Presents a tour of medieval Europe, discussing facts about climate, landscape, religion, social classes, government, education, clothing, culture, transportation, food, diseases, crime, and languages.

This guide is an introduction to the art, architecture, poetry and cuisine known at the multicultural Sicilian court during the rule of the Norman and Swabian dynasties. In addition to detailed descriptions of such popular sights as Palermo's Palatine Chapel and Monreale's abbey, it includes translations of court recipes and Sicilian poetry published for the first time in the books written by these two historians over the last decade. Sicily's multicultural...

Some travel books transport you over distance. This one takes you back in time. It's the perfect book to read before you get to Sicily, and to consult when you're there. This is the first guide written in English dedicated to the polyglot medieval heritage of three Sicilian cities where Europe met Africa and Asia for three magical centuries. Here two of Sicily's leading historians present accurate, timeless information about the Norman, Arab and...