Placing Messina: The Politics and Geography of Bartolomeo da Neocastro’s Historia Sicula (c. 1294)

ABSTRACT This article examines the Historia Sicula of Bartolomeo da Neocastro, written c. 1294. Neocastro was a judge based in the north-eastern Sicilian city of Messina, and his chronicle provides one of the most comprehensive contemporaneous accounts of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion (1282) and the years that followed. The broad geographical scope of the coverage has meant that scholars have traditionally used the Historia to piece together a narrative of events in a politically complex period or else to provide context for more concentrated studies. However, this article shows that Neocastro can be utilised to access the more local experience of the events of the Vespers and Messinese political culture. It discusses how Neocastro constructs the relationship and connections between Messina and other cities and regions, and the significance of those connections. It focuses on his treatment of Sicily, southern Calabria and the Crown of Aragon.