The Anglo-Norman Territories | The Normans in the Mediterranean |
The traditional image of the Normans is that of a warrior race known more for their brutal military conquests than for their capacity to transform the character of the regions where they settled. However, beyond their undoubted urge to consolidate and extend their conquests, the Normans showed, at the same time, that they possessed a remarkable ability to adapt to local conditions. They also demonstrated extraordinary political acumen in giving life to early forms of the modern state. In the cultural sphere, the Normans left their image as warriors behind in their promotion of the freedom of artistic expression which manifested itself in the vast territories they dominated. The result is an eclectic and very attractive one in which the stylistic traditions of northern Europe blend with those of Rome, Byzantium and the Arab world. .
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