Summary:
Sarah Davis-Secord uses a variety of sources, including legal court records, ship records, business records, and testimonies of the life of Christian saints to paint a picture of the time when Sicily was ruled via Byzantine Constantinople, the time of Muslim rule through Ifriqiya, and the time or Normans coming into power. The "three worlds" are Christians (the Byzantines, and then the Normans), Muslims (Arabs and Berbers via Ifriqiya/Tunisia), and Jewish people, who were heavily involved in trade throughout the Mediterranean. "Where Three Worlds Met," is incredibly well researched. Davis-Secord is clear when there is strong evidence and when there is limited evidence. She has painstakingly documented her sources, and is clear on her claims.
Key Quote, Information, or Chapter:
There is so much detailed information in this book! Here are a few parts that stuck out to me:
- Sicilian-Arab coins, the quarter dinars, came to be used throughout the Mediterranean, and were replicated in Salerno. Davis-Secord suggests that this shows trade networks throughout the peninsula at a time when there were established networks with Ifriqiya, Cairo, and al-Andalus.
- When Normans started to come into Sicily, many Muslims stayed, many converted, and some also left. Some of those that left retained the nisba of "al-Siqilli" or "The Sicilian" indicated a long lineage of North Africans whose families were based in Sicily or came from Sicily.
- Although some of those of North African heritage fled Sicily, others were still immigrating to the island, as were some Jews because Tunisia was suffering from drought and food shortages.
- Ultimately, despite being a place of nexus, Sicily's centeredness gave way to Northern Italian merchant control, especially after Norman rule was established.
- The trade and exchange between these three worlds was extensive, there was constant cultural, economics, and political change over time. The population of the island increased significantly under Muslim rule, while still maintaining a strong Jewish population, and a continued Greek-Christian population.
- This really only scratches the surface of some of the later chapters, there is much more in the book!
Reflections of il Moro:
This books gave me stronger insights into the development of Sicily moving from part of the the Greek East, ruled by Constantinople, and centered in Sircusa, to being a part of North Africa, with power and culture shifting toward Palermo, and then shifting toward Latin Europe with rule of the Normans, who were aligned (mostly) with the Pope. When reading of this history, you can see that the people of Sicily today are the decedents of Eastern peoples from Greece/Constantinople/Syria, and the decedents of Arabs and Berbers, with Arabic-speaking Jewish people in the mix as well. It is hard to believe that Sicily took such a strong swing toward Latin Christianity. The de-centralization of Sicily is also clear, as it fell into less importance, and started a trend of backwards progress. This continues later in history as a Spanish colony, and more recently as part of the Italian republic. This is likely why the Normans are so revered on the island (as is the history of the Muslims and Byzantines). The Normans were in many ways the last period of Sicilians prosperity, and the culmination of these three worlds. It is a shame that so much was lost to history. As the Sicilian-Arab folk character, Giufa, would say, "Alas!"
