Michele Amari

Michele Amari (1806-1889) was an Italian patriot, born at Palermo, devoted a great part of his life to the history of Sicily, and took part in its emancipation; was an Orientalist as well; he is famous for throwing light on the true character of the Sicilian Vespers; and served as the Kingdom of Italy's first minister of education.

Amari became an important figure during the Risorgimento. He was a link between Prime Minister Camillo Benso di Cavour and influential Sicilians, helping to convince them to support Italian unification. Amari did so expecting Cavour to grant Sicily some regional autonomy after unification. After the the Kingdom of Italy was formed, however, Cavour betrayed Amari and Sicliy by not supporting Sicilan autonomy and allowing northern Italian politicians to block all efforts to secure it. The failure to achieve this autonomy added fuel to the already existing mistrust and tension between northern and southern Italy. This rivalry between North and South continues to play a major role in Italian society today, evidenced by oraganizations such as the Lega Nord.

Amari's historical works focus on Sicilian history during the period of Muslim control. His efforts have earned him acknowledgemnt as one of the 19th century's premier translators of Medieval Arabic writings.