The Normans in the South: Mediterranean Meetings in the Central Middle Ages, St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford, June 30–July 2, 2017
By some accounts, 1017 marked the advent of the Norman presence in Italy and Sicily, inaugurating a new era of invasion, interaction and integration in the Mediterranean. Whether or not we decide the millennial anniversary is significant, the moment offers an ideal opportunity to explore the story in the south, about a thousand years ago.
To what extent did the Normans establish a cross-cultural empire? What can we learn by comparing the impact of the Norman presence in different parts of Europe? What insights are discoverable in comparing local histories of Italy and Sicily with broader historical ideas about transformation, empire and exchange?
The conference aims to draw together established, early-career and post-graduate scholars for a joint investigation of the Normans in the south, to explore together the many meetings of cultural, political and religious ideas in the Mediterranean in the central Middle Ages. It features a total of twenty-four sessions in three parallel strands, broadly organized around the themes of 'Conquest & Culture', 'Art, Architecture & Archaeology' & 'Power & Politics'.
Featured keynote speakers are Professor Graham Loud (University of Leeds), Professor Jeremy Johns (University of Oxford) and Professor Sandro Carocci (University of Rome 'Tor Vergata'), with a short highlight talk about Oxford and the Normans in the Mediterranean by Professor David Abulafia (University of Cambridge).
Registration closes May 31, 2017.