Sicily: An Illustrated HistorySicily was the jewel of the Mediterranean, and Sicilians were the first civilized people of the Western World-here is their rich and diverse history in crisp prose and lively illustration. This concise history relates how Sicily rose to become the first independent, civilized nation of greater Italy, as well as home to many of the world's most distinguished philosophers, mathematicians, scientists, and artists. The narrative subsequently recounts the region's millennium-long decline at the hands of foreign invaders, its hard-won battle for freedom in 1860 under the leadership of Giuseppe Garibaldi, and its current status as a center for art and tourism. |
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5th century administrator Africa agriculture Agrigento Akragas Arabs Aragon aristocracy army Bari barons battle began Benevento Bourbon brother Byzantines Calabria capital Caracciolo Carthage Catalan Catania century B.C. Charles Christian Church coast Count Roger crown death died Dionysius Duke of Apulia economy emirs emperor Enna Europe Ferdinand feudal France Frederick French Gela Genoa Giuseppe Garibaldi Greece Hauteville Hauteville family Hellenic Greece Himera Hohenstaufen industry Inquisition invaders island Italian Italy Italy's Jews King of Sicily King Roger kingdom land landowners Latin lived Lombard mafia mainland masters mattanza Mediterranean Messina Misilmeri Muslim Naples Normans Palermo parliament peninsula Phoenician Pirandello poetry poets pope PRIVITERA reign returned revolt Robert Guiscard Roman Rome royal ruled Sicily ruler Saracen settlement ships Siceliot Sicels Sicilian language Sicily became Sicily's silk soon southern Italy Spain Spaniards Spanish Syracuse Taormina taxation taxes took towns Trapani troops viceroy wheat William