Recent publication by Felicita Tramontana, EURIAS Fellow 2015/2016

Una terra di intersezioni. Storia e intituzioni della Palestina di età moderna.

Felicita Tramontana, Carocci editore, 2015.

In 1516 Sultan Selīm I (1512-1520) conquered the villages and the towns of Palestine. The Ottoman rule lasted four centuries, a span of time during which the balance of power between the competing forces in the area considerably shifted. Departing from Palestine as a point of observation, the book depicts exchanges, connections and interactions that contributed to shaping the ties between the Ottoman Empire and its neighbours.

On the one hand, the book discusses from a local perspective issues that are central in ottoman historiography, such as the relations between the centre and the periphery; the complex ties with western powers and the spread of Catholicism. In this respect the book investigates how these phenomena manifested themselves in specific contexts and were influenced by local circumstances, geographical and social factors. On the other hand, the book connects topics that have recently been addressed by historiography on the Ottoman Empire and issues that have been traditionally the focus of Mediterranean studies and research on Muslim-Christians interactions, such as the “go-betweeners” and the “renegades”.