Person

William II of Sicily

1153–1189 · 12th century · Also known as William the Good

William II, called the Good, was the Norman King of Sicily from 1166 to 1189. His fleets campaigned against Byzantium, taking Cephalonia and Zakynthos and sacking Thessalonica in 1185, and supported Isaac Komnenos in Cyprus. He built the cathedral of Monreale, and his childless death opened the way to Hohenstaufen rule.

William II of Sicily
Image: José Luiz · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Cyprus under Isaac KomnenosCounty Palatine of Cephalonia and Zakynthos

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). William II of Sicily. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/william-ii-of-sicily
MLA
“William II of Sicily.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/william-ii-of-sicily. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “William II of Sicily.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/william-ii-of-sicily.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘William II of Sicily’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/william-ii-of-sicily (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻