Siege of Palermo (1071–1072)

Siege of Palermo
Part of the Norman conquest of Southern Italy

"Roger I receiving the keys of Palermo", fresco of the vault in the "Sala Gialla" of the Palazzo dei Normanni. Work by Giuseppe Patania, 1830 ca.
DateAugust 1071 – January 10, 1072 (1072-01-10)
Location
Palermo, Sicily (present-day Italy)
Result Norman victory
Belligerents
Normans Kalbids
Commanders and leaders
  • Ibn al-Ba'ba †
  • Zakkār ibn 'Ammār
  • 2 unnamed leaders 
Strength
~10,000 men
50–58 ships
  • 10–18 catti
  • 40 galleys
 Unknown, but inferior
Sicilian-Tunisian fleet (of unknown size)
Casualties and losses
Unknown, but moderate Unknown, but heavy

The Siege of Palermo was carried out by the Normans under the command of Robert Guiscard and Roger of Hauteville against the Muslim-held city of Palermo. Although the Normans had begun their conquest of Sicily several years earlier, their advance was initially hampered by a shortage of troops and only gained momentum from 1071 onwards. The fall of Palermo, achieved through the deployment of a large army and the support of a powerful fleet in operations that lasted from August 1071 to January 1072, marked the end of Muslim rule in western Sicily. Following the conquest, the inhabitants of Palermo were permitted to continue practising their faith and to retain their property.


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