Normans were a group of Vikings, or Norsemen (Scandinavians), who first settled in northern France, then advanced into England, southern Italy, and Sicily. In the 800’s, Norman warriors began their conquests by raiding French coasts and river valleys. By the early 900’s, they had settled in the French territory near the mouth of the Seine River now known as Normandy. In 911, the Frankish king, Charles the Simple, granted much of the region to the Norman chief, Rollo, or Hrolf, and Rollo became the king’s vassal. The Normans became Christians and adopted French customs. Many became famous as administrators, church leaders, and crusaders.
Norman power expanded after 950. Norman warriors invaded the Rhineland, an area in present-day Germany. In 1066, under the leadership of William, Duke of Normandy, they conquered England. After the conquest, Norman influence spread steadily throughout what are now the United Kingdom and Ireland (see William I, the Conqueror). During the same period, Norman groups won great victories in other lands. Robert Guiscard (1015?-1085), son of Tancred of Hauteville, conquered southern Italy. Roger, another of Tancred’s sons, took the island of Sicily from the Muslims. These two territories were later united in the famous Kingdom of the Two Sicilies by Roger’s son, Roger II. Major advances in architecture and sculpture occurred during the period of Norman domination in western Europe. An architectural style called Romanesque owed much to the Normans.
