Sicily

Tourists,armchairtravelers,andhistorianswillalldelightinthisfluidnarrativethatcanbereadstraightthrough,dippedintoovertime,orusedasareferenceguidetoeachperiodinSicily’sfascinatingtale.EmigrationofpeoplefromSicilyoftenovershadowstheimportanceofthepeoplewhoimmigratedtotheislandthroughthecenturies.ThesehaveincludedseveralwhobecameSicily’srulers,alongwithJews,Ligurians,andAlbanians.Greeks,Romans,Vandals,Goths,Byzantines,Muslims,Normans,Hohenstaufens,Spaniards,Bourbons,theSavoyKingdomofItalyandthemodernerahaveallheldsway,andleftlastinginfluencesontheisland’scultureandarchitecture.Sicily’scharacterhasalsobeendeterminedbywhatpasseditby:eventsthataffectedEuropegenerally,namelytheCrusadesandColumbus’sdiscoveryoftheAmericas,remarkablyhadlittleinfluenceonItaly’smostfamousisland.Maps,biographicalnotes,suggestionsforfurtherreading,aglossary,pronunciationkeys,andmuchmoremakethisuniquebookasessentialasitisenjoyable.