Sicily: culture and conquest

Sicily’s central location and natural resources have meant that various peoples have sought to conquer, control and settle on the island throughout its 3000-year history. Its Italian identity, with which we are familiar today, emerges only comparatively recently. It was under the rule of the ancient Greeks and medieval Normans that Sicily really flourished – golden eras when it became a serious political player and one of the wealthiest and most culturally prosperous places in Europe. Through an engaging text, exploring themes such as art, architecture and culture, and a remarkable selection of objects, from monumental metopes and beautiful mosaics to reliquary pendants and chess pieces (many revealing a distinct Sicilian character and style), this book provides a visually stunning insight into the key periods of Sicily’s extraordinary past.