Medieval Sicily

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Pilgrims, immigrants, saints, administrators, and knights made their way to the shores of Sicily, constantly transforming the cultural and social fabric of the island throughout the medieval period. This course begins with Emperor Justinian’s reconquest of Sicily from the Ostrogoths in 535 CE, tracing the complexity of the Muslim invasion in 827 CE, to the Norman reign from 999 – 1130 CE, ending with the Angevin dynasty’s shaky hold in 1266 and its deliverance to the House of Aragon in 1282. We will examine the overlapping influences of Greek, Latin, Roman, German, Muslim, Jewish, Norman, Angevin (France & England) and Aragon (Spain) cultures in the production of painting, architecture, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, textiles, and jewelry. Students will learn how Byzantine, Islamic, Gothic, and Romanesque art styles converged in this unique territory where soldiers, kings, caliphs, and popes wrestled to gain and keep control of “the island of fertility.” For more information about this and other courses in the Department of Art and Art History, please visit https://art.georgetown.edu This course is not available to audit.