Despite ousting the Muslims from power, the Normans were very receptive to the former's culture. The new dynasty employed Muslim scholars in its courts, soldiers in its army, and even women in its harems. With the switch from Norman to Swabian power, Muslim influence steadily declined. When Frederick II brought many of the rebelling Muslims to a colony called Lucera on the Italian mainland, much of the Muslim presence slowly became insignificant. During the height of the Ottoman power, raids on the Sicilian coasts became frequent until that Muslim power also declined.
| 1101 | Count Roger dies. His widow, Countess Adelaide, rules as regent of Sicily and Calabria for ten years. |
| 1111 | Roger II becomes ruler of Norman domains in Sicily and Calabria. |
| 1127 | Banu Maymun raids the Norman domains of Patti, Catania, and land near Syracuse. |
| 1130 | The Papacy crowns Roger II King of Sicily, Calabria, Apulia, the principality of Capua, the honor of Naples, and protectorate of Benevento on Christmas Day. Due to successful naval campaigns in North Africa, Roger will later add King of Ifriqiyya to his name. Many Muslims play active roles in his court such as Abu'd-Daw, Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad ibn Omar, and the celebrated al-Idrisi. His reign also sees the employment of "palace Saracens," castrated Muslims who had converted to Christianity. These eunuchs, who hold very prominent official roles, will often be accused of being covert Muslims and protecting Christian reverts to Islam. Roger begins construction of the Palatine Chapel in the Royal Palace at Palermo exhibiting some of the finest elements of Latin, Byzantine, and Arab architecture. |
| 1135 | Zirids make a truce with the Normans following an internal strife in North Africa. |
| 1153 | Philip, the "palace Saracen", is executed in December. Roger II discovered Philip, despite being raised from childhood as a Christian, was actually a convert to Islam when he found that the eunuch sent oil to Medina to light lanterns at the tomb of the Prophet. Arabic sources say that the downfall of Philip resulted after the leniency he showed Muslims during the sack of Buna, North Africa. |
| 1154 | Roger II dies. William I succeeds him. William spoke fluent Arabic, kept a harem, and kept a bodyguard of Negroes commanded by a Muslim. |
| 1163 | The "palace Saracen" Gawhar is tortured and then drowned for allegedly stealing the royal seals. Peter succeeds him as Master Chamberlain. |
| 1166 | William II succeeds his deceased father as Norman ruler in Sicily. Like his father, he keeps a harem, speaks Arabic, and patronizes Muslims in his court. Many of the women in his harem are Muslim and are said to be secretly converting the Christians concubines to Islam. |
| 1167 | Peter the "palace Saracen" flees to al-Maghrib (North Africa) after an unsuccessful naval assault on Mahdiyya. |
| 1189 | William II dies. Nobles faction Sicily despite William's wishes to have Constance, the daughter of Roger II and wife of German emperor Henry VI, to succeed him on the throne. |
| 1190 | A Muslim revolt in Sicily settles. |
| 1194 | The Swabian rule replaces the Norman rule in Sicily with the island's conquest by Henry VI. With the change from an administration that was sympathetic to the Muslims, many feel threatened with the new regime. |
| 1197 | Muslim riot in Sicily upon the death of Henry VI. |
| 1199 | Markward of Anweiler, an Hohenstaufen agent before being expelled from Sicily, arrives in Trapani in Sicily –with aspirations of conquering the island– and wins support of many resident Muslims. |
| 1200 | Papal armies arrive in Sicily to combat Markward and his forces, which count Muslims among their numbers. Markward will go on to control the island until his death in 1202. |
| 1206 | Pope Innocent III sends a letter to various qadi-s (judges) in Sicily stating that the Muslims would be rewarded for their continued support of the crown. |
| 1219 | Muslim rebels, under Muhammad ibn Abbad, sack the Spedale di San Giovanni de' Leprosi, nearly to Palermo's gates, and take captive of the bishop of Girgenti. |
| 1222 | Frederick II of Hohenstaufen –Holy Roman Emperor, ruler of Germany and King of Naples and Sicily, and (after 1225 via a marriage with the heiress) the King of Jerusalem– leads a successful assault against the base of Muhammad ibn Abbad in Iato. A legend exists of Ibn Abbad's daughter continuing the resistance after his defeat and ambushing some of her would-be-conquerors before committing suicide rather than being captured. |
| 1223 | Frederick II sends another military force to Sicily to crush Muslim opposition. Frederick II begins resettling the Muslim rebels on mainland Italy in a Muslim colony known as Lucera. Some evidence suggests that transfers may have started after the rebellion in 1222. |
| 1224 | Frederick II establishes the University of Naples, the first European university to be founded by a definite charter. The institution housed many Arabic manuscripts which were translated and distributed to Universities of Paris and Bologna. Thomas Aquinas studied here for a time. |
| 1226 | Fakhr ad-Din ibn ash-Shaykh, envoy of the Ayyubid sultan in Egypt, arrives at Frederick's II court to discuss an alliance. |
| 1228 | The Sixth Crusade begins. Frederick II and Sultan al-Kamil of Egypt actually complete the first crusade absent of bloodshed with the signing of a treaty that gives Jerusalem to Frederick. Ironically, despite achieving the goals of the Crusades, Frederick and the Pope are at odds which sees the former become excommunicated. |
| 1236 | Abd al-Aziz, nephew of the ruler of Tunis, comes to the Kingdom of Sicily. |
| 1240 | Giovanni Moro, possibly a Black African Muslim convert to Christianity, holds influence in the court of Frederick II. |
| 1242 | Ibn Sab'in, a Murcian philosopher of Neoplatonic tendencies and Sufi, finishes his Al-Ajwiba ?an al-As'ila as'Saqaliyya (Answers to Sicilian Questions). This treatise is a response to the questions of Frederick II sent to various Muslim rulers regarding philosophy and theology. |
| 1243 | A small Muslim rebellion breaks out in Sicily. After three years, Frederick defeats it and sends its members to Lucera. Islamic presence in Sicily nearly ceases completely. |
| 1250 | Frederick II Hohenstaufen dies. Despite his battles suppressing Muslims in his Sicilian realms, he heavily supported Islamic customs and Arabic culture to the point where he was derogatorily referred to as a baptized sultan. He kept a harem and an Oriental-like court. He also maintained friendly relations with the Ayyubid sultans in Egypt. One of their diplomatic exchanges brought the first giraffe (the word from the Arabic zarafah) to medieval Europe and a white bear and white peacock to Egypt. |
| 1254 | Giovanni Moro abandons the Hohenstaufen cause and joins Pope Innocent IV. |
| 1260 | Manfred, son of Frederick II, becomes King of Sicily. |
| 1261 | An emissary from Baybars, Sultan of Egypt, comes to the court of Manfred. |
| 1266 | Charles of Anjou, brother of Louis IX defeats Manfred, the last Hohenstaufen, at the Battle of Benevento. Receiving papal support to take possession of the Kingdom of Sicily the previous year, Charles of Anjou now becomes King Charles I. Charles I levies heavy taxes on Lucera but permits the practice of Islam. |
| 1285 | Charles I dies at Foggia. |
| 1289 | Charles of Salerno is crowned King of Sicily. He continues the employment of Muslim soldiers as well as Muslim tentmakers and weapons manufacturers. |
| 1293 | Muslims fight for Charles II in the War of the Sicilian Vespers |
| 1345 | Salem de Messana dies. This resident of Palermo was one of the last prominent Muslim merchants in Sicily |
| 1402 | A Muslim serves as headman in western Sicily's tunny-fisheries. |
| 1533 | Khairuddin Barbarossa raids Sicilian and Italian coasts. |
| 1561 | Ottomans raid Sicily. |
