Description
For some years in the end of the eighteenth century, Valletta-born Giuseppe Vella enjoyed a luminous fame all over Europe. His ‘translations’ of Arabic sources of the history of Sicily were acclaimed and threatened to change many a cherished historical notion. His ‘discovery’ of 17 lost books by the Roman historian Livy was another astonishing literary event. And yet in a few years doubts started being cast about the abate’s integrity and even his knowledge of Arabic. Soon some scholars started delving into these ‘translations’ and a fascinating story – with all the makings of a detective story – emerged which divided the European literary scene into two opposing factions.
Not much has been written about Abate Vella and most of what has been written is the result of fantasy and imagination. Abate Vella also featured in Leonardo Sciascia’s The Council of Egypt. Thomas Freller’s meticulously-documented account throws much-needed light on this controversial figure who has lived in the shadows of history as he describes a story which had far wider political and social reverberations than many thought.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.