A History Of Southern Italy

"Lucid, evocative and richly detailed."—Jay Parini, author of The Apprentice Lover

The history of southern Italy is entirely distinct from that of northern Italy (the two regions were distinct cultural and political entities until 1868), but it has never been given its own historical due. The myriad influences that shaped modern civilisation in the Mediterranean come together in southern Italy and Sicily - the region once known as the 'Kingdom of the Two Sicilies'. What the rest of the world recognises as Italian culture - from opera to pizza - was born in the South. Yet negative images of its poverty, violence, superstition and nearness to Africa fuelled stereotypes of what was and was not acceptably 'European'. From the Normans and Angevins through Spanish and Bourbon rule to the unification of Italy, historian Tommaso Astarita explores the intellectual, religious, economic and political history of this fascinating region and delivers an accessibly written book that is not just colourful and scholarly but also wholly engrossing.

This collection of essays brings together the work of a new generation of revisionist historians who argue that the true history of Southern Italy has been reduced to that of a 'Southern problem' viewed through a Northern prism. These scholars suggest that the South was not a 'backward' region, but a combination of regions in which different social and economic patterns had evolved in response to the prevailing conditions within the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. The book employs an interdisciplinary approach to examine not only the concrete history of the South, but also the discourses and images in which it has been framed. It is the first publication in English devoted to the new history of Southern Italy, and brings together many of the leading figures in the revisionist movement, as well as some of their critics.

Crawford's A History of Southern Italy: The Rulers of the South is essential reading for anyone interested in the history of southern Italy and Sicily. Its over 300 full-length chapters start with the southern Italy of antiquity, the founding of Greek colonies such as Syracuse, and the Gothic, Norman, Saracen, and Byzantine invaders. A discussion of the Mafia's history is included.

The first full-length study of mainland southern Italy's domestic market in the late Middle Ages, this book discusses the interaction between population, the market, and the region's institutional framework, in the context of the impact of the late medieval 'crisis' on the European economy. Based on new or little-used documentary evidence, it adopts an interdisciplinary approach and combines economic history with elements of economic theory to reassess common knowledge on demographic and urbanization trends, the organization of the domestic market, the role of the state, and on actual patterns of agricultural production, industrial activity and commercial itineraries. The result is a fresh look at the late medieval economy of the kingdom of Naples, which, it seems now, is worth studying for its own merit.

A concise history of Italy from the fall of the Roman empire in the west to the present day.

"Lucid, evocative and richly detailed."—Jay Parini, author of The Apprentice Lover Both the Romans and the Greeks were attracted to the dramatically beautiful coasts and fertile plains of the region later known as "The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies." In fact, all myriad influences that shaped modern civilization in the Mediterranean come together in Southern Italy and Sicily. The world's first secular university was founded in Naples. Many of the elements of Italian culture as we now know it in the rest of the world—from comic opera to pizza—were born in the South. Art and music flourished there, as did progressive ideas about education, tolerance, and civic administration. Native Neopolitan and distinguished scholar Tommaso Astarita gives us a history both erudite and full of personality—from the freethinking, cosmopolitan King Frederick who conferred with Jewish and Muslim philosophers (and dared to meet with the Sultan) to the fisherman Masaniello who inspired artists and revolutionaries across Europe. In the medieval South, Jews, Muslims, and Greek and Latin Christians could practice their religions, speak their languages, and live in mostly peaceful cohabitation. From the sixteenth to the eighteenth century, Naples was on par with Paris, one of the largest and most cultured cities in Europe. During the Enlightenment, southern Italy captured the European imagination, and many people traveled far and wide to enjoy southern Italy's ancient ruins, beautiful landscapes, sweet music, and magnificent art, marveling at the lively temperament of the southern population. The drama and beauty of the region inspired visitors to claim that one had to "see Naples, and then die." Yet negative images of the Italian South's poverty, violence, superstition and nearness to Africa long fueled stereotypes of what was and was not acceptably "European." Goethe noted that he had gladly studied in Rome, but in Naples he wanted "only to live," for "Naples is a Paradise: everyone lives in a state of intoxicated self-forgetfulness, myself included. From the Normans and Angevins through Spanish and Bourbon rule to the unification of Italy in 1860 and the subsequent emigration of vast numbers of Southern Italians, Between Salt Water and Holy Water captures the rich, dynamic past of a vibrant land.