Essays showing how the stuff of Norman Sicily, its mosaics, frescoes, art and architecture, was used to construct its history. Material culture played a crucial role in developing the cultural narrative of Norman Sicily. The essays in this book consider how images, designs, artifacts, structures and objects were used to help create the story of the medieval kingdom, and what they reveal about the complex political and social dynamics that underpinned the so-called "multicultural" state. Arguing that a visual language developed in medieval Sicily and southern Italy in this period, the contributions journey through both familiar and unexplored aspects of Siculo-Norman art, in particular those areas which have only been made possible with recent advances in technology and international academic collaboration. Topics addressed include manuscripts and mosaics, textile diplomacy, the drama of coins and trade, new readings of old buildings, and the insights of archaeological excavations into everyday life. All of the ideas presented in this volume converge on the central theme of how material culture helped to develop story and society in the medieval kingdom of Sicily.

`No single recent enterprise has done more to enlarge and deepen our understanding of one of the most critical periods in English history'. Antiquaries Journal The proceedings of the 1996 Battle Conference contain the usual wide range of topics, from the late tenth century to 1200 and from Durham to Southern Italy, demonstrating once again its importance as the leading forum for Anglo-Norman studies. Many different aspects of the Anglo-Norman world are examined, ranging from military technology to the architecture of Durham Cathedral; there are also in-depth investigations of individual families and characters, including William Malet and Abbot Suger.