The original version of this docu-drama is 90 minutes.
In 1130, Ruggero II became King of Sicily. He was a Norman, and his kingdom included Arabs, Jews and Christians who lived and worked together in a way that had never been seen before. But how did this unique integration come to be?
The story unfolds on two narrative levels. The first level is set at the wealthy court of Roger II in Palermo; the second crosses time and space to give the viewer a comprehensive vision of the Norman experience in Europe and the Middle East between the 9th and 12th centuries. These 200 years changed the world forever.
The story unfolds on two narrative levels. The first level is set at the wealthy court of Roger II in Palermo; the second crosses time and space to give the viewer a comprehensive vision of the Norman experience in Europe and the Middle East between the 9th and 12th centuries. These 200 years changed the world forever.
Exciting re-enactments and sophisticated CGI effects are combined with interviews with international experts, conducted in Sicily in locations relevant to the Norman kingdom. The film recreates a great story of adventure, battle, integration and innovation.
The Normans are descended from the Vikings. In 911, raiding parties discover a prosperous duchy: Normandy. From there, they set out to invade England. William the Conqueror wins the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and creates a kingdom that lays the foundations for today's England. In Italy, it is a different story. The Normans arrive as pilgrims and stay as mercenaries, fighting for the various lords intent on carving up the south. This region is contested by the Greeks, the Lombards and the Arabs. The Pope becomes involved and tries to exert political influence. The Norman sells their services, playing one side off against the other to gain land and influence. Two brothers, Roberto and Ruggero Altavilla, sons of a minor Norman lord with few means, soon make a name for themselves. Armed with courage and ambition, they fight anyone who stands in their way for thirty years. When they finally conquer Sicily in 1072, they decide to establish a kingdom.
Roger I becomes the Count of Sicily, but for his heir, Roger II, this is not enough. He wants to become a king, and in 1130 he is crowned in Palermo with the blessing of the Pope. He is the richest man of his time. He unifies southern Italy, creates a cosmopolitan court in Palermo and equips himself with a deadly fleet. He loves the company of intellectuals and is attracted by beauty. Roger has the Cefalù and Monreale cathedrals built and implements a policy of tolerance in his kingdom. However, his reign is defined by both light and shade: despite his acceptance of other beliefs, he refuses the expression of Muslim faith at his court. When one of his trusted men converts to Islam, he has him dragged by wild horses and burned alive.
When he dies in 1154, he is the lord of the Mediterranean and his kingdom extends from southern Italy to present-day Tunisia and Libya. Among his heirs, it will be his daughter Constance of Sicily - a woman who will play a key role as the mother of the future Emperor Frederick II Hohenstaufen.
TV Docu Drama
90 min. and 52 min. (only in english)
Script: Klaus T. Steindl, Heinrich Mayer-Moroni
Director: Klaus T. Steindl
Production: A coprodution of epo Film and MyMax Production with RAI, ARTE, ZDF, ORF
Versions: Italian, German, French, English
