror | entire book | |
Easy Reading Selections | ||
|---|---|---|
| Finnemore - France: Peeps at History | Merovings and Carlovings to House of Capet (2) | |
| Haaren - Famous Men of the Middle Ages | Rollo the Viking to William the Conqueror (2) | |
| Evans - Old Time Tales | How Normandy Got its Name to Peter the Hermit (6) | |
| Stein - Our Little Norman Cousin of Long Ago | entire book | |
| Kelman - Stories from the Crusades | entire book | |
| Stein - Our Little Crusader Cousin of Long Ago | entire book | |