Western Sicily is one of the most wonderful places on Earth. From the Greek temples in the south to the Arab-Norman architecture and frescos around Palermo, there are endless treasures and glories. There are also records of fascinating characters, especially the Emperor Frederick II Hohenstaufen, Stupor Mundi. Historians still argue whether he was a prototype of a Renaissance ruler, with a distinct flavour of the Enlightenment, or merely among the most remarkable men of the high Middle Ages. He was a polymath, but one of his most distinguished qualities ultimately limited his inheritance. He found it impossible to stop fighting, not least against a succession of popes. In that particular phase of the conflict between papacy and Holy Roman Empire, Frederick could not win a decisive victory.
After his death in 1250, his heirs were unable to establish themselves. Within a quarter of a century, the dynastic line failed. At the imperial level, Hohenstaufen was replaced by Habsburg. As for Sicily, given the endemic violence, it is surprising that so much of the heritage survived. But the era of stupefaction gradually gave way to a more mundane existence and indeed to decay. The island came under Spanish rule. As Imperial Spain declined, so did Sicily.
If only Sicily had been part
of the British Empire.
The island would have been much better run
The Bourbon rulers of the 19th-century Kingdom of the Two Sicilies mainly resided in Naples. Neglected, Sicilians became inward-looking and resentful. The Mafia emerged – a curious blend of proto-nationalism, a rudimentary welfare system and criminality. In a part of his glorious career that admirers gloss over, Nelson had helped to keep the Bourbons on their throne by putting down a rebellion inspired by the French revolution.
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