“The Hauteville era brought stability,” Vito said after settling into his chair. He paused momentarily waiting for the barista to bring his coffee, which was forthcoming. I knew the routine and sat quietly until the teacher was ready.
“Roger I – actually he was not called ‘the first’ since that generally signifies royalty and he was – according to his brother Robert’s decision, only a count – but anyway, Roger was a wise and patient man. He was in his thirties which was considered middle age by the time he conquered Messina, married to a Norman woman of high birth, Judith – his first of several wives – then proceeded to take control of the island and rule from Palermo. He realized that Christianizing the mix of Byzantine, Muslim, and Jewish populations laced through the land was going to
