Historical Images and the Recovery of the Past. The Medieval Kingdom of Sicily Image Database

The Kingdom of Sicily Image Database uses new media technologies to reframe our understanding of Medieval Europe by focusing on the role of the built environment for the formation of state identity in the Medieval Kingdom of Sicily from the 11th through the 15th centuries, when it was ruled by Norman, Swabian, Angevin and Aragonese dynasties. This material is important for two reasons: South Italy was a prototype of multicultural state formation and monuments played a central role in the power structures of this new state. This historical patrimony, however, is fragmentary as the result of WWII bombardment, earthquakes, and urban transformation. A comprehensive database of historical images of monuments and cities (prints, drawings, maps, photographs) made by scholars, artists and travellers can enable scholars and the public to recover the appearance of the landscape, of cities, and of individual monuments prior to radical destruction or renovation. Our interdisciplinary research team is conducting a systematic survey and critical cataloguing of images dispersed in the archives, museums and libraries of Italy, Europe and US.