Christians and Muslims in Early Medieval Italy: Perceptions, Encounters, and Clashes PDF
Preview Christians and Muslims in Early Medieval Italy: Perceptions, Encounters, and Clashes
Christians and Muslims in Early Medieval Italy In the early Middle Ages, Italy became the target of Muslim expansionist campaigns. The Muslims conquered Sicily, ruling there for more than two centuries, and conducted many raids against the Italian Peninsula. During this period, however, Christians and Muslims were not always at war – trade flourished, and travel to the territories of the ‘other’ was not uncommon. By examining how Muslims and Christians perceived each other and how they communicated, this book brings the relationship between Muslims and Christians in early medieval Italy into clearer focus, showing that the followers of the Cross and those of the Crescent were in reality not as ignorant of one another as is commonly believed. Luigi Andrea Berto is Professor of Medieval History at Western Michigan University, USA. His research focuses on medieval Italy and the Mediterranean, with a special interest in the use of the past and the relationships between Christians and Muslims. Studies in Medieval History and Culture Recent titles include The Charisma of Distant Places Travel and Religion in the Early Middle Ages Courtney Luckhardt The Death Penalty in Late Medieval Catalonia Evidence and Signification Flocel Sabaté Church, Society and University The Paris Condemnation of 1241/4 Deborah Grice The Sense of Smell in the Middle Ages A Source of Certainty Katelynn Robinson Travel, Pilgrimage and Social Interaction from Antiquity to the Middle Ages Edited by Jenni Kuuliala and Jussi Rantala Christians and Muslims in Early Medieval Italy Perceptions, Encounters, and Clashes Luigi Andrea Berto First published 2020 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2020 Luigi Andrea Berto The right of Luigi Andrea Berto to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this title has been requested ISBN: 978-0-367-41472-6 (hbk) ISBN: 978-0-367-81464-9 (ebk) Typeset in Times by Deanta Global Publishing Services, Chennai, India Published in Italian in a different version as Cristiani e musulmani nell’Italia dei primi secoli del Medioevo. Percezioni, scontri e incontri (Milan: Jouvence, 2018). Contents List of maps vii Abbreviations ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction 1 1 References, definitions, and circulation of news 9 2 Religious otherness 29 3 Perceptions 47 4 Some light in the darkness: Reading between the lines of the zealots’ criticism 69 5 Supernatural events 81 6 Why is the enemy attacking us and winning? 93 7 Rewriting history 99 8 The enemy is coming 107 9 Prisoners 113 10 ‘Going’ to the other 125 11 Encounters 141 Conclusions 153 vi Contents Appendix 155 Maps 159 Bibliography 163 Index 173 Maps 1 The Mediterranean Area 159 2 Sicily 160 3 Southern Italy 160 4 Central Italy 161 5 Northern Italy 161 Abbreviations BAS Biblioteca Arabo-Sicula, Italian translation by M. Amari, 2 vols. (Turin and Rome, 1880–1881) MGH Monumenta Germaniae Historica
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