The Normans in Europe
Explore the development of the Normans in Normandy, England, and the Mediterranean and learn about their political and cultural achievements.
First Live Session June 13, 2025
This five-week course includes live sessions with the instructor each week from 2:00 - 3:30pm Eastern U.S. time
Week 1
Creating the Normans in Normandy
We get started by exploring the origins of the Normans in the county and then duchy of Normandy. We will understand their Norse background and their relationship with the Carolingians. The timeline approach will help us discover all the counts and dukes of Normandy, and what they contributed to their realm. This will set the foundation for the interconnected stories that will lead us to England and the Mediterranean.
Week 2
The Norman Conquest of England and the Affairs of the British Isles
This session addresses the specific socio-political circumstances that led up to the 1066 Norman Conquest of England. Our journey through the British Isles will see the Normans becoming kings. We will reflect on the challenges of the cross-channel connections and the issues this conquest will bring for the dynasty moving forward. We'll also explore the impact of the Normans in the areas of Wales, Scotland, and Ireland.
Week 3
The Italian Gateway to the Mediterranean Normans
How did the Normans get all the way from France to Italy? We look at the socio-political and religious background of the country up until the 11th century, and the role this played in shaping the Normans relative to their cousins in Northwestern Europe. This session also includes an overview of the achievements of the Hauteville family. Finally, the developments in Italy take us to other Mediterranean regions impacted by the Normans such as Malta and Antioch. This class will provide the fundamental context for the case study at the end of the program in Week 5.
Week 4
Society and Cultural Context Across the Norman Regions
This class explores the socio-cultural factors that affected the Normans across the board, as we understand the interconnectivity of their endeavors across Europe. Topics such as the role of women, the church, governance, architecture, and warfare will highlight their successes (and sometimes failures) as a people.
Week 5
Case Study – The Very Peculiar Development of Norman Art in Southern Italy and Sicily
For our last session, we investigate a case study using our previously acquired knowledge of the Normans in different European regions to assess the situation and development of art in Southern Italy and Sicily. The subjects of religious dominance, integration, cultural acceptance, and perhaps even artistic pioneering emerge as we connect with the Byzantine and Muslim inheritance of the region through the eyes of its new overlords.
Meet your Instructor
Lillian Cespedes Gonzalez
Dr. Lillian Cespedes Gonzalez is a medievalist with a PhD from the university of Winchester (UK). She specializes in culture and identity within the subject of medievalism and popular culture. She identifies as a cultural scholar and historian with an interdisciplinary and international approach. While her PhD focused on Norse women and their representation in popular culture, she has always had a keen interest in the way humans see the world: mythology, religion, art and literature are the things she enjoys most. Her academic publications include many works on the Norse, comic book studies and cultural identity. She is also an active blogger and podcaster and currently runs her own tour guiding and cultural education company as a public historian, where she gets to bring history back to life every day to anyone who will listen.
Check out Lillian's Other Course!
Starts on April 3 at 2:00pm Eastern U.S. time
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