Islamic Sicily: Between the Crescent and the Moon

Location: Academic I, Room 1106
Presenter: Prof. Chase Toscano

Italy is often seen as the heart of Catholic Europe, but its largest island, Sicily, was at one point an integral part of the Islamic world. From the 9th to 11th centuries, the island thrived under Muslim rule, where Muslims, Christians, and Jews coexisted. Sicily’s position on the periphery of the Islamic world fostered interfaith exchange, cultural tolerance, and material prosperity. This presentation explores how Islamic governance reshaped Sicily’s economy, society, and architecture, and how these influences endured into the Norman period, leaving a lasting legacy of cultural syncretism in the heart of the Mediterranean .

This event is part of our celebration of Italian Heritage Month.