Reflections on its History and Culture
This book vividly portrays the diversity of Sicily’s history and culture. In it, key events, places and artists are highlighted in wide-ranging articles presented in four parts: History, Cities, Ancient Sites and Artists. A rich tapestry emerges of an island that has experienced dramatic changes of fortune while becoming a melting-pot of cultural influences from the eastern Mediterranean, North Africa and mainland Italy. Commentary on the monuments and works of art, to be seen today, links Sicily past and present.
With this book, follow the stories of Dionysius’ castle, the foundation of the cathedral at Monreale, the Sicilian poets who invented the sonnet and the British merchants who made Marsala wine an international brand. Tour the big cities of Catania and Messina, the resorts of Taormina and Cefalù, and the baroque hilltowns of eastern Sicily. Explore the ancient sites, among them Segesta, Selinunte and Agrigento. Witness the originality of the island’s culture through the profiles of eight artists, sculptors and architects from the Renaissance to the twentieth century including Antonello da Messina, Giacomo Serpotta and Renato Guttuso, as well as Caravaggio, who left some of his last masterpieces on the island.
This book complements the author’s previous work on Syracuse and Palermo, filling in gaps in the island’s story, to form a comprehensive trilogy on Sicily.
Click here for the contents page
For extracts from the book, see the following links:
Catania, Sicily’s Commercial Capital
Cefalù, a Seaside Town with a Norman Cathedral
Ragusa and Modica, Baroque Hilltowns above a Sparkling Coastline
Agrigento, Ancient Akragas, a Greek City
The Greek Temple at Segesta
Antonello da Messina, Renaissance Painter
Rosario Gagliardi, Baroque Architect
Renato Guttuso, Twentieth Century Painter
Italophilia Website Review (December 2020)
https://ishitasood.com/best-travel-books-on-sicily/
I’ve found many Italophiles thanks to the world of social media. Jeremey Dummett is one such Italophile and Sicily lover who I connected via Twitter (Thanks to Rochelle from Sicily Inside Out!).
Having extensively traveled in Sicily for over 15 years, Jeremy has written 3 books on Sicily, two dedicated fully on the cities of Syracuse and Palermo. He knows the history and culture of the island like the back of his hand. I was particularly impressed reading his book Sicily: Island of Beauty and Conflict, which has extensive chapters on all of Sicily. It is a beautiful book offering insights into the mysterious island.
Italia! Magazine Review (October 2020)
Jeremy Dummett is an expert in the history of Italy, with a deep understanding of Sicilian culture in particular, and this latest release completes his trilogy of books about the island.
The Times (Saturday Review) 6 June 2020
See extract below; the full review is available to The Times subscribers at:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sicily-by-jeremy-dummett-review-qb9qpxg7k
Land of marsala, mafia and Montalbano
This guide to Sicily captures the island’s tumultuous history, says Jenny Coad
In his book, Sicily, Island of Beauty and Conflict, Jeremy Dummett took me back to my childhood holidays with archaeologist parents who favoured dusty ruins over powdery sand. “Can we go to the beach yet? Is it time for an ice cream?” we would wail. When the author writes about Selinunte, the extraordinary ruined ancient Greek city on the south-west coast, I can see my sister wilting under a Doric column, waiting for our swim reward.
Italophilia Website Review (December 2020)
https://ishitasood.com/best-travel-books-on-sicily/
I’ve found many Italophiles thanks to the world of social media. Jeremey Dummett is one such Italophile and Sicily lover who I connected via Twitter (Thanks to Rochelle from Sicily Inside Out!).
Having extensively traveled in Sicily for over 15 years, Jeremy has written 3 books on Sicily, two dedicated fully on the cities of Syracuse and Palermo. He knows the history and culture of the island like the back of his hand. I was particularly impressed reading his book Sicily: Island of Beauty and Conflict, which has extensive chapters on all of Sicily. It is a beautiful book offering insights into the mysterious island.
Italia! Magazine Review (October 2020)
Jeremy Dummett is an expert in the history of Italy, with a deep understanding of Sicilian culture in particular, and this latest release completes his trilogy of books about the island.
The Times (Saturday Review) 6 June 2020
See extract below; the full review is available to The Times subscribers at:
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/sicily-by-jeremy-dummett-review-qb9qpxg7k
Land of marsala, mafia and Montalbano
This guide to Sicily captures the island’s tumultuous history, says Jenny Coad
In his book, Sicily, Island of Beauty and Conflict, Jeremy Dummett took me back to my childhood holidays with archaeologist parents who favoured dusty ruins over powdery sand. “Can we go to the beach yet? Is it time for an ice cream?” we would wail. When the author writes about Selinunte, the extraordinary ruined ancient Greek city on the south-west coast, I can see my sister wilting under a Doric column, waiting for our swim reward.
Sicily, Island of Beauty and Conflict is available from all good bookshops. You can buy it online from the publisher, Bloomsbury, from Waterstones and from Amazon.
Castelbuono, a small town 20 kilometres inland from Cefalù, is one of Sicily’s forgotten treasures. Developed around a medieval castle and located in a quiet, rural setting, the town contains
Ancient sites are an exceptional feature of Sicily forming a direct link to the people who once inhabited the island. Some of them, located in unspoilt countryside and abandoned for
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