Can the eclectic medieval history of the world's most conquered
island be a lesson for our times? Home to Normans, Byzantines,
Arabs, Germans and Jews, 12th-century Sicily was a crossroads of
cultures and faiths, the epitome of diversity. Here Europe, Asia
and Africa met, with magical results. Bilingualism was the norm,
women's rights were defended, and the environment was protected.
Literacy among Sicilians soared; it was higher during this
ephemeral golden age than it was seven centuries later. But this
book is about more than Sicily. It is a singular, enduring lesson
in the way multicultural diversity can be encouraged, with the
result being a prosperous society. While its focus is the
civilizations that flourished during the island's multicultural
medieval period from 1060 to 1260, most of Sicily's complex history
to the end of the Middle Ages is outlined. Idrisi is mentioned, but
so is Archimedes. Introductory background chapters begin in the
Neolithic, continuing to the history of the contested island under
Punics and Greeks. Every civilization that populated the island is
covered, including Romans, Goths, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs,
Normans, Germans, Angevins, Aragonese and Jews, with profiles of
important historical figures and sites. Religion, law, geography
and cuisine are also considered. The authors' narrative is
interesting but never pedantic, intended for the general reader
rather than the expert in anthropology, theology, art or
architecture. They are not obsessed with arcane terminology, and
they don't advocate a specific agenda or world view. Here two
erudite scholars take their case to the people. Yes, this book
actually sets forth the entirety of ancient and medieval Sicilian
history from the earliest times until around 1500, and it presents
a few nuggets of the authors' groundbreaking research in medieval
manuscripts. Unlike most authors who write in English about Sicily,
perhaps visiting the island for brief research trips, these two are
actually based in Sicily, where their work appears on a popular
website. Sicily aficionados will be familiar with their writings,
which have been read by some ten million during the last five
years, far eclipsing the readership of any other historians who
write about Sicily. Alio and Mendola are the undisputed,
international "rock stars" of Sicilian historical writing, with
their own devoted fan base. Every minute of the day somebody is
reading their online articles. This is a great book for anybody who
is meeting Sicily for the first time, the most significant
'general' history of the island published in fifty years and
certainly one of the most eloquent. It has a detailed chronology, a
useful reading list, and a brief guide suggesting places to visit.
The book's structure facilitates its use as a ready reference. It
would have run to around 600 pages, instead of 368 (on
archival-quality, acid-free paper), were it not for the slightly
smaller print of the appendices, where the chronology, the longest
Sicilian timeline ever published, is 20 pages long. Unlike most
histories of Sicily, the approach to this one is multifaceted and
multidisciplinary. In what may be a milestone in Sicilian
historiography, a section dedicated to population genetics explains
how Sicily's historic diversity is reflected in its plethora of
haplogroups. Here medieval Sicily is viewed as an example of a
tolerant, multicultural society and perhaps even a model. It is an
unusually inspiring message. One reader was moved to tears as she
read the preface. Can a book change our view of cultures and
perhaps even the way we look at history? This one just might. Meet
the peoples!
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