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As a nexus of civilizations, the island of Sicily was in contact with numerous European and African powers. As such, its past was inextricably intertwined with the history of numerous lands. The 48th International Congress will include two (2) sessions titled “Sicily and its Neighbors” intended to give scholars of various backgrounds and disciplines an opportunity to share ideas about how Sicily’s history influenced – or was influenced by – the various civilizations with which it was in contact. In other words, the sessions will provide scholars with an opportunity to highlight connections between the island and the wider medieval world. Indeed, the title is intentionally broad in the hopes that the CFP will ferret out submissions from a wide range of scholars.
Possible topics include Sicily’s relations with the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic world. Papers on the island’s relations with western powers are also welcome. Topics here might include its role in the early Spanish Reconquista and its later position as a possession of the Crown of Aragon. Other possibilities include Sicily’s relations with the Holy Roman Empire, its interactions with Franco-Norman lands, its connections to the Plantagenets, its influence on papal politics, and the role it played (and at times did not play) in the Crusades. There are many possibilities.
Abstracts of 200 - 300 words and a Participant Information Form (PIF) should be forwarded no later than September 15 (the PIF is available at
http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/submissions/index.html#Paper). Both should be directed to:
Dawn Marie Hayes
Department of History
Montclair State University
426 Dickson Hall
Montclair, New Jersey 07043
E-Mail: Dawn.Hayes@Montclair.edu
Fax: 973-655-3159
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