Art and Architecture of Sicily

Art and Architecture of Sicily is the first book to cover the rich
artistic heritage of Sicily from prehistory up to the late 20th century. Sicily's
strategic position in the centre of the Mediterranean led to settlement or
conquest by a succession of different peoples - Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans,
Byzantines, Muslims, Normans, Germans, French, Spanish - each one leaving its
traces on Sicilian culture.




The book provides a chronological survey, each section opening with a
brief historical overview which is followed with an authoritative and engaging
account of the development of the period's art and architecture. The leading
architects, artists and stylistic currents are all discussed and outstanding
individual buildings and works of art are analysed, some famous, others which
may be unfamiliar to readers. While architecture is the principal starting
point for the understanding of each period, paintings and sculpture are treated in some detail; archaeology, urban development, patronage and
decorative arts are also covered.



The development of
art and architecture in Sicily not interpreted as a story of artistic
conquests, but as one of acculturation and creative transformation. The author instead
reveals that successive layering of different cultures, and the way each one
interacted with its predecessors produced art and architecture quite distinct
from anywhere else in Europe. He thus challenges the commonly held view
that Sicilian art and architecture is provincial and derivative, merely
imitating the art of others.