Lou Mendola wordt erkend als een van Sicilië's belangrijkste literaire stemmen, met een aanzienlijke aanhang die zich uitstrekt buiten de Italiaanse grenzen. Gedurende drie decennia is zijn wetenschappelijke werk wijd en zijd gepubliceerd, waardoor hij als autoriteit werd gevestigd. Zijn schrijven verkent vaak het rijke tapijt van de Italiaanse geschiedenis, kunst, cultuur en taal.
Targeting the adventurous traveler, this guide offers insights beyond the typical tourist experience in Sicily. It caters to those seeking hidden gems and unique cultural encounters, ensuring a deeper understanding of the island's rich history and diverse landscapes. With a focus on lesser-known attractions and local traditions, it invites readers to explore Sicily in a way that goes beyond the usual recommendations, making it ideal for those looking to experience the island like a local.
"This is the first major work in English on the political and social history of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, a state that flourished under five kings of the House of Bourbon from 1734 until its annexation to the newly-unified Italy in 1861. Formally constituted in 1816, the Two Sicilies united the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily to form the largest and most prosperous of the pre-unitary Italian states. At its demise in 1860, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies boasted a treasury of gold reserves exceeding those of all the other Italian states combined, and the largest royal palace in Europe, at Caserta outside Naples. It was the most industrialized state in the Italian peninsula, home to Italy's first railroad, first public pension plan, first unemployment benefit plan, and first recycling system. The Two Sicilies has left its mark on what the world perceives as Italian culture. Spaghetti, pizza and one of Europe's first chocolate recipes were born in this region, along with the first vernacular Italian literary language. It was from this part of Italy that most Italians migrated to the United States, Canada, Argentina and elsewhere at the beginning of the twentieth century, and this book complements studies of family history by those having roots in this region. In this volume, a leading historian brings us the true story of a semi-forgotten kingdom and its people. This long-awaited book will be of interest to Italophiles, travelers, armchair historians, researchers, Italian descendants around the world, and to anybody curious about the history of a unique region that traces its origins from ancient Magna Graecia and the medieval, multicultural kingdom founded by Norman adventurers during the twelfth century. It is a useful reference for libraries and an excellent introduction for students. In these pages is the untold story of the "other" Italy, the most typically Mediterranean region of a diverse country. While many histories of modern Italy focus on Rome and the cities to its north, the stars of this book are Naples and Palermo. Even readers familiar with Italy may find a few surprises here. This is an accurate, candid, unvarnished history that transcends clichés, stereotypes and clouded misperceptions. It includes a timeline, photographs, several maps, genealogical tables, seven informative appendices on such topics as coinage and heraldry, and a bibliography. Until now, books written in English about the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies have tended to focus on the ruling dynasty or arcane topics such as its orders of chivalry. There have also been specialized studies of the Italian unification movement and books about Italian history broadly. This is the first book in English that considers the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in a general way. Much of the information was drawn from original sources such as royal decrees and eyewitness accounts of events. The story of the Two Sicilies is the story of every family of southern Italy. It is an epic to be cherished for all time. Here is the identity of a people and a culture." -- Amazon.com
This informative supplement to the author's Queens of Sicily 1061-1266 further explores the queens' use of power and the Sicilian cultural identity forged by these women. Chapters are dedicated to topics such the queens' suppression of adversaries, reginal patronage, titles and heraldry, words spoken by the queens, court cuisine (including recipes) and poetry (with original translations of a number of poems of the Sicilian School), places the queens lived, sexuality and marriage, and more. A chapter lists work by fellow historians. As a cornerstone in the emerging field of Sicilian queenship, this book begins a new conversation in medieval women's studies, laying the foundation for work to come.
"Travel to Sicily's multicultural Middle Ages! The greatest sights of medieval Sicily await you. This is the first guide written in English dedicated exclusively to the polyglot culture that flourished in Sicily for three magical centuries. In these pages two of Sicily's leading historians reveal information rarely published elsewhere, some drawn from their medieval sources. Discover the places and the spirit of a singular age when nobody was a foreigner. And go from seeing to understanding."--Page 4 of cover
The story of the Sicilian Vespers is a piece of history more thrilling than any historical novel. This is the first English translation of the chief chronicle of the uprising that changed the course of European and Mediterranean history. Written by a monk in Middle Sicilian around 1290, it is the earliest narrative prose (rather than poetry) in an Italian language, pre-dating by decades the better-known works composed in Tuscan. The colorful protagonist is John of Procida, one of the leaders of the revolt. This book will appeal to students of medieval literature as well as history. In addition to the text in English and the original Middle Sicilian, it contains lengthy commentary and notes, a background chapter describing Sicilian history up to 1279 (when the chronicle begins), biographical sketches on the chief players, a chronology, a glossary, five genealogical charts, dozens of photographs and ten pages of maps. Also included is Ciullo of Alcamo's poem The Dialogue, composed in Middle Sicilian before 1240. Enough material is included to make this a practical study guide on the War of the Vespers and a solid introduction to a medieval language about which virtually nothing has been published in English. The English publication of this work, an important if overlooked part of medieval Italian history and literature, is a long-awaited milestone.
The book offers an in-depth exploration of Sicilian genealogical research, highlighting the island's exceptional genealogical records that trace identities back to the fifteenth century. Drawing from the author's extensive thirty years of expertise, it serves as the first comprehensive guide in English focused solely on uncovering Sicilian ancestry, making it an invaluable resource for researchers and enthusiasts alike.
