28. The Sicilian Vespers, Sicily, Kingdom of Sicily, Easter 1282
Painted in 1846 by Francesco Hayez, this presentation of the Sicilian Vespers (and oh, there are so many — go google Sicilian Vespers and click on images — they go on and on and on) shows us the outraged Sicilian woman; the Frenchman who assaulted her dying on the ground, in unimpressive clothes; a much better dressed Sicilian standing over him; lots of other Frenchmen getting massacred; and, oddly, a host of Sicilians storming out of the church, to join the fray. Since everybody was hanging out outside the church, waiting for the vespers service, it’s unclear to us what they were all doing in there, other than getting ready to swarm dramatically out the doors when all hell broke loose. Hayez painted three versions of the Sicilian Vespers — this one is held in the Galleria nazionale d’arte moderna e contemporanea, in Rome.
On Easter Monday, 1282, the Sicilians revolted against the French government that had been in place since 1266; in the course of a few weeks 4,000 to 8,000 French people were slaughtered, depending on what source you are reading. We explain how things got to such a pass, and Michelle has a lovely trip down a rabbit hole wherein she discovers the awesomeness of Stephen Runciman. George Orwell makes a cameo appearance.
