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 by 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...