Corleone, Albanians in Sicilian history, and travel in Sicily

In Book #3, the de Rogerio family has fled to Corleone to the estate of Leo de Iannacio, away from the violence and siege of Palermo during the War of the Sicilian Vespers. this area is home to a great deal of agriculture, particularly lemons and oranges, as well as melons, eggplant, cabbage, pistachios and almonds. Check out the link above to see some beautiful pictures of Corleone, where I will be visiting to give authenticity to the third book in the Vespers Trilogy.

Brian Catlos, Sicily, the Mediterranean and other medieval thoughts

So OK, I've been so preoccupied lately with planning my trip to Sicily (and Budapest and Iceland) next year that I've been neglecting my blog. So my friend Josh Birk recommended an author to me, just to keep me in the loop of present-day Mediterranean scholarship. That author would be Brian A. Catlos and I've already begun his book, Infidel Kings and Unholy Warriors, Faith, Power and Violence in the Age of Crusade and Jihad. For all you eggheads out there who are academically drawn to the Mediterranean, get this book. He has a new take on old scholarship and it's clear and well-reasoned. Look up his other stuff too. And if you're out in southern California around November 7 and 8, go see him in person at the UC-Irvine Mediterranean conference. So I'm trying to decide whether to stay around Mazara or Erice because I want to see the Greek temples at Agrigento. Isn't it fascinating that the best Greek ruins are in Sicily and southern Italy (Paestum - heaven on earth -yes, go see Paestum south of Salerno). And in Trapani I plan to visit the medieval salt museum as well as the salt pans since I write about them in our vespers trilogy. Last but not least, before visiting Budapest and soaking my bod in the hot springs of Iceland (Blue Lagoon, here I come!)we'll be traveling around Cefalu and Corleone (remember the Godfather? Although that's not why I'm going -there's actually a medieval connection there). Anyone have any thoughts or suggestions - feel free to comment!

Oh yes, Corleone

Oh, I forgot to mention that book #3 of the Vespers Trilogy has Ysabella and Company (or some of them) settling into Leo's estate, La Serenita, outside of Corleone, where there is a medieval convent called Santa Maria del Bosco - really.  And I'm going to see it.  Most people think I picked Corleone because of The Godfather (which I did love, but no, that's not exactly why).  Corleone was a mountain town within a day's journey from Palermo so that when our family was fleeing the siege of Palermo, they could make it that far.  Also, I had to pick a place where the hated Angevins weren't, and the mountains of Sicily, known for bandits, etc. (most of whom were relatives) was perfect.  I was also secretly hoping, of course, that people would remember the name from the famous movie, but truly, folks, Corleone was a medieval town in its own right.  It just had to wait for Martin Scorsese to make it a household word.

Sicily, Sortino, honey, Corleone

So okay, I'm obsessed with my trip next year to Sicily.  I want to go to Sortino, where there are famous beekeepers and try all the different kinds of honey - Check out www.honeytravelers.com and boy will you find some great places for honey.  I'm blown away that beekeepers move their bees thousands of miles in big flatbed trucks to take advantage of the different herbs and flowers blossoming at various times in Italy and Sicily.  The bees don't seem to get motion sickness either.  I'm looking forward to traveling in Sicily (no, not on a flatbed truck either - nor with bees) and this time I plan on seeing the medieval salt museum and the salt pans of Trapani, an olive oil farm, and maybe even some of the islands like Lampedusa or Egadi Islands.  Check out the site - www.bestofsicily.com for all kinds of fabulous info about my favorite island.  Buon viaggio!

While we're on the subject of food - medieval Corleone and Sicily

If you're wondering about medieval food in Sicily - I ran across this wonderful article that talks about the Arab history in Sicilian cuisine - lemons, oranges, sugar cane, sherbet and sorbets and a few other fascinating things - check out this link - as you know, Corleone is the setting in Book #3 of The Vespers Trilogy that Ysabella & Co. flee to after the cataclysm of Aragon and Angevin in Palermo.


Check out this link - https://www.academia.edu/2292026/Food_in_medieval_Sicily

Corleone - Leo's estate in the Sicilian countryside

At the endAt th e end of book 2, Malice Stalks the Leopard, our heroes and heroines flee Palermo to the countryside to Leo's estate, La Serenita, as the Angevins and the Aragonese desperately fight for the island capital. Ysabella finds that her return to the country gives her peace of mind and for the first time, really enjoys the rhythm of the seasons. Her fear of the violence she experienced in Palermo makes her want to remain in the countryside, while Amodeus feels differently. He wants to return to Palermo and rebuild The Leopard. What will happen to their marriage?