First Crusade The First Crusade was launched in 1095 by Pope Urban II with the stated goal of capturing the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslims. What started as an appeal to the French knightly class quickly turned into a wholesale migration and conquest of territory outside of Europe. Both knights and peasants from many different nations of western Europe, with little central leadership, travelled over land and by sea towards Jerusalem and captured the city in July 1099, establishing the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the other Crusader states. Although these gains lasted for fewer than two hundred years, the First Crusade was a major turning point in the expansion of Western power, and was the only crusade to capture Jerusalem.

● Robert the Monk ● His text of Pope Urban’s speech was written 25 years later ● From the confines of Jerusalem and the city of Constantinople a horrible tale has gone forth and very frequently has been brought to our ears, namely, that a race from the kingdom of the Persians, an accursed race, a race utterly alienated from God, a generation forsooth which has not directed its heart and has not entrusted its spirit to God, has invaded the lands of those Christians and has depopulated them by the sword, pillage and fire; it has led away a part of the captives into its own country, and a part it has destroyed by cruel tortures; it has either entirely destroyed the churches of God or appropriated them for the rites of its own religion. They destroy the altars, after having defiled them with their uncleanness..

● God has conferred upon you above all nations great glory in arms. Accordingly undertake this journey for the remission of your sins, with the assurance of the imperishable glory of the kingdom of heaven. ● Let this then be your war-cry in combats, because this word is given to you by God. When an armed attack is made upon the enemy, let this one cry be raised by all the soldiers of God: It is the will of God! It is the will of God!

"Taking of Constantinople, 1204" by Domenico Tintoretto ( )

SICILY Crossroad of religious toleration and cultural pluralism Greek Orthodox, Christian, Muslim Byzantines occupied Sicily from 6th to 10th century Caliphate of Cairo set up government in 10th century Conquered by Normans under Roger II in 11th century ( ) who retained Byzantine art and administration, Arab medicine and agriculture

Roger II being crowned by Christ Psalter in three languages: Greek, Latin, Arabic

A description by an Arab traveler in 1184 Ibn Djubayr, Voyages ● “The attitude of the king (William II was king from 1166 to 1189) is truly extraordinary. His treatment of Muslims is beyond reproach; he entrusts them with important posts, he chooses his officers amongst them, and all of them remain attached to the faith of Islam. And, he reads and writes Arabic.” ● “When the island was shaken by a terrible earthquake, which frightened everyone, the king ran through the palace corridors reassuring his wives and eunuchs by saying “May each of you invoke the name of the God you worship and whose faith you follow.”