The Norman Admiralty

What was the real power of the Norman admirals? In what way did they practise their authority?

This study on the Norman admiralty in Sicily focuses on the development of this office as it changes from an office to a title with increasing and increadible prestige in the years from the second half of the 11th century to the end of the 12th century. The admiral was an officer who worked in the royal palace for the royal authority as prime minister and was fundamental in orchestrating cultural activities. However, the admirals also established their power in fields separate to those of their position. The position of admiral was a unicum in Medieval Europe since no other political institution had a similar figure and his contribution was crucial for the development of the Norman kingdom in Sicily.

The intention of this work is to study the sphere of competences of the admirality and to give a global and definitive view of the impact of the Norman admirals between the second half of the 11th century and the end of the 12th.