Excerpts from Books and Wikipedia
Roger II reigned as king of the Kingdom of Sicily from 1130 to 1154. Important periods in Sicilian history include: Arab Period (827-1091); Norman Sicily (1038-1198); and United with Holy Roman Empire (1194-1254); [Wikipedia] "Roger II is crowned King of Sicily, a Royal title given him by the Antipope Anacletus II. This coronation marks the beginning of the Kingdom of Sicily and its Mediterranean empire under the Norman kings, which was able to take on the Holy Roman Empire, the Papacy, and the Byzantine Empire." [Wikipedia: Timeline of Middle Ages]