County of Sicily was created by Robert Guiscard in 1071 for his younger brother Roger Bosso. Guiscard himself had received the title Duke of Sicily ("dux Siciliae") in 1059 from Pope Nicholas II as encouragement to conquer it from the Muslims. In 1061 the first permanent Norman conquest (Messina) was made and in 1071, after the fall of Palermo, the capital of the emirate and future capital of the county, Guiscard invested Roger with the title of count and gave him full jurisdiction in the island save for half the city of Palermo, Messina, and the Val Demone, which he retained for himself.
Tercio of Sicily Tercio of Sicily The Tercio of Sicily () is one of the tercios that were created by a 1534 decree of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. Since the 18th century, the Spanish army has maintained the tradition of this tercio in its regiments. The purpose of this regiment was to protect the Spanish possessions in Italy from enemy attack. The name includes "viejo" ("old") because it is one of the three first tercios created and originally comprised 12 companies (each consisting of 150-200 men). The tercio was stationed throughout Sicily as well as in Calabria, Marina de Catanzaro. Its first