Middle Ages
Kingdom of Sicily (1130): Roger II and Norman Palermo
Roger II united Sicily and southern Italy into a kingdom that lasted, under various dynasties, until the nineteenth century.
Region
Europe
Middle Ages
Novgorod Republic: Medieval Russia's Merchant City-State
A self-governing merchant republic for over three centuries, Novgorod was annexed by Moscow in 1478 and its veche abolished.
Middle Ages
Eleanor of Aquitaine: Queen of France and Then of England
Eleanor brought the duchy of Aquitaine first to the French crown and then to the Angevin kings of England, and played a leading political role into her eighties.
Middle Ages
Abbot Suger and Saint-Denis: The Birth of Gothic Architecture
Suger's new west front and choir introduced pointed rib vaults, an open ambulatory and large stained-glass windows, the combination now regarded as the first Gothic architecture.
Middle Ages
The Anarchy (1138–1153): Stephen and Matilda's Civil War
The war ended in stalemate; by the settlement of 1153 Stephen kept the crown for life and recognised Matilda's son Henry as his heir, who became Henry II in 1154.
Middle Ages
Hildegard of Bingen: Visionary Abbess, Composer and Scholar
Hildegard became one of the best-known writers, composers and religious leaders of the 12th century and was declared a Doctor of the Church in 2012.
Middle Ages
Treaty of Zamora (1143): Portugal Becomes a Kingdom
Alfonso VII recognised Afonso Henriques's royal title, making Portugal a kingdom in its own right; full papal recognition followed in 1179.
Middle Ages
Second Crusade (1147-1149): The Failure at Damascus
The main armies were badly mauled in Anatolia and abandoned the siege of Damascus after four days; the only lasting gain was the capture of Lisbon.
Middle Ages
Founding of Moscow (1147): From Wooden Fort to Grand Principality
A minor frontier settlement in 1147, Moscow became the seat of a principality in the late 13th century and of the grand princes of Vladimir from 1328.
Middle Ages
Anna Komnene and the Alexiad: A Byzantine Princess Historian
Anna's Alexiad became the main narrative source for the reign of Alexios I and the Byzantine view of the First Crusade.
Middle Ages
Lewis Chessmen: The Medieval Chess Pieces Found in Scotland
The 93 pieces, now divided between the British Museum and National Museums Scotland, are among the best-known objects to survive from medieval northern Europe.
Middle Ages
Al-Idrisi's Tabula Rogeriana (1154): A World Map for Sicily
Al-Idrisi produced one of the most detailed geographies and world maps of the Middle Ages, combining Greek, Arabic and contemporary travellers' knowledge.