The Time Traveler's Guide to Norman-Arab-Byzantine Palermo, Monreale and Cefalù

by Louis Mendola

Some travel books transport you over distance. This one takes you back in time. It's the perfect book to read before you get to Sicily, and to consult when you're there. This is the first guide written in English dedicated to the polyglot medieval heritage of three Sicilian cities where Europe met Africa and Asia for three magical centuries. Here two of Sicily's leading historians present accurate, timeless information about the Norman, Arab and Byzantine legacy of Palermo, Monreale and Cefalù. From emirs to kings, muqarnas to mosaics, this book includes details rarely published elsewhere, some drawn from the authors' original research. Included are numerous maps and (black and white) photos. Chapters are dedicated to specific sights, such as cathedrals and castles, as well as topics like religion, architecture and the local cuisine. There are informative chapters on Fatimid art and Byzantine iconography. There is an overview of the chief period covered (900-1200), a detailed chronology, a list of important historical figures and an index, along with a concise introduction to Sicily's ancient history. The chapters on popular sites, like Palermo's Palatine Chapel and Monreale's abbey, are detailed yet concise enough to be read quickly. Several sites in Palermo, Monreale and Cefalù were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015. The authors describe those places and many more, including a few jewels that are generally overlooked. It's a well-kept secret that more churches standing in the twelfth century survive in Palermo than any other city in Europe. Though it has a useful chapter on schedules, sightseeing and access, this book is not the typical destination guide that lists hotels and restaurants, perhaps providing transportation information and other details. It complements such guides (and websites) by concentrating on the kind of information that interests the slightly more curious visitor, especially the medievalist. Its emphasis is on what makes the medieval art and architecture of this corner of Sicily different from the rest of Italy and most of Europe. The authors make the point that there's a bit of medievalist in all of us. Here the focus is the history and culture intricately interwoven into the medieval sights and sites you are visiting, or plan to visit. It's all about context and Sicily's place in the world. The authors are not travel writers but specialist historians who live in the place they write about. These pages reflect their passion. There is an abundance of information, far more than what is found in most guides, but the lengthy index can be used as a menu. No need to read the whole book. Just choose whatever seems most interesting at the moment. Among the book's immediately useful details are the diagrams indicating the placement of the mosaics in the churches, along with a simple genealogical chart showing how the kings and queens of the Norman era were related to each other. Equally informative are the maps of medieval Palermo. The first few chapters of this guide, eloquently setting forth the history of the Byzantines, Arabs and Normans in Sicily, were drawn from the authors' earlier book, The Peoples of Sicily. Here is the kind of information very few guides present in a cohesive way. This book is about more than superficial sightseeing. In describing the people and peoples behind the monuments, it invites you to embark on a journey from seeing to understanding. Along the way, you'll meet the Normans, Arabs, Greeks, Swabians and Jews who forged one of the most remarkable multicultural societies the world has ever known, something as timely as it is timeless. This guide will transform your visit into a learning experience.

234 pages, Paperback

Published November 14, 2017

About the author

Lou Mendola is one of Sicily's foremost authors, and one of the very few whose work is known beyond Italian borders.

He has been consulted by the Vatican, the BBC, the New York Times, The History Channel and the Almanach de Gotha, and published numerous academic (scholarly) articles over the last thirty years.

He is interviewed at www.bestofsicily.com/mag/art440.htm

Reviews

[Marks54 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not normally include tour guide books but I will make an exception here. This is a guidebook - a fairly extended one but still rather short. It is about the period of Norman rule in Sicily, which lasted from the mid eleventh century until the mid thirteenth century. The history of Sicily of course is very long and very complex, featuring periods of control by virtually all of the various groups that have vied for control over the Mediterranean Sea since the time of the ancient Greeks. The period featured in this book was narrow and focused and even limited geographically on Sicily. It was a time where rulers actively tried to blend Norman, Arab, and Byzantine societies and cultures - not a laying of one society and its artifacts on others that had gone before it but rather a conscious effort to blend three distinct political and cultural societies into one state by conscious effort. It did not last long in the dynamics of European medieval history and there are few parallels to Norman rule in Sicily anywhere else in Europe. The surviving churches, chapels, and other buildings are unique in Europe and well worth a visit. In preparing for my trip, I was unprepared for this history was astonished by what there was to see - especially for me the Palatine Chapel in Palermo.

The book covers this well and provides chronologies to orient readers. The author worked with a coauthor who we were able to learn from during our visit. I am baffled that this part of Sicily and its history and culture are not more widely recognized.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picked this book up during my visit to the cathedral in Monreale on a trip to Sicily. The book gives a great summary on each ruling faction and how the mixing of cultures has shaped Sicily. An excellent source of information as one tours through Palermo and Sicily.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine guide that complements some of the other books by these authors because it tells us about the places where the Kings and Queens of Sicily lived and worshipped. No color pics but lots of information overlooked in other guides.