The currencies of the normandos

A strong town and a weak country

The southern regions of the itálica Peninsula saw shocks by continuous internal fights caused by the numerous authoritiesthat they distributed that territory and that they faced, in order to obtain the hegemony or to maintain its privileges and their autonomy. Bizantinos,Arabs, lombardos, papado and the independent ducados ones of Amalfi, Naples and Gaeta, were in constant conflict to each other, causing onesituation of dangerous weakness and emptiness of being able. This uncertain situation the normandos took advantage of, that, after to have enteredin the diverse armies like mercenarios, they managed to conquer territories and benefits that constituted the departure point of the expansionof its own dominions, as well as of their own authority, Roberto Guiscardo (years 1059-1085), by means of a prudent and gracious operation ofalliances and of wars , Guiscardo means astute), managed to constitute a personal principality in the region of Apulia. After a seriesof complex vicissitudes, Robert was able to gain the Church please: the papado one aspired a long time ago to count on strong alliesand faithfuls, in order to impose its superiority on the Empire. As well, the normandos, turned a long time ago to the Christianity, looked for oneauthorized legitimation to its presence and its conquests in Italy.Thus, the Pope Nicholas 11 proclaimed in 1059 to Roberto Guiscardo Duke of Apulia and Calabria, in exchange for the submission to the Church and ofaid in case of necessity. This blessing, impelled to the normandos to a fast and more and more lacking expansion of obstacles: nothey took in being occupied Bar and Salerno, while Roger 1, brother of Robert, undertook a fight against sa~ rracenos to controlSicily. In spite of the ferocious Arab resistance, in year 1 1 30 Roger 1 1, son of Roger 1, was crowned in Palermo @, king of Sicily and Apuiia ",reuniting under its sceptre a very vast territory (Apulia included/understood at that time Campania, Lucania and Calabria) and of great economic importanceand strategic. Under the guide of Roger 11 a centralized kingdom was implanted strongly, based on an only legal text, and the elimination ofthe feudal anarchy that during centuries had divided the southern territory. A great tolerance towards the diverse religions andcultures, that had been extended in a territory until that moment divided between diverse ethnic groups, allowed a pacific coexistenceand it promoted a period of great political, cultural and economic prosperity. The solid organization normanda allowed to take advantage of the portslocated in superb position in the territory. Such era the case of Palermo, seat in addition to the cut, and Bar, fundamental point forcontrol of commerce with East. Meanwhile another kingdom had been created normando, the one of England. The mercantile interchanges werefor that reason very active with the regions ofNorth, thanks to the relation privileged with the port of London. A commercial activity sorich and complex it entailed a suitable monetal production. In fact, at the outset, under Roger 1, the gold currencies of kingdom normando( lamados taríes ", that as much success they would have throughout the centuries, by his acceptance and longevity) copied the Muslim currencieswith cúficas letters, that sometimes praised to Mahoma. If this can seem a contradiction for a Christian sovereign and, in addition, soclosely bound to the Pope, it agrees to emphasize that the Arab currencies were in course in Sicily, and were known and accepted fortwo centuries (the Arabs occupied the island between years 835 and 1064). In addition, the sarracenos were very strong commercially, so thatalso by this, and with views to a progressive and lasting assimilation of the local population, the normandos did not consider necessary to changethe numerario. This one is always an operation, does violence to indeed ", that disturbs the economic interests of the wealthiest classes,those whose favor is tried to win in a while of change of being able. In addition, history teaches to give by certain sitting absence of scruples in the powerful ones, that are united and they separate moved more byI interest economic and political that in authentic humanitarian and religious ideals.

The monetary reform