Mosaics Of Norman Sicily

Dehili, Arne and G. Howard Chamberlin. Norman Monuments of Palermo and Environs. Boston. Ticknor and Company. 1892 ; fester Einband / hard cover; 1. Ed.
Very Good

Worn half calf over heavy fabrikoid boards on the spine & corners, with heavy rubbing to the extremities; fine French marbled eps; 14" x 18"/. xviii, [2], 30 pp., followed by 72 pages of plates, A large-format book with exquisite plates in various media, including 12 Gelatine Prints, 20 photo-grain views on ten sheets and 50 measured drawings (however, the list of illustrations only calls for 49 drawings). Additional illustrations within the text. Aside from the wear to the extremities of the boards the contents are in Near Fine condition with only some occasional nicks to page edges. EX LIBRIS William G. Kafes with his small ink stamp name on the 2nd ffep, the Dedication Page & the half title page. Oversize book, shipping negotiable. First American Edition. Half Calf Elephant Folio - over 15" - 23" tall; First American Edition.

[SW: Architecture, Sicily, Norman Sicily, Palermo, Amalfi, Salerno, Capella Palatina Palermo, La Martorana Palermo, Byzantine Mosaics, King William II,]

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Erbstößer, Martin: The Crusades. New York: Universe Books, 1979. ISBN: 0876633319
Sehr gutes Ex., Archivex. Edition Leipzig, mit Stempel auf Vorsatz. - After reviewing the material and intellectual structure of the Islamic, Byzantine, and West European civilizations and their feudal societies, Professor Erbstosser traces the emergence and development of the Crusader ideology, characterizes those who took part in the first Crusades, reviews in detail the rise and decline of the Crusader kingdoms, takes into account the commercial expansion by the merchants of Northern Italy, the Norman conquest of Sicily and Southern Italy, and the advance of Europeans into Moorish Spain, and concludes by examining the influence of the Crusades on European culture and society. Since the author's intention is to present the history of the Crusades from the viewpoint of the history of civilization, he represents the material and intellectual standards of Islam, Byzantium, and Western Europe by magnificent illustrations of mosques, churches, and castles; knights in armor and their weapons; examples of medieval education and scholarship, agricultural implements and luxury goods; and splendid reproductions of Islamic, Byzantine, and Christian paintings, drawings, manuscripts, sculpture, mosaics, glassware, coins, and reliquaries. - Introduction -- Three Civilizations of the Mediaeval World -- The Arabian Caliphate -- The Byzantine Empire -- Western Europe -- Europe on the Way to the Crusades The Proclamation of the Crusade The Expedition by the Peasants The Army of Knights on the First Crusade The Crusader States -- The Concept of the Crusades in the 12th and 13th Centuries The Commercial Expansion of Northern Italian Cities The Norman Empire and the Reconquista The Influence of the Crusades on Europe Appendix -- Political Chronology -- Bibliography -- Sources of Illustrations -- Maps. ISBN 0876633319, ISBN-13: 9780876633311

203 S. mit zahlr. Abb. Originalleinen mit Schutzumschlag.

[SW: Kreuzzüge, Geschichte]

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CILENTO, ADELE & VANOLI, ALESSANDRO. Arabs And Normans In Sicily And The South Of Italy. Riverside Book Company, New York: 2008. ISBN: 1878351664

307 pages. Sicily has been at the crossroads of the Mediterranean for thousands of years. As close to Africa as it is to many parts of Europe, and directly astride major sea routes, it has been a convenient landfall for both merchants and warriors. Its invasion in the year 827 A.D. by Muslim armies from North Africa set the stage for a fascinating interplay of cultures. As these Arab and Berber soldiers slowly conquered Sicily and extended their reach to parts of the Italian mainland, they came in contact with, and for some two hundred years ruled over, Greek-speaking Orthodox Christians loyal to the Byzantine emperor in Constantinople, Latin-speaking Christians obedient to the pope in Rome, and small but significant communities of Jews. As the fortunes of attackers and defenders ebbed and flowed, fortresses and castles surrendered, cities and towns changed hands repeatedly, and local populations found themselves subject to first one and then another ruler, sometimes in quick succession. Despite the often brutal violence, victors and vanquished managed an uneasy accommodation in which different languages, multiple religions, and several ethnicities could coexist. Adding themselves to this mix, groups of Norman mercenaries arrived in southern Italy early in the eleventh century. They quickly found employment with one or another of the local Latin-speaking Longobard princes who were in constant conflict with each other and who also had to contend with a Greek-speaking Byzantine empire that was trying to expand its territory on the Italian mainland. The descendants of Viking raiders who had settled in the French province of Normandy, and kin to those who invaded England under William the Conqueror in the year 1066, these Normans, or Norsemen, were fierce fighters and soon began to accumulate power and influence in the Italian south. Muslims remained in control of Sicily, but the Normans saw their prospects improve with the arrival of Robert de Hauteville, a military leader of great energy and ability known to history as Robert Guiscard, or Robert "the shrewd one." With his younger brother Roger, later known as the Great Count, he eventually conquered Sicily and large parts of southern Italy. Roger's descendants Roger II, William I, and William II ruled in Sicily as kings until the late twelfth century. Very sympathetic to Muslim culture, in their dress and in their tastes they were more like Oriental potentates than European monarchs. Served by a civil bureaucracy largely staffed by Muslims that drafted documents in Latin, Greek, and Arabic, these Normans presided over a monumental building program that produced some of the most breathtakingly beautiful mosaics and building interiors in the world. Incorporating both Christian and Muslim motifs, these emphasized their divine right to rule as well as the luxury and magnificence of their court, in a style and manner meant to echo imperial Byzantium and the splendor of the East. This book is written by two expert scholars. It tells a fascinating story about a period during the Middle Ages when cultures collided and made war on each other over issues of politics, religion, and wealth (much like the present day). With many views of the famous mosaics in Cefal , Monreale, and Palermo, its 275 color illustrations and four maps provide a beautiful visual complement to an authoritative text.Adele Cilento is Professor of Byzantine History at l'Universit degli Studi in Florence. She received a doctorate in Medieval History from l'Universit degli Studi in Turin, where she began her work on the period of Byzantine rule in southern Italy from the ninth to eleventh centuries, with particular attention to the history of monasticism. Along with her university teaching, she is active as a freelance journalist with magazines and specialized periodicals such as Medioevo. Among her publications are: Potere e monachesimo - Ceti dirigenti e mondo monastico nella Calabria bizantina, Florence, 2000; and Bisanzio in Sicilia e nel sud dell'Italia, Udine, 2006. Alessandro Vanoli teaches Comparative Politics of the Mediterranean at l'Universit degli Studi in Bologna. He received a doctorate in European Social History from l'Universit degli Studi in Venice, concentrating on the study of Islam and its interactions with Jewish and Christian culture from the Middle Ages up to the modern period. Prof. Vanoli has worked with the Rizzoli publishing house on various projects relating to Judaism and Islam. Among his publications are: I cammini dell'Occidente - Il Mediterraneo tra i secoli IX e X, Padua, 2001; Alle Origini della Reconquista, Turin, 2003; and La Spagna delle tre culture - Tra storia e mito, Rome, 2006. Hardcover with dustjacket. Brand new book.

[SW: (Key Words: Sicily, Adele Cilento, Arabs, Alessandro Vanoli, Normans, Italy, European History, Muslims, Mosaics).]

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"Otto Demus. THE MOSAICS OF NORMAN SICILY. NY: Philisophical Library, 1950 1st ed.

Hardcover, original cloth. Ex-seminary library copy with usual markings. Clean, tight, complete book suitable for reading. 1950

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