Papers by Jacqueline Alio
Full translation of the « Contrasto » poem by Cielo d’Alcamo, 2018
First translated in 1995 in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a university thesis and d... more First translated in 1995 in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a university thesis and degree Little is known of Cielo (Ciullo) of Alcamo, whose given name may be a form of Michele (Michael); in medieval Sicily Celi was often the shortened form of Miceli. Perhaps instead Cielo was short for Marcello, but what little evidence exists suggests that the poet was Sicilian and that he probably came from the town of Alcamo on the western side of the island. The oldest surviving manuscript of his poem, the lengthiest of the Sicilian School, was copied in a "tuscanized" tongue and script late in the thirteenth century. Photos of that copy, preserved at the Vatican Library in Codex Vaticanus Latinus 3793, appear at the end of this appendix following the notes. Intended to be literal and clear, this translation was effected without reference to any other. Previous English translations> such as those of Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1861) and Lorna Lancaster de'Lucchi (1922), rendered flowery, rhyming poetry which, though eloquent and appealing to the Victorian mind> was not very true to the original. That of Frede Jensen (1986) was a significant improvement. As mentioned in this volume's introduction, Dante Alighieri and others knew of Cielo's work, which was part of an early nexus that inspired the literary, and not merely spoken, use of an Italian vernacular even though it did not influence Tuscan directly.
Contrasto English translation Alio, 1995
First translated in 1995 in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a university thesis and d... more First translated in 1995 in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a university thesis and degree Little is known of Cielo (Ciullo) of Alcamo, whose given name may be a form of Michele (Michael); in medieval Sicily Celi was often the shortened form of Miceli. Perhaps instead Cielo was short for Marcello, but what little evidence exists suggests that the poet was Sicilian and that he probably came from the town of Alcamo on the western side of the island. The oldest surviving manuscript of his poem, the lengthiest of the Sicilian School, was copied in a "tuscanized" tongue and script late in the thirteenth century. Photos of that copy, preserved at the Vatican Library in Codex Vaticanus Latinus 3793, appear at the end of this appendix following the notes. Intended to be literal and clear, this translation was effected without reference to any other. Previous English translations> such as those of Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1861) and Lorna Lancaster de'Lucchi (1922), rendered flowery, rhyming poetry which, though eloquent and appealing to the Victorian mind> was not very true to the original. That of Frede Jensen (1986) was a significant improvement. As mentioned in this volume's introduction, Dante Alighieri and others knew of Cielo's work, which was part of an early nexus that inspired the literary, and not merely spoken, use of an Italian vernacular even though it did not influence Tuscan directly.
Medieval Feminist Forum, 2019
Alio devotes this volume to the life of Margaret of Navarre, who ruled Sicily as queen regent fro... more Alio devotes this volume to the life of Margaret of Navarre, who ruled Sicily as queen regent from 1166 to 1171. The book makes a worthy entry into the expanding literature on European queens and is the first full-length biography of Margaret in English, bringing well-deserved attention to this woman who was, Alio argues, "the most powerful woman in Europe and the Mediterranean" in her time (151). The book also brings to life the vibrant, cosmopolitan world of Sicily, portraying a kingdom of great wealth and influence in which Jews, Christians, and Muslims lived and worked together. This multiculturalism is evident in a page taken from the Harley Psalter (ca. 1153), where the text is reproduced side-byside in Latin, Greek, and Arabic. Alio draws heavily on the work of two contemporary chroniclers, Hugh Falcondus and Romauld of Salerno, but she also excavates charters and decrees, material artifacts, and several other chronicles and primary sources to sketch in the details of Margaret's life. The saga begins with a sweeping prehistory of northern Iberia and a nimble account of the loyalties and ambitions of Margaret's family, including mention of her great-grandfather, the Spanish knight nicknamed El Cid. Margaret grew up in Pamplona, another cosmopolitan city home to Muslims, Jews, Christians, and Basques, and in 1149 left to marry William, son of Roger II, the first Norman king of Sicily. Her regency for her eldest surviving son puts her in an elect group of twelfth-century ruling women, one including Melisende of Jerusalem (d. 1161), Eleanor of Aquitaine, Urraca of Castile (Regent of Asturias), and the Empress Matilda (Maude). Alio argues that Margaret's two million subjects and prosperous kingdom made her equal in political and economic power to the English king Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, and Manuel Comnenus of Constantinople. While most of her short reign is a soapy melodrama of rebellions, coups, and court intrigues, Alio portrays Margaret as a resourceful politician, a pragmatic ruler dedicated to reform, and a careful steward of her country' s resources, "one of Sicily' s most beloved women" (320). Alio is a popular historian in Sicily, and her training as a tour guide shows in her approach to this biography. Extensive photographs, maps, illustrations, and genealogical tables give readers a visual sense of the landscape, and Alio excels at the anecdotes and details that help distinguish the many colorful
Drafts by Jacqueline Alio
Kingdom of Sicily 1130-1266, 2023
At a thousand pages, Kingdom of Sicily, with seven detailed appendices on everything from the leg... more At a thousand pages, Kingdom of Sicily, with seven detailed appendices on everything from the legal code promulgated in 1130 to historiography and research methodology, and over 1300 useful endnotes citing primary sources as well as recent work in the field, is the lengthiest general survey of its subject ever published in English in a single volume. Significantly, it is one of just a few works to present the political and social history of two key dynastic periods together. Featuring 24 pages of maps and 28 full-page genealogical tables, along with a glossary and dozens of photographs of charters, chattels and sites, it brings the reader a wealth of information which, until now, could be found only by consulting numerous monographs, academic journals and websites. The work features the usual academic apparatus-a lengthy bibliography of original works and secondary literature, complemented by a well-designed index. Some endnotes extract long medieval texts, obviating the need to search elsewhere for certain decrees, letters and papal bulls. This is a unique opus that clearly links the medieval past of southern Italy and its people to our present. Only rarely has such a work of significant length been written in English, in the original, by historians based in the former kingdom who have deep roots in this region. Unsurprisingly, the "native" perspective reflected in this book is far more insightful than what is typically written by scholars who venture to southern Italy for just a few weeks or months at a time. Following a detailed introduction addressing the interests of a general readership as well as academics working in this field, the numbered chapters present a chronology of history beginning around the year 1000 without overlooking the legacy of earlier periods. This ranges from examinations of the nature of the Lombard, Byzantine and Arab societies flourishing when the Normans arrived at the beginning of the eleventh century, to the gradual but real ethnogenesis that led to the identity of southern Italians seen today. Unlike most works, this one gives due consideration to what came before and after the Norman-Swabian period, providing useful context for any reader curious about this history. Most of the "topical" information is included in the numbered chapters. This includes sections on a great many subjects, including, among others, kingship and queenship, multiculturalism, feudalism, agriculture, knighthood, medicine, "international" relations, ethnic and religious identities, phylogeography, monasticism, language and literature, philosophy, science, art and architecture, marriage practices, the status of women, government and administration, the economy, law and the justice system, the lives of the common folk, urbanization, legends, witchcraft, sexuality and gender, nature and wildlife, climate change, coinage, weights and measures, iconography, and heraldry. Much of the "living history" that survives in the former kingdom is related to
Uploads
Papers by Jacqueline Alio
Drafts by Jacqueline Alio