The beautiful island of Sicily, poised between Europe & Africa, has seen many invaders, nearly all of whom have left their mark in art & architecture. It is also a land of myth & enigma, pagan below the Catholic surface, troubled by the shadow of the Mafia
- in the words of the great Sicilian writer Leonardo Sciascia, a fantasy world. Raleigh Trevelyan knows the island intimately, & his knowledge adds immeasurably to the experience of visiting the great sites: Segesta, Agrigento & the mosaics of the Roman villa near Piazza Armerina, Palermo & Monreale, the theatre at Syracuse & the baroque marvels of Noto. Unforgettable though these are, Sicily`s unique character is more fully revealed as the author makes his leisurely way from province to province, describing the landscape & monuments, great treasures & remote villages, & spicing these discoveries with personal anecdote & references from writers down the centuries. Raleigh Trevelyan`s books include several on Italian themes, notably ” Princes under the Volcano” & two outstanding books about the Second World War in Italy: ” The Fortress: A Diary of Anzio & After” & ” Rome 1944: The Battle for the Eternal City”.