Sicilian Vespers can be called “Italian St. Bartholomew’s Night.” In 1282, the rebels of the Sicilian city of Palermo completely massacred the hated French rulers who had captured their island twelve years earlier. This bloody event shook the whole of Western Europe and led to a ruthless war in which France, the Spanish kingdom of Aragon, and Italy were drawn. Revealing the true reasons for the Sicilian Vespers, the author of the book, S. Runciman, shows that in fact it was only a link in a long hidden struggle for power and influence that the most powerful states of that time waged among themselves. The book is replete with vivid and interesting details about medieval politics, war and human life in the 13th century. For a wide range of readers. Transl. from English Neismark S.V.