Roger of Lauria (c.1250-1305): Admiral of Admirals (Warfare in History) (VOLUME 47)

Prologue -- 1. Battle of Benevento (26 February 1266) -- 2. A Calabrian exile in the Court of Aragon (1262-1282) -- 3. Battle of Tagliacozzo (23 August 1268) -- 4. Aragonese expansion (1229-1282) -- 5. Angevin consolidation and aggrandizement (1268-1282) -- 6. Revolt of the Vespers (30 March 1282) -- 7. Aragonese intervention (August-October 1282) -- 8. Stalemate (November 1282-March 1283) -- 9. Admiral of Aragon (20 April 1283) -- 10. The opposing fleets (1282-1302) -- 11. Battle of Malta (8 June 1283) -- 12. Anjou's dreams of empire dashed (June-November 1284) -- 13. France's crusade against Aragon (May-November 1285) -- 14. Battle of the counts (23 June 1287) -- 15. Truces and treaties (June 1287-November 1291) -- 16. Raid on Romania (Summer 1292) -- 17. Switching sides (December 1293-April 1297) -- 18. Aragon's invasion of Sicily at Anjou's bidding (1298/1299) -- 19. Lauria's last great campaign (Summer 1299-Spring 1300) -- 20. Endgame (Spring 1301-Summer 1302) -- Epilogue.;"Just before Vespers on 30 March 1282 at the Church of the Holy Spirit on the outskirts of Palermo, a drunken soldier of the occupying French forces of Charles of Anjou accosted a young Sicilian noblewoman. It sparked a bloody conflagration, the so-called War of the Sicilian Vespers, that would ultimately involve every part of the Mediterranean. The struggle for the coveted throne of Sicily eventually enmeshed all the great powers of medieval Europe-- the Pope, the Byzantine Emperor and the kings of France, England and Aragon. Because the core of the Kingdom of Sicily was a wealthy, strategic island dominating the center of the Mediterranean, the battles were fought mostly at sea. And in war at sea, a single figure proved pre-eminent: Roger of Lauria-- Aragon's "Admiral of Admirals". In the course of some twenty years of naval combat, he orchestrated decisive victories in six pitched battles and numerous limited actions, never once suffering a defeat: a feat never equalled-- not even by the legendary Lord Horatio Nelson. Drawing from multiple Sicilian and Catalan sources as well as Angevin and Aragonese registers, this chronological narrative details the tactics and strategy Lauria employed to become the most successful galley fleet commander of the Middle Ages, while highlighting a crucial conflict at a pivotal point in European history, long overshadowed by the Hundred Years War"-- Roger of Lauria (c.1250-1305): 'Admiral of Admirals' 4 Contents 8 List of Illustrations 9 Prologue 12 1 Battle of Benevento (26 February 1266) 20 2 A Calabrian Exile in the Court of Aragon (1262–1282) 36 3 Battle of Tagliacozzo (23 August 1268) 47 4 Aragonese Expansion (1229–1282) 59 Conquest of Majorca by James I (1229–1231) 60 Catalan Commercial Colonization in North Africa 63 Peter’s Extension of Power South and East 65 Peter’s Preoccupation with the Kingdom of Sicily 67 Aragon’s African Adventure 70 5 Angevin Consolidation and Aggrandizement (1268–1282) 77 Angevin Repression 78 Angevin Aspirations of Empire 82 6 Revolt of the Vespers (30 March 1282) 90 The Spark 90 Anjou’s Assault on Messina (Summer 1282) 96 7 Aragonese Intervention (August–October 1282) 101 Aragon’s Arrival on Sicily (30 August 1282) 102 Battle of Nicotera (14 October 1282) 110 8 Stalemate (November 1282–March 1283) 115 9 Admiral of Aragon (20 April 1283) 126 10 The Opposing Fleets (1282–1302) 137 11 Battle of Malta (8 June 1283) 158 12 Anjou’s Dreams of Empire Dashed (June–November 1284) 171 Battle of the Gulf of Naples (5 June 1284) 174 Relief of Reggio (August 1284) 182 13 France’s Crusade against Aragon (May–November 1285) 188 Philip’s Invasion of Catalonia (Spring 1285) 189 Serving Two Masters (November 1285–January 1287) 201 14 Battle of the Counts (23 June 1287) 209 15 Truces and Treaties (June 1287–November 1291) 221 Treaty of Canfranc (October 1288) 223 Siege of Gaeta (Summer 1289) 224 Truce of Gaeta (24 August 1289) 229 16 Raid on Romania (Summer 1292) 234 17 Switching Sides (December 1293–April 1297) 247 Reconciliation between the Houses of Aragon and Anjou 248 Battle of Catanzaro (Summer 1297) 262 18 Aragon’s Invasion of Sicily at Anjou’s Bidding (1298/1299) 267 Siege of Syracuse (Autumn 1298/Winter 1299) 268 Battle of Capo d’Orlando (4 July 1299) 274 19 Lauria’s Last Great Campaign (Summer 1299–Spring 1300) 282 Battle of Falconaria (1 December 1299) 284 Battle of Gagliano (February 1300) 289 Battle of Ponza (14 June 1300) 292 20 Endgame (Spring 1301–Summer 1302) 300 Siege of Messina (August/September 1301) 301 Treaty of Caltabellotta (31 August 1302) 306 Epilogue 313 Bibliography 320 Manuscripts 320 Printed Primary Sources 320 Secondary Sources 322 Index 327 An account of the naval commander Roger of Lauria and his command of warfare at sea.Just before Vespers on 30 March 1282 at the Church of the Holy Spirit on the outskirts of Palermo, a drunken soldier of the occupying French forces of Charles of Anjou accosted a young Sicilian noblewoman. It sparked a bloody conflagration, the so-called War of the Sicilian Vespers, that would ultimately involve every part of the Mediterranean. The struggle for the coveted throne of Sicily eventually enmeshed all the great powers of medieval Europe - thepope, the Byzantine Emperor and the kings of France, England and Aragon. Because the core of the Kingdom of Sicily was a wealthy, strategic island dominating the centre of the Mediterranean, the battles were fought mostly at sea.And in war at sea, a single figure proved pre-eminent: Roger of Lauria - Aragon's'Admiral of Admirals'. In the course of some twenty years of naval combat, he orchestrated decisive victories in six pitched battles and numerous limited actions, never once suffering a defeat: a feat never equalled - not even by the legendary Lord Horatio Nelson. Drawing from multiple Sicilian and Catalan sources as well as Angevin and Aragonese registers, this chronological narrative details the tactics and strategy Lauria employed to become the most successful galley fleet commander of the Middle Ages, while highlighting a crucial conflict at a pivotal point in European history, long overshadowed by the Hundred Years War. CHARLES D. STANTON is a retired US naval officer and airline pilot; he gained his PhD at the University of Cambridge. An account of the naval commander Roger of Lauria and his command of warfare at sea. Just before Vespers on 30 March 1282 at the Church of the Holy Spirit on the outskirts of Palermo, a drunken soldier of the occupying French forces of Charles of Anjou accosted a young Sicilian noblewoman. It sparked a bloody conflagration, the so-called War of the Sicilian Vespers, that would ultimately involve every part of the Mediterranean. The struggle for the coveted throne of Sicily eventually enmeshed all the great powers of medieval Europe - thepope, the Byzantine Emperor and the kings of France, England and Aragon. Because the core of the Kingdom of Sicily was a wealthy, strategic island dominating the centre of the Mediterranean, the battles were fought mostly at sea.And in war at sea, a single figure proved Roger of Lauria - Aragon's "Admiral of Admirals". In the course of some twenty years of naval combat, he orchestrated decisive victories in six pitched battles and numerous limited actions, never once suffering a a feat never equalled - not even by the legendary Lord Horatio Nelson. Drawing from multiple Sicilian and Catalan sources as well as Angevin and Aragonese registers, this chronological narrative details the tactics and strategy Lauria employed to become the most successful galley fleet commander of the Middle Ages, while highlighting a crucial conflict at a pivotal point in European history, long overshadowed by the Hundred Years War. CHARLES D. STANTON is a retired US naval officer and airline pilot; he gained his PhD at the University of Cambridge. Just before Vespers on 30 March 1282 at the Church of the Holy Spirit on the outskirts of Palermo, a drunken soldier of the occupying French forces of Charles of Anjou accosted a young Sicilian noblewoman. It sparked a bloody conflagration, the so-called War of the Sicilian Vespers, that would ultimately involve every part of the Mediterranean. The struggle for the coveted throne of Sicily eventually enmeshed all the great powers of medieval Europe - thepope, the Byzantine Emperor and the kings of France, England and Aragon. Because the core of the Kingdom of Sicily was a wealthy, strategic island dominating the centre of the Mediterranean, the battles were fought mostly at sea.And in war at sea, a single figure proved pre-eminent: Roger of Lauria - Aragon's "Admiral of Admirals". In the course of some twenty years of naval combat, he orchestrated decisive victories in six pitched battles and numerous limited actions, never once suffering a defeat: a feat never equalled - not even by the legendary Lord Horatio Nelson.
Drawing from multiple Sicilian and Catalan sources as well as Angevin and Aragonese registers, this chronological narrative details the tactics and strategy Lauria employed to become the most successful galley fleet commander of the Middle Ages, while highlighting a crucial conflict at a pivotal point in European history, long overshadowed by the Hundred Years War.

CHARLES D. STANTON is a retired US naval officer and airline pilot; he gained his PhD at the University of Cambridge. Just before Vespers on 30 March 1282 at the Church of the Holy Spirit on the outskirts of Palermo, a drunken soldier of the occupying French forces of Charles of Anjou accosted a young Sicilian noblewoman. It sparked a bloody conflagration, the so-called War of the Sicilian Vespers, that would ultimately involve every part of the Mediterranean. The struggle for the coveted throne of Sicily eventually enmeshed all the great powers of medieval Europe - the pope, the Byzantine Emperor and the kings of France, England and Aragon. Because the core of the Kingdom of Sicily was a wealthy, strategic island dominating the centre of the Mediterranean, the battles were were fought mostly at sea. And in war at sea, a single figure proved pre-eminent: Roger of Lauria - Aragon's "Admiral of Admirals." In the course of some twenty years of naval combat, he orchestrated decisive victories in six pitched battles and numerous limited actions, never once suffering a defeat: a feat never equalled - not even by the legendary Lord Horatio Nelson. Drawing from multiple Sicilian and Catalan sources as well as Angevin and Aragonese registers, this chronological narrative details the tactics and strategy Lauria employed to become the most successful galley fleet commander of the Middle Ages, while highlighting a crucial conflict at a pivotal point in European history, long overshadowed by the Hundred Years War. CHARLES D. STANTON is a retired US naval officer and airline pilot; he gained his PhD at the University of Cambridge. "Just before Vespers on 30 March 1282 at the Church of the Holy Spirit on the outskirts of Palermo, a drunken soldier of the occupying French forces of Charles of Anjou accosted a young Sicilian noblewoman. It sparked a bloody conflagration, the so-called War of the Sicilian Vespers, that would ultimately involve every part of the Mediterranean. The struggle for the coveted throne of Sicily eventually enmeshed all the great powers of medieval Europe-- the Pope, the Byzantine Emperor and the kings of France, England and Aragon. Because the core of the Kingdom of Sicily was a wealthy, strategic island dominating the center of the Mediterranean, the battles were fought mostly at sea. And in war at sea, a single figure proved pre-eminent: Roger of Lauria-- Aragon's "Admiral of Admirals". In the course of some twenty years of naval combat, he orchestrated decisive victories in six pitched battles and numerous limited actions, never once suffering a defeat: a feat never equalled-- not even by the legendary Lord Horatio Nelson. Drawing from multiple Sicilian and Catalan sources as well as Angevin and Aragonese registers, this chronological narrative details the tactics and strategy Lauria employed to become the most successful galley fleet commander of the Middle Ages, while highlighting a crucial conflict at a pivotal point in European history, long overshadowed by the Hundred Years War"-- Provided by publisher