Siege of Taormina (1078)

Siege of Taormina
Part of the Norman conquest of southern Italy
Date 1078 Location Taormina, Val Demone, Sicily 37°51′N15°18′E / 37.85°N 15.3°E / 37.85; 15.3 Result Norman victory
Belligerents
Roger I of Sicily	Emirate of Sicily
Commanders and leaders
Otto the Aleramid Jordan of Hauteville Arisgot du Pucheuil Elias Cartomensis
class=notpageimage| Location within Sicily Show map of Sicily Siege of Taormina (1078) (Italy) Show map of Italy

The siege of Taormina in 1078 was one of the final acts in the Norman conquest of Sicily. ^[1]

History

The Norman Count of Sicily, Roger I, after storming Castronovo, turned to the conquest of the Val Demone region. The Normans laid siege to Taormina by constructing 22 wooden forts around it in circumvallation. The Norman army divided into four contingents, commanded by Otto the Aleramid, probably the uncle of Adelaide del Vasto, the illegitimate son of the Count, Jordan, the Norman Arisgot du Pucheuil, and Elias Cartomensis, a Muslim from Cártama who converted to Christianity. Nevertheless, the Arabs resisted for some time, before capitulating.

See also

• Norman–Arab–Byzantine culture

References

1. Società Siciliana di Storia Patria (1873). Archivio storico siciliano (in Italian). Società Siciliana per la storia patria. p. 237. Retrieved 13 September 2018. Taormina affamata si arrese nell'agosto del 1078, dopo cinque mesi di assedio.