The 'Other', Identity, and Memory in Early Medieval Italy

The political fragmentation of Italy, the conquest of Sicily by the Muslims, and the Norman 'conquest of southern Italy in the second half of the eleventh century fostered the creation of areas inhabited by people with different ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. This period saw an increase in historical writing in different parts of Italy, and this volume presents case studies about how early medieval Italian authors portrayed this period and were influenced by their own 'present.

Format: Hardback
Length: 212 pages
Publication date: 30 November 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

The political fragmentation of Italy, stemming from Charlemagne's conquest of a portion of the Lombard Kingdom in 774 and the weakening of the Byzantine Empire in the eighth and ninth centuries, paved the way for the creation of diverse regions inhabited by individuals with distinct ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds. Additionally, this period witnessed a surge in historical writing across various parts of Italy. Taking advantage of these characteristics, this volume presents a series of case studies exploring how early medieval Italian authors perceived "others," what was known about them, the role of identity, and the utilization of the past in their reconstruction of the ninth to eleventh centuries.

Focusing particularly on how early medieval Italian authors portrayed this period and were sometimes influenced by their own "present" in their reconstruction of the past, the book will appeal to scholars and students of otherness, identity, and memory in early medieval Italy, as well as to all those interested in medieval Europe.

Weight: 571g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367625375