Sicily: Island of Beauty and Conflict

A guide to the fascinating and diverse history and culture of Sicily. The book includes key events, places and artists highlighted in wide-ranging articles presented in four parts: History, Cities, Ancient Sites and Artists. A rich tapestry emerges of an island that has experienced dramatic changes of fortune while becoming a melting-pot of cultural influences from the eastern Mediterranean, North Africa and mainland Italy. It also includes commentary on the monuments and works of art to be seen today, linking Sicily past and present. Follow the stories of Dionysius’ castle, the foundation of the cathedral at Monreale, the Sicilian poets who invented the sonnet and the British merchants who made Marsala wine an international brand. Tour the big cities of Catania and Messina, the resorts of Taormina and Cefalù, and the baroque hilltowns of south-eastern Sicily. Explore the ancient sites, among them Segesta, Selinunte and Agrigento. Witness the originality of the island’s culture through the profiles of eight artists, sculptors and architects from the Renaissance to the twentieth century including Antonello da Messina, Giacomo Serpotta and Renato Guttuso, as well as Caravaggio, who left some of his last masterpieces on the island. This book complements the author’s previous work on Syracuse and Palermo, filling in gaps in the island’s story, to form a comprehensive trilogy on Sicily.

Table of Contents:
Foreword PART I: History 1. Introduction 2. The Castle of Dionysius 3. Sicily under the Roman Republic 4. The Arabs in Sicily 5. The Cathedral at Monreale 6. Frederick II and the Sicilian Poets 7. Domenico Caracciolo, the Reforming Viceroy 8. The British Wine Merchants 9. The Revolution of 1848 PART II: Cities 10. Introduction 11. Catania, Sicily’s commercial capital, and Mount Etna 12. Taormina, Sicily’s top international resort 13. Messina, port with connections to mainland Italy 14. Cefalù, seaside town with a Norman cathedral 15. Noto, baroque hill town 16. Ragusa and Modica, baroque hill towns 17. Palazzolo Acreide, baroque hill town 18. Marsala, ancient Lilybaeum, port city famous for its wine PART III: Ancient Sites 19. Introduction 20. Pantàlica, a pre-historic site 21. Segesta, an Elymian city, with a Greek temple 22. Selinunte, ancient Selinus, a Greek city 23. Agrigento, ancient Akragas, a Greek city 24. Mozia, ancient Motya, a Punic city 25. Villa Casale at Piazza Armerina, a Roman villa PART IV: Artists 26. Introduction 27. Antonello da Messina, Renaissance painter 28. Antonello Gagini, Renaissance sculptor 29. Caravaggio, baroque painter 30. Pietro Novelli, baroque painter 31. Giacomo Serpotta, baroque sculptor 32. Rosario Gagliardi, baroque architect 33. Ernesto Basile, architect of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries 34. Renato Guttuso, twentieth century painter Notes Bibliography Acknowledgements Maps Index

About the Author :
Jeremy Dummett is an expert on the history and culture of Sicily and the author of Syracuse, City of Legends: A Glory of Sicily and Palermo, City of Kings: The Heart of Sicily. He read history at Trinity College, Cambridge, and during his professional career lived for many years in Italy. Since retiring, he has been a regular visitor to Sicily. His website is www.jeremydummett.com

Review :
Jeremy Dummett is an expert in the history of Italy, with a deep understanding of Sicilian culture in particular, and this latest release completes his trilogy of books about the island... The author deftly pulls the diverse strands together by delving into the history and personalities that make up the fabric of this extraordinary island. Dummett is a historian and this is his third book about the island off Italy’s toe; he evidently loves the place and has researched it in detail.