1282

1282 was a year of major political upheaval in western Europe, most notably in the Mediterranean and the British Isles. The events of the year reshaped the balance of power among kingdoms and princelets, with lasting consequences for regional rule and sovereignty.

In the Kingdom of Sicily, the Sicilian Vespers broke out on 30 March 1282, beginning as a popular uprising in Palermo and spreading across the island. The rebellion was directed against the administration of Charles I of Anjou and led to sustained conflict between the Angevin rulers and the Crown of Aragon. The uprising undermined Angevin authority in Sicily and triggered a broader Aragonese–Angevin war over the island. In the naval arena, Aragonese forces under Roger of Lauria would later gain advantages, signaling a significant shift in control though the conflict continued for years.

In Wales, Edward I’s campaign to subdue the Welsh princes intensified, culminating in the death of Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, the last native Prince of Gwynedd, at the Battle of Orewin Bridge in December 1282. Llywelyn’s death effectively ended major native resistance to English conquest in northern and central Wales, and the campaign would continue into 1283. The subsequent imposition of English rule was formalized in the years that followed, with the Statute of Rhuddlan establishing English jurisdiction over Wales in 1284.

Other regions experienced ongoing medieval dynamics, including continued Reconquista efforts in the Iberian Peninsula and broader shifts in European political alignments. 1282 thus stands as a pivotal year marking significant changes in sovereignty and governance across several kingdoms.