page_title: Roger II of Sicily
section_title: Royal investiture
hierarchical_section_title: Roger II of Sicily / Reign / Rise to power in southern Italy / Royal investiture
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Der Krönungsmantel Palermo, königliche Hofwerkstatt, 1133/34 Gemusterter Samit (Kermesfärbung), Gold- und Seidenstickerei, Perlen, Gold, Zellenschmelz, Edelsteine H: 146 cm, B: 345 cm SK Inv.-Nr. XIII 14 Italiano: Mantello d'incoronazione a Palermo di Ruggero II d'Altavilla come re di Sicilia (1133), e dei successivi sovrani normanni e svevi. Museo Kaiserliche Schatzkammer, Vienna English: The Coronation Mantle Palermo Royal workshop, 1133/34 Figured silk (kermes-dyed), gold and silk embroidery, pearls, gold with cloisonné enamel, precious stones H 146 cm, W 345 cm SK Inv. No. XIII 14
context_page_description: Roger II was King of Sicily and Africa, son of Roger I of Sicily and successor to his brother Simon. He began his rule as Count of Sicily in 1105, became Duke of Apulia and Calabria in 1127, then King of Sicily in 1130 and King of Africa in 1148. By the time of his death at the age of 58, Roger had succeeded in uniting all the Norman conquests in Italy into one kingdom with a strong centralized government.
context_section_description: The popes had long been suspicious of the growth of Norman power in southern Italy, and at Capua in December, the pope preached a crusade against Roger, setting Robert II of Capua and Ranulf II of Alife (his own brother-in-law) against him. After this coalition failed, in August 1128 Honorius invested Roger at Benevento as Duke of Apulia. The baronial resistance, backed by Naples, Bari, Salerno, and other cities whose aim was civic freedom, gave way. In September 1129 Roger was generally recognized as duke of Apulia by Sergius VII of Naples, Robert of Capua, and the rest. He began at once to enforce order in the duchy, where ducal power had long been fading.
  On the death of Pope Honorius in February 1130 there were two claimants to the papal throne.  Roger supported Antipope Anacletus II against Innocent II. The reward was a crown, and, on 27 September 1130, Anacletus' papal bull made Roger king of Sicily. He was crowned in Palermo on Christmas Day 1130. Roger II's elaborate royal mantle bears the date 528 of the Islamic calendar (1133–34), therefore it could not have been used for his coronation. It was later used as coronation cloak by the Holy Roman Emperors and is now in the Imperial Treasury (Schatzkammer) in Vienna.
caption: Royal mantle of Roger II, bearing an inscription in Arabic with the Hegira date of 528 (1133–34).
   Imperial Treasury, Vienna, in the Hofburg Palace.
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