Sicily: A Cultural History

by Joseph Farrell

Long before it became an Italian offshore island, Sicily was the land in the centre of the Mediterranean where the great civilizations of Europe and Northern Africa met. In ancient times it was the scene of conflicts between Carthaginians, Greeks and Romans and there are still more, better preserved Greek temples in Sicily than in the whole of mainland Greece. An Arab invasion in 827 made Sicily home to an Islamic culture, and through Sicily the Arabs introduced to Europe a range of products from sugar to pasta. Other conquering forces included the Catalan-Aragonese, the Spanish, the French, the Austrians and even the British who invented Marsala wine.

Sicily today is familiar and unfamiliar, modernized and unchanging. Visitors will find in an out-of-the-way town an Aragonese castle, will stumble across a Norman church by the side of a lesser travelled road, will see red Muslim-styles domes over a Christian shrine, will find a Baroque church of breathtaking beauty in a village, will catch a glimpse from the motorway of a solitary Greek temple on the horizon and will happen on a the celebrations of the patron saint of a run-down district of a city, and will stop and wonder.

There is more to Sicily than the Godfather and the mafia. Land of Myth and Religious Feast: the myth of Persephone at the lake of Pergusa: the Holy Week processions in Enna and Erice; the festivities for St. Rosalia in Palermo, St. Agatha in Catania, St. James in Caltagirone. History in Stone: the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento; Norman cathedrals in Palermo, Monreale and Cefalú; Saracen and Aragonese castles; Arab-Norman-Byzantine mosaics in the Palace of the Normans in Palermo, Islands and Cities: the Aeolian Islands with their volcanoes at Stromboli and Vulcano; the hauntingly beautiful cities of Taormina and Cefalú; Mount Etna; the eighteenth-century Baroque towns of Ragusa and Noto.

Genres: History

256 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2012

About the author

Joseph Farrell is emeritus Professor of Italian at the University of Strathclyde. He is author of a biography of Dario Fo and has translated several Italian playwrights in addition to various novels.

Reviews

[Lewis Burik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, enjoyable read! A bit too much breadth, and a bit too little depth, but worth the read nonetheless (esp. if you are gearing up for a trip to Sicilia)!

[Barron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good for much of the book, but kind of runs out of steam toward the end.

[eHead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book on the culture and history of Sicily.

[Jenny T · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed learning about my great grandparents' country of origin. I like how the book isn't too political. Some books go on and on about empires and kings, and I'm glad this isn't one of them.

On the other hand, I did get bored reading, at times. I like how the book is broken down by geographical region, but it seems to me that there are too many details about cathedrals and buildings. The main take away, for me, seems to be that there are many Baroque (ornate) churches in Sicily.

Some other things I learned: the Mafia is glamorized, but isn't a huge threat; there are Arabic, French, and even English and Spanish influences on the country; and the culture isn't very progressive. There are some areas that are still wartorn, and there are often earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

I would have liked to learn more about the day-to-day lives of the residents, then and now. What kind of technology did they have? How did they spend their days? What were some gender differences? I would have liked to see mini-biographies of men, women, and children in action, so I could get a sense of what my ancestors were like, in general. What did they do for a living? Things like that. Future editions could include more stories/narratives, and fewer details about architecture, IMO.

Overall, I think the book is good for people who are into buildings and art and such, and it's OK as an overview, but I would have liked a more personal touch, like "Picture this: 1904. Sicily." Then a Sophia Patrillo-esque character could tell about her daily chores, dealings with her relatives, etc.