- Social History, Early Modern History, Political History, Modern History, Enlightenment, Eighteenth Century History, and 26 moreEarly Modern Italy, Social Conflict, History of Freemasonry, Feudalism and Lordship, Sicily (History), The Kingdom of Naples, Anthropology of Hunting, Famine Studies, History of Southern Italy, Popular Politics, Popular Protest, Old Regime Revolts, Pugačëv's Rebellion, Disaster Studies, Naples, 17th century Europe, Urban History, 17th-Century Studies, Napoli, Natural Disasters, Italian (European History), Italian Studies, Early Modern Europe, 18th Century, Social Banditry, and Storia modernaedit
This volume deals with natural disasters in late medieval and early modern central and southern Italy. Contributions look at a range of catastrophic events such as eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, floods, earthquakes, and outbreaks of plague... more
This volume deals with natural disasters in late medieval and early modern central and southern Italy. Contributions look at a range of catastrophic events such as eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, floods, earthquakes, and outbreaks of plague and epidemics. A major aim of this volume is to investigate the relationship between catastrophic events and different communication strategies that embraced politics, religion, propaganda, dissent, scholarship as well as collective responses from the lower segments of society. The contributors to this volume share a multidisciplinary approach to the study of natural disasters which draws on disciplines such as cultural and social history, anthropology, literary theory, and linguistics. Together with analyzing the prolific production of propagandistic material and literary sources issued in periods of acute crisis, the documentation on disasters studied in this volume also includes laws and emergency regulations, petitions and pleas to the authorities, scientific and medical treatises, manuscript and printed newsletters as well as diplomatic dispatches and correspondence.
Research Interests: History, Cultural History, Cultural Studies, Media Studies, Languages and Linguistics, and 11 moreEarly Modern History, History of Religion, Italian Studies, Literature, Media History, Disaster Studies, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Political communication, Natural Disasters, Press and media history, and The Kingdom of Naples
This volume deals with natural disasters in late medieval and early modern central and southern Italy. Contributions look at a range of catastrophic events such as eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, floods, earthquakes, and outbreaks of plague... more
This volume deals with natural disasters in late medieval and early modern central and southern Italy. Contributions look at a range of catastrophic events such as eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, floods, earthquakes, and outbreaks of plague and epidemics. A major aim of this volume is to investigate the relationship between catastrophic events and different communication strategies that embraced politics, religion, propaganda, dissent, scholarship as well as collective responses from the lower segments of society. The contributors to this volume share a multidisciplinary approach to the study of natural disasters which draws on disciplines such as cultural and social history, anthropology, literary theory, and linguistics. Together with analyzing the prolific production of propagandistic material and literary sources issued in periods of acute crisis, the documentation on disasters studied in this volume also includes laws and emergency regulations, petitions and pleas to the authorities, scientific and medical treatises, manuscript and printed newsletters as well as diplomatic dispatches and correspondence.
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This volume deals with natural disasters in late medieval and early modern central and southern Italy. Contributions look at a range of catastrophic events such as eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, floods, earthquakes, and outbreaks of plague... more
This volume deals with natural disasters in late medieval and early modern central and southern Italy. Contributions look at a range of catastrophic events such as eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, floods, earthquakes, and outbreaks of plague and epidemics. A major aim of this volume is to investigate the relationship between catastrophic events and different communication strategies that embraced politics, religion, propaganda, dissent, scholarship as well as collective responses from the lower segments of society. The contributors to this volume share a multidisciplinary approach to the study of natural disasters which draws on disciplines such as cultural and social history, anthropology, literary theory, and linguistics. Together with analyzing the prolific production of propagandistic material and literary sources issued in periods of acute crisis, the documentation on disasters studied in this volume also includes laws and emergency regulations, petitions and pleas to the authorities, scientific and medical treatises, manuscript and printed newsletters as well as diplomatic dispatches and correspondence.
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Tra la rivolta detta di Masaniello e la controrivoluzione sanfedista del 1799, nel Mezzogiorno moderno nessun movimento di protesta assunse dimensioni tali da minacciare gli assetti sociali e di potere. Agitazioni e rivolte, che pure si... more
Tra la rivolta detta di Masaniello e la controrivoluzione sanfedista del 1799, nel Mezzogiorno moderno nessun movimento di protesta assunse dimensioni tali da minacciare gli assetti sociali e di potere. Agitazioni e rivolte, che pure si verificarono con una certa frequenza, furono generalmente brevi, circoscritte e di modesta intensità. Ma è possibile liquidare questi episodi come esplosioni di violenza isolate, come reazioni impulsive alla miseria e all’oppressione, prive di respiro e di contenuti politici? Il volume affronta questo interrogativo prendendo in esame alcune ondate di protesta popolare verificatesi in Calabria tra la fine del viceregno austriaco e il disastroso sisma del 1783: un periodo considerato di generale pacificazione sociale, ma in realtà segnato da una conflittualità tutt’altro che occasionale, capace di allarmare le autorità di governo. Scavando nella protesta che trascende le vie legali per assumere anche forme violente, la ricerca mette in relazione le resistenze e le ribellioni con la vita politica delle comunità e dei gruppi che ne furono protagonisti. Ne emerge un quadro articolato delle relazioni sociali e di potere nel Regno di Napoli, in cui anche i ceti estranei alle élites di governo locale appaiono capaci d’intervenire negli affari pubblici delle comunità e delle province. Non di rado, attraverso la minaccia o l’uso della forza.
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Nelle comunità urbane e rurali del Mezzogiorno d'Italia della tarda età moderna, regolate da statuti oligarchici, i ceti intermedi e inferiori appaiono generalmente ai margini dell'arena... more
Nelle comunità urbane e rurali del Mezzogiorno d'Italia della tarda età moderna, regolate da statuti oligarchici, i ceti intermedi e inferiori appaiono generalmente ai margini dell'arena politica: le forme della loro partecipazione alla vita pubblica in gran parte sfuggono. L' ...
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Charles of Bourbon’s accession to the Neapolitan throne in 1734 gave rise to several plans to reform the kingdom, most of which were aimed at limiting feudatories’ excessive power and reforming the tax system. Having chosen a “legal... more
Charles of Bourbon’s accession to the Neapolitan throne in 1734 gave rise to several plans to reform the kingdom, most of which were aimed at limiting feudatories’ excessive power and reforming the tax system. Having chosen a “legal route” to pursue these aims, the government was led to involve rural communities in the campaign against the feudal landlords. Hence, rural populations were urged to revive old rights and to recover customary common goods: some of them went so far as to challenge some aspects of feudal rule. In the end, however, the monarchy, afraid of the turn that the conflict was taking in some towns, yielded to pressure from aristocrats, whose support was needed to govern the kingdom. Some communities, who were disappointed by the uncertainties of the legal process, resorted to violence. By focusing on the struggle in four towns/villages, and on the frequent shifts from trials to riots, this paper assesses the contentious nature of the legal procedures of the 1730s. ...
Florence. Michelangelo, for example, oversaw the restoration and construction of battlements, towers, and other fortifications of the city. Andrea del Sarto and Pontormo worked on commissions that served as republican propaganda.... more
Florence. Michelangelo, for example, oversaw the restoration and construction of battlements, towers, and other fortifications of the city. Andrea del Sarto and Pontormo worked on commissions that served as republican propaganda. Moreover, some artists hedged their bets and fled before hostilities began. Others, like Michelangelo and del Sarto, remained steadfast in their loyalty to the republican government and stayed to support the republic with different consequences. Michelangelo, due to his fame and the wide appreciation for his style, was able to rely on powerful patrons to protect him from repercussions during and after the siege. Meanwhile, del Sarto died of the plague after the conflict’s end in September 1530, and was buried without ceremony at Santissima Annuziata. It is fitting, therefore, that the volume concludes with del Sarto’s death and the drawing up of his will, which left his inheritance to the Spedale degli Innocenti. Cecchi’s study of the siege’s impact on art ...
Research Interests: History, Cultural History, Cultural Studies, Media Studies, Media and Cultural Studies, and 15 moreLanguages and Linguistics, Early Modern History, History of Religion, Italian Studies, Literature, Media History, Disaster Studies, Italian Literature, Early Modern Intellectual History, History of Communication, Natural Disasters, History of Italian Language, Literary studies, Art Theory and Criticism, and Historical Studies
L'articolo esamina la complessa elaborazione delle politiche di gestione dell'emergenza in una societa di antico regime, a partire dai racconti del disastro fatti dai sopravvissuti e dalle richieste di soccorso inviate alle... more
L'articolo esamina la complessa elaborazione delle politiche di gestione dell'emergenza in una societa di antico regime, a partire dai racconti del disastro fatti dai sopravvissuti e dalle richieste di soccorso inviate alle istituzioni centrali. L'analisi si concentra in primo luogo su memorie e suppliche inviate al governo napoletano all'indomani del terremoto calabro-messinese del 1783, allo scopo di esplorare i processi sociali, politici e culturali attraverso cui la circolazione d'informazioni e di petizioni condusse alla fissazione d'influenti interpretazioni della calamita. L'analisi dei circuiti comunicativi da essa attivati consente di valutare l'influenza che le diverse letture dell'evento naturale ebbero sulla preparazione del programma di ricostruzione, e di mostrare che in tale processo le istanze delle comunita colpite non rimasero del tutto inascoltate.
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This paper outlines an innovative method for the study of disasters in early modern societies that combines cultural and socio-institutional approaches. It begins with a close examination of a sample of accounts, reports and pleas... more
This paper outlines an innovative method for the study of disasters in early modern societies that combines cultural and socio-institutional approaches. It begins with a close examination of a sample of accounts, reports and pleas regarding two calamities – the 1667 Dalmatia earthquake and the 1687 Lima earthquake – and how they were processed in the institutional channels of the Spanish monarchy. These sources are analysed with attention to the goals, interests and perspectives of the institutional and social actors that produced or sponsored them. As such, the images and narrative techniques embedded in them reveal the messages the authors sought to convey in order to justify their own conduct while discrediting that of their adversaries. The study of how information was exchanged in the aftermath of such distressing events allows us to see how authoritative narratives were constructed and to trace their larger effects. It also allows for a comprehensive understanding of how strategies were developed to manage social crises
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This article addresses the circulation of information between different territories of the Spanish Monarchy in the aftermath of two late-17th century calamities: the Lima earthquake of 1687 and the Sannio earthquake of 1688. By analysing... more
This article addresses the circulation of information between different territories of the Spanish Monarchy in the aftermath of two late-17th century calamities: the Lima earthquake of 1687 and the Sannio earthquake of 1688. By analysing the transmission of reports and opinions, both within the institutional bodies and in the wider ‘public sphere’, it aims at examining the ways in which the narratives of these two events underwent a process of re-elaboration, framing them into moral, political, and religious interpretative schemes. This analysis brings to light the different phases of the processes of elaboration of collective traumatic events, and, at the same time, it highlights the mechanisms of collection and dissemination of information, which often connected the main urban centres of the Monarchy, beyond the centre-periphery pattern
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In early modern societies, in the aftermath of disasters the main social and institutional actors were often led to compete with each other to manage the emergency. As the importance of the collection, processing and dissemination of news... more
In early modern societies, in the aftermath of disasters the main social and institutional actors were often led to compete with each other to manage the emergency. As the importance of the collection, processing and dissemination of news and opinions increased in times of danger, public information and institutional communication were among the main fields in which rivalries took place. Thus, taking control of and influencing communication was one of the key ways to change the power relationships to one's own advantage.
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This paper focuses on a coastal suburb of Naples, Santa Lucia, and examines the ways in which its inhabitants established and maintained relationships with the City authorities and with the other neighbourhoods, between the mid-17th... more
This paper focuses on a coastal suburb of Naples, Santa Lucia, and examines the ways in which its inhabitants established and maintained relationships with the City authorities and with the other neighbourhoods, between the mid-17th century and the end of the 18th century, and particularly during the 1799 Revolutionary turmoil.
Labour dynamics, social ties and the inner life of guilds and brotherhoods provide valuable information on the ways in which people from this neighbourhood interacted with their fellow citizens, also through a comparative analysis with other coastal suburbs. These findings shed some light on the factors that enhanced different patterns of integration, as well as on the ones that caused local communities to be rather self-enclosed. By using micro-analysis, on the one hand, and by considering the Santa Lucia neighbourhood in relation to its surrounding area, on the other hand, this article investigates how the suburb inhabitants behaved towards official partitions of the urban space.
Labour dynamics, social ties and the inner life of guilds and brotherhoods provide valuable information on the ways in which people from this neighbourhood interacted with their fellow citizens, also through a comparative analysis with other coastal suburbs. These findings shed some light on the factors that enhanced different patterns of integration, as well as on the ones that caused local communities to be rather self-enclosed. By using micro-analysis, on the one hand, and by considering the Santa Lucia neighbourhood in relation to its surrounding area, on the other hand, this article investigates how the suburb inhabitants behaved towards official partitions of the urban space.
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The article addresses the flow of information through different territories the Spanish Monarchy about two late 17th century calamities: the 1687 Lima earthquake and the 1688 Samnium earthquake. The main focus of attention is the... more
The article addresses the flow of information through different territories the Spanish Monarchy about two late 17th century calamities: the 1687 Lima earthquake and the 1688 Samnium earthquake. The main focus of attention is the circulation of news, accounts and opinions, both within the peripheral and central governmental bodies, and beyond the institutional networks. As the months passed, in the wider “public sphere” the two events underwent significant transformations and were given powerful symbolic signification; moreover, they were often associated in a single interpretative scheme by natural philosophers, theologists, preachers, and even in the collective rites and processions that were celebrated in several cities of the Iberian Peninsula. Tracing the circulation of news in times of emergency and their transformation in the different passages from one channel to another, allows to observe closely how collective traumatic events are symbolically mediated. Furthermore, it also sheds some new light on the mechanisms of information gathering and dissemination, which did not only follow the center-periphery pattern, but often connected the main cities of the Monarchy with each other.
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INTRODUZIONE alla sezione tematica "Disastri naturali e informazione negli imperi d’età moderna", Studi Storici 2019/4
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Après l ’étouffement de la révolte antiespagnole qui ravagea l ’Italie du Sud en 1647-1648, le spectre de Masaniello continua de hanter la conscience des groupes privilégiés. À travers l ’examen des récits des émeutes et des traités de... more
Après l ’étouffement de la révolte antiespagnole qui ravagea l ’Italie du Sud en 1647-1648, le spectre de Masaniello continua de hanter la conscience des groupes privilégiés. À travers l ’examen des récits des émeutes et des traités de certains juristes, l ’article analyse les raisons pour lesquelles les protestations populaires survenues dans le Royaume de Naples jusqu’à la fin du XVIIIe siècle furent souvent perçues, en référence à la révolte de Masaniello, comme des éclats de fureur plébéienne.
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In the wake of the Calabrian earthquakes of 1783, Neapolitan government set up a strategy for recovery of the region which involved a profound reorganisation of urban spaces, as well as of ecclesiastical institutions and devotional... more
In the wake of the Calabrian earthquakes of 1783, Neapolitan government set up a strategy for recovery of the region which involved a profound reorganisation of urban spaces, as well as of ecclesiastical institutions and devotional habits. Some of these measures increased tensions within local communities and between local players. This paper analyses the prominent role that religious institutions and practices played in reshaping social and power relationships and sheds some light on the ways social groups attempted to establish their authority over some portions of the urban territory.
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The paper focuses on two coastal suburbs of Naples, Santa Lucia and Loreto, and examines the ways in which their inhabitants established and maintained relationships with the City authorities and with the other neighbourhoods, between the... more
The paper focuses on two coastal suburbs of Naples, Santa Lucia and Loreto, and examines the ways in which their inhabitants established and maintained relationships with the City authorities and with the other neighbourhoods, between the mid-17th century and the end of the 18th century. Labour dynamics, social ties and the inner life of guilds and brotherhoods provide valuable information on the different, even opposite ways in which people from these two neighbourhoods interacted with their fellow citizens. These findings shed some light on the factors that enhanced different patterns of integration, as well as on the ones that caused local communities to be rather self-enclosed. By using micro-analysis, on the one hand, and by considering both neighbourhoods in relation to their surrounding areas, on the other hand, this article investigates how the suburbs inhabitants behaved towards official partitions of the urban space.
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Disaster Writings and Aspirations for Reforms in the Kingdom of Naples (1783). The Making of Emergency Response Policies The article addresses the making of emergency response policies in Early modern societies, by analysing the memories... more
Disaster Writings and Aspirations for Reforms in the Kingdom of Naples (1783). The Making of Emergency Response Policies
The article addresses the making of emergency response policies in Early modern societies, by analysing the memories of disaster shared by survivors and their calls for aid and relief. Research focuses primarily on accounts and pleas sent to the Neapolitan government in the wake of the Messina and Calabria earthquake of 1783, and aims at throwing new light on the social, political and cultural processes through which the circulation of information and petitions led to the construction of influential narratives of extreme events. By studying the exchange of information spurred by such events, I assess how the different interpretations influenced the making of the strategy for recovery, and show that the aspirations and needs expressed by the affected communities went not totally unheard.
The article addresses the making of emergency response policies in Early modern societies, by analysing the memories of disaster shared by survivors and their calls for aid and relief. Research focuses primarily on accounts and pleas sent to the Neapolitan government in the wake of the Messina and Calabria earthquake of 1783, and aims at throwing new light on the social, political and cultural processes through which the circulation of information and petitions led to the construction of influential narratives of extreme events. By studying the exchange of information spurred by such events, I assess how the different interpretations influenced the making of the strategy for recovery, and show that the aspirations and needs expressed by the affected communities went not totally unheard.
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Inform and amaze. Disaster narratives in 17th century Naples This paper focuses on the political communication in the Kingdom of Naples during the 17th century in the aftermath of major natural disasters. It analyses the narrative... more
Inform and amaze. Disaster narratives in 17th century Naples
This paper focuses on the political communication in the Kingdom of Naples during the 17th century in the aftermath of major natural disasters. It analyses the narrative techniques adopted in official reports to describe extreme events which hit Southern Italy, in order to highlight the strategies adopted by secular and religious authorities to impose their own interpretation of extreme events through the promotion of texts which were intended for a large-scale circulation. Some of the most widespread reports and leaflets printed in the aftermath of the Vesuvius eruption of 1631 will be compared to the texts printed with the encouragement of authorities on the occasion of other major calamities that hit the Kingdom of Naples in the 17th century.
This paper focuses on the political communication in the Kingdom of Naples during the 17th century in the aftermath of major natural disasters. It analyses the narrative techniques adopted in official reports to describe extreme events which hit Southern Italy, in order to highlight the strategies adopted by secular and religious authorities to impose their own interpretation of extreme events through the promotion of texts which were intended for a large-scale circulation. Some of the most widespread reports and leaflets printed in the aftermath of the Vesuvius eruption of 1631 will be compared to the texts printed with the encouragement of authorities on the occasion of other major calamities that hit the Kingdom of Naples in the 17th century.
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In early modern Europe natural disasters often boosted the proliferation of reports and queries, as well as of accounts and rumours, thus revealing the widespread interest in extraordinary and disrupting events. The specific aim of this... more
In early modern Europe natural disasters often boosted the proliferation of reports and queries, as well as of accounts and rumours, thus revealing the widespread interest in extraordinary and disrupting events. The specific aim of this article is to explore the circulation of narratives of catastrophe in Western Switzerland after the dreadful earthquake in 1783 that affected Southern Italy, and the subsequent enquiries and debates on its causes and effects on society. By taking into account newssheets, scholarly journals, printed leaflets and manuscripts, it analyses the dissemination of the news in the main cities in Western Switzerland, and the means through which the educated circles created their interpretations of such a hardly explicable event. Finally, it sheds some light on some debates on the political and social consequences of the disasters and on the proposals of moral and social regeneration developed by some observers who meditated on the disruption.
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Mistreatments, abuses and crashes have been a long time seen as distinctive features of the relationships between feudal landlords and vassals in the Kingdom of Naples in the early modern period. In recent decades, historians have... more
Mistreatments, abuses and crashes have been a long time seen as distinctive features of the relationships between feudal landlords and vassals in the Kingdom of Naples in the early modern period. In recent decades, historians have increasingly challenged such images, showing that in many cases barons were also a source of justice and help. Nonetheless, their power over the enfeoffed communities remained remarkable until the end of the old regime, especially on account of their vast jurisdictional functions. This paper focuses on some anti-feudal fights that took place between the 17th and 18th centuries, involving several communities that aimed at limiting feudatories’ excess of power. In these legal battles, that sometimes resulted in disturbances, petitioners often denounced landlords’ jurisdictional functions as sources of abuses and of misappropriations of customary common goods. Moreover, they endeavoured to formulate their claims and grievances in compliance with political and judicial language, with the aim of obtaining the support of the royal courts of justice.
Gli studi degli ultimi decenni sulla feudalità nel Mezzogiorno moderno hanno messo in discussione l’immagine di una vicenda scandita per lo più dagli abusi e dalle usurpazioni dei baroni nei confronti dei vassalli, e hanno messo in luce anche l’insieme di garanzie e protezioni legate agli istituti feudali. Nondimeno, in virtù delle ampie funzioni giurisdizionali e dei cospicui diritti proibitivi i signori conservarono ampi poteri sulle comunità infeudate fino alla fine dell’antico regime. Al centro di questo contributo sono alcuni movimenti antibaronali che si svilupparono in successive ondate tra il XVII e il XVIII secolo nel Regno di Napoli. Principale obiettivo di queste battaglie legali, che non di rado si tradussero in confronti armati, era la giurisdizione feudale, denunciata come fonte di abusi e d’indebite appropriazioni di beni e diritti appartenenti alle comunità. La gran parte dei casi analizzati mostra che queste ultime cercarono di formulare i propri reclami in accordo con le formulazioni giuridiche e politiche dominanti nelle corti di giustizia, allo scopo di ottenere il sostegno degli organi di governo e dei tribunali regi.
Gli studi degli ultimi decenni sulla feudalità nel Mezzogiorno moderno hanno messo in discussione l’immagine di una vicenda scandita per lo più dagli abusi e dalle usurpazioni dei baroni nei confronti dei vassalli, e hanno messo in luce anche l’insieme di garanzie e protezioni legate agli istituti feudali. Nondimeno, in virtù delle ampie funzioni giurisdizionali e dei cospicui diritti proibitivi i signori conservarono ampi poteri sulle comunità infeudate fino alla fine dell’antico regime. Al centro di questo contributo sono alcuni movimenti antibaronali che si svilupparono in successive ondate tra il XVII e il XVIII secolo nel Regno di Napoli. Principale obiettivo di queste battaglie legali, che non di rado si tradussero in confronti armati, era la giurisdizione feudale, denunciata come fonte di abusi e d’indebite appropriazioni di beni e diritti appartenenti alle comunità. La gran parte dei casi analizzati mostra che queste ultime cercarono di formulare i propri reclami in accordo con le formulazioni giuridiche e politiche dominanti nelle corti di giustizia, allo scopo di ottenere il sostegno degli organi di governo e dei tribunali regi.
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Preliminary notes towards a study of the urban reconstruction and the social unrest after the Calabrian earthquakes of 1783 The article presents the first results of an on-going study into the social and urban consequences of the... more
Preliminary notes towards a study of the urban reconstruction and the social unrest after the Calabrian earthquakes of 1783
The article presents the first results of an on-going study into the social and urban consequences of the Calabrian earthquakes of 1783. It aims at investigating the strong and widespread unrest that racked Southern Calabria on the threshold of the Age of Revolutions, by connecting it to some governmental measures for recovery of the region after the cataclysm. The natural disaster, which destroyed approximately 200 towns, undermined social and political order in Southern Calabria; but at the same time, it gave the Government the opportunity to impose its own order on the region.
The strategy for recovery involved a profound reorganisation of urban plans, ecclesiastical hierarchies and devotional habits, which could easily clash with the religious and social needs of local populations. But this somewhat simplistic scheme – the article argues – cannot adequately account for the widespread disturbances that peppered the country during the last years of the 18th century. Relying on judicial records of the Cassa Sacra, the article focuses on some cities and villages (in particular Cortale, Serra, S. Agata di Reggio, Cutro) where public and religious life was notably affected both by the disaster and by the governmental measures. It intends to show that many clashes were the result of contrasting interests and strategies for social climbing of local players. In fact, while coping with emergency, individuals and groups tried to adjust to the new situation and to take advantage of measures implemented by the Neapolitan Government. In some places, the reorganisation of urban settlements led to splits of the community, tangibly represented by the physical secession of groups of residents.
The article presents the first results of an on-going study into the social and urban consequences of the Calabrian earthquakes of 1783. It aims at investigating the strong and widespread unrest that racked Southern Calabria on the threshold of the Age of Revolutions, by connecting it to some governmental measures for recovery of the region after the cataclysm. The natural disaster, which destroyed approximately 200 towns, undermined social and political order in Southern Calabria; but at the same time, it gave the Government the opportunity to impose its own order on the region.
The strategy for recovery involved a profound reorganisation of urban plans, ecclesiastical hierarchies and devotional habits, which could easily clash with the religious and social needs of local populations. But this somewhat simplistic scheme – the article argues – cannot adequately account for the widespread disturbances that peppered the country during the last years of the 18th century. Relying on judicial records of the Cassa Sacra, the article focuses on some cities and villages (in particular Cortale, Serra, S. Agata di Reggio, Cutro) where public and religious life was notably affected both by the disaster and by the governmental measures. It intends to show that many clashes were the result of contrasting interests and strategies for social climbing of local players. In fact, while coping with emergency, individuals and groups tried to adjust to the new situation and to take advantage of measures implemented by the Neapolitan Government. In some places, the reorganisation of urban settlements led to splits of the community, tangibly represented by the physical secession of groups of residents.
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Charles of Bourbon’s accession to the Neapolitan throne in 1734 gave rise to several plans to reform the Kingdom, most of which were aimed at limiting feudatories’ excess of power and at correcting the fiscal system. Having chosen a... more
Charles of Bourbon’s accession to the Neapolitan throne in 1734 gave rise to several plans to reform the Kingdom, most of which were aimed at limiting feudatories’ excess of power and at correcting the fiscal system. Having chosen a “judiciary way” to pursue these aims, the government was led to involve rural communities into the campaign against the feudal landlords: therefore, countryside populations were urged to revive old rights and to recover customary common goods; some of them went as far as to challenge some aspects of the feudal rule. But in the end the monarchy, afraid of the turn that the conflict was taking in some towns, yielded to aristocrats pressures and often left the communities down. Some of them, disappointed, resorted to violence.
By focusing on the struggle developments in four towns/villages, and on the frequent shifts from trials to riots, the article assesses the contentious nature of the legal procedures of 1730s. Moreover, it shows how the fight against landlords brought about some changes within the local communities parties and factions. Lastly, it tries to highlight some hints of politicization in the countryside: being encouraged to take legal actions, peasant communities were led to formulate their claims and grievances in compliance with political and judicial language.
L’avènement de Charles de Bourbon au trône napolitain en 1734 encouragea des projets visant à limiter la puissance du baronnage et à améliorer le système fiscal, dont la base était constituée par les communes du Royaume. Le choix de la voie judiciaire pour poursuivre ces buts amena le gouvernement à rechercher le soutien des communautés, qui furent incitées à multiplier les recours en justice : beaucoup de populations des provinces essayèrent d’exhumer les anciens droits et biens communaux et parfois arrivèrent jusqu’à remettre en question certains aspects de la domination féodale. La monarchie au début tendit à soutenir les recours des communes, mais souvent finit par céder aux pressions des aristocrates, dont l’appui était nécessaire pour gouverner le Royaume. Quelques communautés, déçues par les incertitudes des batailles judiciaires, n’hésitèrent pas à avoir recours à la force.
L’analyse des protestations dont quatre villages/villes calabrais furent les protagonistes permet d’examiner le passage de la médiation judiciaire à la résistance ouverte, faisant ressortir la nature franchement conflictuelle des procédures des années 1730. En outre, l’étude de l’interaction avec le pouvoir central met en lumière la véritable mobilisation politique qui se produisit au sein des communautés : il en résulta une formulation des revendications paysannes suivant le langage politique et judiciaire et une mutation des alliances et des clivages traditionnels.
By focusing on the struggle developments in four towns/villages, and on the frequent shifts from trials to riots, the article assesses the contentious nature of the legal procedures of 1730s. Moreover, it shows how the fight against landlords brought about some changes within the local communities parties and factions. Lastly, it tries to highlight some hints of politicization in the countryside: being encouraged to take legal actions, peasant communities were led to formulate their claims and grievances in compliance with political and judicial language.
L’avènement de Charles de Bourbon au trône napolitain en 1734 encouragea des projets visant à limiter la puissance du baronnage et à améliorer le système fiscal, dont la base était constituée par les communes du Royaume. Le choix de la voie judiciaire pour poursuivre ces buts amena le gouvernement à rechercher le soutien des communautés, qui furent incitées à multiplier les recours en justice : beaucoup de populations des provinces essayèrent d’exhumer les anciens droits et biens communaux et parfois arrivèrent jusqu’à remettre en question certains aspects de la domination féodale. La monarchie au début tendit à soutenir les recours des communes, mais souvent finit par céder aux pressions des aristocrates, dont l’appui était nécessaire pour gouverner le Royaume. Quelques communautés, déçues par les incertitudes des batailles judiciaires, n’hésitèrent pas à avoir recours à la force.
L’analyse des protestations dont quatre villages/villes calabrais furent les protagonistes permet d’examiner le passage de la médiation judiciaire à la résistance ouverte, faisant ressortir la nature franchement conflictuelle des procédures des années 1730. En outre, l’étude de l’interaction avec le pouvoir central met en lumière la véritable mobilisation politique qui se produisit au sein des communautés : il en résulta une formulation des revendications paysannes suivant le langage politique et judiciaire et une mutation des alliances et des clivages traditionnels.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
English Summary: The aim of the article is to enlighten the ways in which ordinary people took part in the political life of the countryside communities in the Kingdom of Naples during the last decades of the old regime. In these rural... more
English Summary: The aim of the article is to enlighten the ways in which ordinary people took part in the political life of the countryside communities in the Kingdom of Naples during the last decades of the old regime. In these rural societies, generally ruled by narrow élites, the lower classes seem to be kept out of the most important affairs relevant to community life, such as duties allocation, food sale, and admission to municipal offices. By looking through the disturbances that took place in Calabria in 1763-64, due to the huge famine that struck Italy, it is possible to assess the means by which they could play a part in the struggles concerning the principles and rules of the local life.
Many rural communities rose up against the provincial authorities and blocked corn requisitions in aid of the capital and of other main cities. However, the exam of the riots that occurred in Rossano, Scigliano and Monteleone, and a careful reading of the complaints and grievances that often went with unrests, let us discern conflicts within the rural community, catch sight of the rift that sometimes went through it. Moreover the food shortage, by encouraging the interplay with governmental and judicial authorities, enabled the communities to process politically the social tensions that the famine had emphasized.
Abstract: Nelle comunità urbane e rurali del Mezzogiorno d’Italia della tarda età moderna, regolate da statuti oligarchici, i ceti intermedi e inferiori appaiono generalmente ai margini dell’arena politica: le forme della loro partecipazione alla vita pubblica in gran parte sfuggono. L’esame dei disordini esplosi in Calabria nel 1764 consente di mettere a fuoco alcuni degli strumenti con cui i gruppi esclusi dalle cariche locali cercarono d’intervenire nei conflitti intorno alle norme che regolavano la vita associata. Nell’anno della fame in molti luoghi si verificarono forme di resistenza comunitaria alle requisizioni di scorte. Lo studio di alcune sollevazioni, insieme con l’esame di reclami provenienti da diverse località, consentono di mettere in luce anche l’avanzare di tensioni di tipo verticale all’interno delle comunità, segno che la crisi stava logorando le solidarietà personali e locali, o che aveva dato ai ceti inferiori la possibilità di esprimere il proprio scontento. L’emergenza, infatti, moltiplicando i canali di comunicazione tra centro e province, permise anche ai gruppi esclusi dai centri di potere locali di far sentire la propria voce e di dare un’elaborazione politica delle tensioni che la carestia aveva acuito.
Many rural communities rose up against the provincial authorities and blocked corn requisitions in aid of the capital and of other main cities. However, the exam of the riots that occurred in Rossano, Scigliano and Monteleone, and a careful reading of the complaints and grievances that often went with unrests, let us discern conflicts within the rural community, catch sight of the rift that sometimes went through it. Moreover the food shortage, by encouraging the interplay with governmental and judicial authorities, enabled the communities to process politically the social tensions that the famine had emphasized.
Abstract: Nelle comunità urbane e rurali del Mezzogiorno d’Italia della tarda età moderna, regolate da statuti oligarchici, i ceti intermedi e inferiori appaiono generalmente ai margini dell’arena politica: le forme della loro partecipazione alla vita pubblica in gran parte sfuggono. L’esame dei disordini esplosi in Calabria nel 1764 consente di mettere a fuoco alcuni degli strumenti con cui i gruppi esclusi dalle cariche locali cercarono d’intervenire nei conflitti intorno alle norme che regolavano la vita associata. Nell’anno della fame in molti luoghi si verificarono forme di resistenza comunitaria alle requisizioni di scorte. Lo studio di alcune sollevazioni, insieme con l’esame di reclami provenienti da diverse località, consentono di mettere in luce anche l’avanzare di tensioni di tipo verticale all’interno delle comunità, segno che la crisi stava logorando le solidarietà personali e locali, o che aveva dato ai ceti inferiori la possibilità di esprimere il proprio scontento. L’emergenza, infatti, moltiplicando i canali di comunicazione tra centro e province, permise anche ai gruppi esclusi dai centri di potere locali di far sentire la propria voce e di dare un’elaborazione politica delle tensioni che la carestia aveva acuito.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
... | Ayuda. Conflitto politico e conscienza sociale nel tumulto di Penne del 1779. Autores:Domenico Cecere; Localización: Studi storici: rivista trimestrale dell'Istituto Gramsci, ISSN 0039-3037, Vol. 48, Nº. 2, 2007... more
... | Ayuda. Conflitto politico e conscienza sociale nel tumulto di Penne del 1779. Autores:Domenico Cecere; Localización: Studi storici: rivista trimestrale dell'Istituto Gramsci, ISSN 0039-3037, Vol. 48, Nº. 2, 2007 , pags. 409-446. ...
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Il convegno è parte del progetto di Cooperazione internazionale Beyond the borders. Laboratory of history and historiography, networking action between Europe and Central America (Sapienza 2020–22), di cui sono partner i seguenti... more
Il convegno è parte del progetto di Cooperazione internazionale
Beyond the borders. Laboratory of history and historiography, networking action between Europe and Central America (Sapienza 2020–22), di cui sono partner i seguenti atenei: Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC – Prof. José Edgardo Cal Montoya), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM – Prof. Gibrán Irving Israel Bautista y Lugo), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM – Prof. Antonio Álvarez Ossorio Alvariño), National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (UOA – Prof. Gerassimos D. Pagratis), Università di Palermo (UNIPA – Prof.ssa Valentina Favarò), Università di Milano (UNIMI – Prof.ssa Blythe Alice Raviola). Responsabile: Gaetano Lettieri – Responsabile operativo (Project Manager): Alessia Ceccarelli
Beyond the borders. Laboratory of history and historiography, networking action between Europe and Central America (Sapienza 2020–22), di cui sono partner i seguenti atenei: Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala (USAC – Prof. José Edgardo Cal Montoya), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM – Prof. Gibrán Irving Israel Bautista y Lugo), Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM – Prof. Antonio Álvarez Ossorio Alvariño), National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (UOA – Prof. Gerassimos D. Pagratis), Università di Palermo (UNIPA – Prof.ssa Valentina Favarò), Università di Milano (UNIMI – Prof.ssa Blythe Alice Raviola). Responsabile: Gaetano Lettieri – Responsabile operativo (Project Manager): Alessia Ceccarelli
Research Interests: History, Early Modern History, Cultural Heritage, Contemporary History, History of Latin America, and 12 moreCultural History of Latin America, History of Modern Latin America, Colonial Latin American History, Colonial History, Antropologia Social y Cultural, History of Philosophy, History of the American South, Historia de la Iglesia en la América colonial. Historia de género en el México colonial, The History of Ideas, Historia Colonial De América Latina, History of Museology, and History of Mexico, Yucatan, Central America
Online workshop
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/98588591524?pwd=eFZiWE02VlM2MXF3dVJTNzQrQW82UT09
Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/98588591524?pwd=eFZiWE02VlM2MXF3dVJTNzQrQW82UT09
Research Interests:
The volume deals with natural disasters in late medieval and early modern central and southern Italy. Contributions look at a range of catastrophic events such as eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, floods, earthquakes, and outbreaks of plague... more
The volume deals with natural disasters in late medieval and early modern central and southern Italy. Contributions look at a range of catastrophic events such as eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, floods, earthquakes, and outbreaks of plague and epidemics. A major aim of this volume is to investigate the relationship between catastrophic events and different communication strategies that embraced politics, religion, propaganda, dissent, scholarship as well as collective responses from the lower segments of society.
The contributors to this volume share a multidisciplinary approach to the study of natural disasters which draws on disciplines such as cultural and social history, anthropology, literary theory, and linguistics.
Together with analyzing the prolific production of propagandistic material and literary sources issued in periods of acute crisis, the documentation on disasters studied in this volume also includes laws and emergency regulations, petitions and pleas to he authorities, scientific and medical treatises, manuscript and printed newsletters as well as diplomatic dispatches and correspondence.
Disaster Narratives in Early Modern Naples Politics, Communication and Culture, translated by Enrica Ferrara, eds. Domenico Cecere, Chiara De Caprio, Lorenza Gianfrancesco, Pasquale Palmieri, Roma, Viella, 2018.
Contributors: Giancarlo Alfano, Domenico Cecere, Silvana D’Alessio, Chiara De Caprio, Rita Fresu, Lorenza Gianfrancesco, Giovanni Gugg, Francesco Montuori, Pasquale Palmieri, Francesco Senatore, Pierluigi Terenzi.
Editing: Carmen Gallo, Anna Chiara Monaco, Gennaro Schiano, Valentina Sferragatta.
The contributors to this volume share a multidisciplinary approach to the study of natural disasters which draws on disciplines such as cultural and social history, anthropology, literary theory, and linguistics.
Together with analyzing the prolific production of propagandistic material and literary sources issued in periods of acute crisis, the documentation on disasters studied in this volume also includes laws and emergency regulations, petitions and pleas to he authorities, scientific and medical treatises, manuscript and printed newsletters as well as diplomatic dispatches and correspondence.
Disaster Narratives in Early Modern Naples Politics, Communication and Culture, translated by Enrica Ferrara, eds. Domenico Cecere, Chiara De Caprio, Lorenza Gianfrancesco, Pasquale Palmieri, Roma, Viella, 2018.
Contributors: Giancarlo Alfano, Domenico Cecere, Silvana D’Alessio, Chiara De Caprio, Rita Fresu, Lorenza Gianfrancesco, Giovanni Gugg, Francesco Montuori, Pasquale Palmieri, Francesco Senatore, Pierluigi Terenzi.
Editing: Carmen Gallo, Anna Chiara Monaco, Gennaro Schiano, Valentina Sferragatta.
Research Interests:
Venerdì 28 settembre proviamo a raccontarvi perché, come ricercatori del progetto ERC Discompose (Disasters, Communications and Politics in southwestern Europe ), ci stiamo impegnando a studiare e ricostruire le grandi forme della... more
Venerdì 28 settembre proviamo a raccontarvi perché, come ricercatori del progetto ERC Discompose (Disasters, Communications and Politics in southwestern Europe ), ci stiamo impegnando a studiare e ricostruire le grandi forme della gestione, della narrazione e della comunicazione dei disastri naturali in età moderna: inseguendo notizie che rimbalzavano di testo in testo, analizzando metafore e parole-chiave attraverso le quali, ieri come oggi, si dava corpo alla paura e alla speranza, al sentimento della fine e al bisogno di ristabilire un argine, allo smarrimento dei singoli e al senso di essere parte di una collettività.
Research Interests:
Gli eventi percepiti come disastrosi (fenomeni naturali estremi, guerre, carestie, epidemie) costituiscono da alcuni decenni un argomento di forte interesse nella ricerca storica e si prestano agevolmente a esperimenti d’analisi... more
Gli eventi percepiti come disastrosi (fenomeni naturali estremi, guerre, carestie, epidemie) costituiscono da alcuni decenni un argomento di forte interesse nella ricerca storica e si prestano agevolmente a esperimenti d’analisi interdisciplinare. Il workshop “Disaster Texts” ospita presso la Bibliotheca Hertziana, Istituto Max Planck per la Storia dell’arte, il progetto Disaster Texts. Literacy, Cultural Identity, Coping Strategies in Southern Italy between the
Late Medieval and the Early Modern Period (Progetto STAR 2013, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II), composto da filologi, storici della lingua, storici del medioevo e dell’età moderna, studiosi della letteratura italiana e spagnola. Il progetto, incentrato sul rapporto
tra disastri e comunicazione nel Regno di Napoli tra il XV e il XVIII secolo, mira a ricostruire la rappresentazione di questi eventi attraverso le fonti testuali. Le ricerche presentate offriranno una panoramica sulla diversa natura di questi testi, sulla loro complessità e sui possibili livelli di lettura delle trame della storia: dalle strategie di raccolta e di presentazione delle informazioni all’analisi delle forme di narrazione adottate; dalle diverse categorie di attori coinvolti al ruolo da essi giocato per l’ideazione e la circolazione dei testi; dall’interpretazione e percezione degli eventi disastrosi alla loro ricaduta nella vita quotidiana e nelle pratiche sociali e culturali.
In tale contesto si inseriscono le proposte d’indagine storico-artistica ospitate nel workshop, che intendono mostrare con casi di studio esemplari il ruolo svolto dalle
immagini e il potere delle opere di culto in connessione con il verificarsi o il ricorrere di eventi disastrosi, guardando all’area centro-meridionale della penisola italiana tra il tardo-medioevo e l’età moderna. Un gruppo internazionale di discussants, composto da specialisti afferenti a diversi ambiti disciplinari, seguirà e accompagnerà i lavori.
A partire dagli studi offerti alla discussione, l’incontro si propone così di sondare i punti di contatto e le possibili piste di ricerca condivise tra la Storia dell’arte e le altre discipline storiche attorno al tema dei disastri.
Late Medieval and the Early Modern Period (Progetto STAR 2013, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II), composto da filologi, storici della lingua, storici del medioevo e dell’età moderna, studiosi della letteratura italiana e spagnola. Il progetto, incentrato sul rapporto
tra disastri e comunicazione nel Regno di Napoli tra il XV e il XVIII secolo, mira a ricostruire la rappresentazione di questi eventi attraverso le fonti testuali. Le ricerche presentate offriranno una panoramica sulla diversa natura di questi testi, sulla loro complessità e sui possibili livelli di lettura delle trame della storia: dalle strategie di raccolta e di presentazione delle informazioni all’analisi delle forme di narrazione adottate; dalle diverse categorie di attori coinvolti al ruolo da essi giocato per l’ideazione e la circolazione dei testi; dall’interpretazione e percezione degli eventi disastrosi alla loro ricaduta nella vita quotidiana e nelle pratiche sociali e culturali.
In tale contesto si inseriscono le proposte d’indagine storico-artistica ospitate nel workshop, che intendono mostrare con casi di studio esemplari il ruolo svolto dalle
immagini e il potere delle opere di culto in connessione con il verificarsi o il ricorrere di eventi disastrosi, guardando all’area centro-meridionale della penisola italiana tra il tardo-medioevo e l’età moderna. Un gruppo internazionale di discussants, composto da specialisti afferenti a diversi ambiti disciplinari, seguirà e accompagnerà i lavori.
A partire dagli studi offerti alla discussione, l’incontro si propone così di sondare i punti di contatto e le possibili piste di ricerca condivise tra la Storia dell’arte e le altre discipline storiche attorno al tema dei disastri.
Research Interests:
Colloque international, Rome, École française de Rome, 8-10 septembre 2016
Research Interests:
Research Interests: History, Cultural History, Cultural Studies, Early Modern History, Italian (European History), and 9 moreItalian Studies, Renaissance Studies, Disaster Studies, Renaissance, Political communication, Renaissance literature, Political propaganda and Literature, Natural Disasters, and History of Southern Italy
Research project funded in the framework of the Programme Star 2016 by Università di Napoli Federico II and Compagnia di San Paolo. The connections between the circulation of news of extreme events, the making of influential narratives... more
Research project funded in the framework of the Programme Star 2016 by Università di Napoli Federico II and Compagnia di San Paolo.
The connections between the circulation of news of extreme events, the making of influential narratives of collective traumas and the development of emergency response policies lie at the heart of this research project, which focuses on four Southern European areas: Catalonia, Naples, Sicily and Valencia, from the 16th to the 18th century. How did accounts and individual memories of extreme events amount to authoritative interpretations? In which ways, and to what extent, did the latter orient collective behaviours and the recovery process, in both the short and the long term?
DISCOMPOSE aims to contribute new insights into these issues by adopting an original, interdisciplinary methodology. Moreover, it will adopt a transnational perspective: since the selected regions belonged to the Spanish Monarchy, the development of practices and polices aimed to respond to disruption depended not only on the specific social and cultural features of local societies, but also on the circulation of political and technical staff, as well as on the sharing of knowledge, experiences and policy models, among the various areas of the Empire and its colonies. Studying the information exchange in the aftermath of disasters and the formation of an imagery of extraordinary events, will allow a comprehensive perspective on the policies and practices adopted by early modern societies to manage uncertainty and hazards, and on the potential impact that such narratives could have on the renegotiation of political power and social relations.
Il progetto Disasters, Communication and Politics in South-Western Europe indaga le connessioni tra la circolazione di notizie di eventi naturali estremi, l’elaborazione e l’uso di memorie individuali e collettive di tali eventi e lo sviluppo di politiche di gestione dell’emergenza e di ricostruzione. L’indagine prende in esame quattro territori appartenenti alla Monarchia ispanica tra XVI e XVIII secolo, considerandoli come spazi di circolazione e condivisione di informazioni, esperienze, saperi e pratiche di governo. Grazie all’incrocio di diverse prospettive disciplinari – dalla storia sociale e culturale alla critica testuale, dall’antropologia all’ecologia storica – il progetto ambisce ad ampliare le nostre conoscenze sui modi in cui determinate letture dei disastri naturali influirono sulle relazioni sociali e sulle strutture di potere nelle società europee di antico regime
The connections between the circulation of news of extreme events, the making of influential narratives of collective traumas and the development of emergency response policies lie at the heart of this research project, which focuses on four Southern European areas: Catalonia, Naples, Sicily and Valencia, from the 16th to the 18th century. How did accounts and individual memories of extreme events amount to authoritative interpretations? In which ways, and to what extent, did the latter orient collective behaviours and the recovery process, in both the short and the long term?
DISCOMPOSE aims to contribute new insights into these issues by adopting an original, interdisciplinary methodology. Moreover, it will adopt a transnational perspective: since the selected regions belonged to the Spanish Monarchy, the development of practices and polices aimed to respond to disruption depended not only on the specific social and cultural features of local societies, but also on the circulation of political and technical staff, as well as on the sharing of knowledge, experiences and policy models, among the various areas of the Empire and its colonies. Studying the information exchange in the aftermath of disasters and the formation of an imagery of extraordinary events, will allow a comprehensive perspective on the policies and practices adopted by early modern societies to manage uncertainty and hazards, and on the potential impact that such narratives could have on the renegotiation of political power and social relations.
Il progetto Disasters, Communication and Politics in South-Western Europe indaga le connessioni tra la circolazione di notizie di eventi naturali estremi, l’elaborazione e l’uso di memorie individuali e collettive di tali eventi e lo sviluppo di politiche di gestione dell’emergenza e di ricostruzione. L’indagine prende in esame quattro territori appartenenti alla Monarchia ispanica tra XVI e XVIII secolo, considerandoli come spazi di circolazione e condivisione di informazioni, esperienze, saperi e pratiche di governo. Grazie all’incrocio di diverse prospettive disciplinari – dalla storia sociale e culturale alla critica testuale, dall’antropologia all’ecologia storica – il progetto ambisce ad ampliare le nostre conoscenze sui modi in cui determinate letture dei disastri naturali influirono sulle relazioni sociali e sulle strutture di potere nelle società europee di antico regime
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This session asks how early modern cities were shaped by the impact of natural disasters and interactions between humans and the environment. The session will showcase crossdisciplinary research papers relating to earthquakes, urban... more
This session asks how early modern cities were shaped by the impact of natural disasters and interactions between humans and the environment. The session will showcase crossdisciplinary research papers relating to earthquakes, urban floods and great fires in the early modern period that are informed by insights from disciplines such as history, climate studies, archival document-based research and archaeology. It draws on three main strands of research. First, engagement between urban historians and environmental historians, which informs studies of the historical development of cities, urban societies and cultures. Second, the contemporary environmental context where dialogue between historians and disaster/environmental studies informs understanding of the impacts on cities and inhabitants in the context of climate change. The role of the environment as ‘actor’ is increasingly part of historical discourse, interlinked with human agency - for example in the development of water systems and responses to flooding. Third, the flourishing dialogue between cultural and historical traditions concerning the history of disasters: in Japan and elsewhere distinctive historiographies have been shaped by the frequency and endemic nature of disasters; ‘episodic’ disasters in western Europe have been seen as interruptions or sometimes paradigmatic moments in city histories. There is much to be gained from dialogue between these perspectives and the historiographical priorities given to certain types of impacts or responses to disasters in historical cities. A comparative and/or transnational perspective is needed as natural disasters are transcultural phenomena to a certain extent confronting people in different civilizations with similar hazards. Research shows that different patterns of coping with disasters coexisted in the early modern period: societies drew on different types of cultural resources to survive and recover. The session seeks to benefit from crossdisciplinary research and insights from disciplines such as climate studies, urban history and archaeology.
As well as studies of individual cities the organisers encourage interdisciplinary and/or
comparative papers. We especially invite papers which deal with one or more of these
questions:
• How have early modern cities and inhabitants responded to natural disasters?
• What have been the roles of knowledge/memory in responses?
• Did preventative strategies reflect visions of how early modern cities should function?
2
• How did early modern disasters shape societal engagement with and understanding of
climates and environments?
• How have individuals and groups used cultural forms to understand disasters?
Paper proposals can only be submitted online, via the EAUH2018 website. To submit a
paper proposal, registration is required (https://eauh2018.ccmgs.it/users/). Deadline for
paper proposals submission: October 5th, 2017.
As well as studies of individual cities the organisers encourage interdisciplinary and/or
comparative papers. We especially invite papers which deal with one or more of these
questions:
• How have early modern cities and inhabitants responded to natural disasters?
• What have been the roles of knowledge/memory in responses?
• Did preventative strategies reflect visions of how early modern cities should function?
2
• How did early modern disasters shape societal engagement with and understanding of
climates and environments?
• How have individuals and groups used cultural forms to understand disasters?
Paper proposals can only be submitted online, via the EAUH2018 website. To submit a
paper proposal, registration is required (https://eauh2018.ccmgs.it/users/). Deadline for
paper proposals submission: October 5th, 2017.
Research Interests:
The International Associated Laboratory (LIA) "MéditerraPolis. Espaces urbains, mobilités, citadinités. Europe méridionale-Méditerranée (XVe-XXIe siècles)" organises an international conference in order to explore the relationships... more
The International Associated Laboratory (LIA) "MéditerraPolis. Espaces urbains, mobilités, citadinités. Europe méridionale-Méditerranée (XVe-XXIe siècles)" organises an international conference in order to explore the relationships between urban spaces and the systems of rules that were established to manage them, from the 16th to 18th centuries. Participants are invited to deal with the history of urban institutions and societies by paying major attention to the materiality of the space, in order to investigate the role played by rules – both formal and informal – in using and manipulating urban territories. Conversely, the multiple ways in which the physical conformation of a territory shaped the system of rules, by affecting the relationships among various social and institutional actors, will be considered.
Papers submission: before 15 April, 2016
mediterrapolis@gmail.com
Papers submission: before 15 April, 2016
mediterrapolis@gmail.com
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Nella prima età moderna la diffusione del libro a stampa e il potenziamento di un circuito europeo dell’informazione accompagnarono singoli e collettività alla scoperta di una natura dalle manifestazioni stupefacenti, inaudite e funeste.... more
Nella prima età moderna la diffusione del libro a stampa e il potenziamento di un circuito europeo dell’informazione accompagnarono singoli e collettività alla scoperta di una natura dalle manifestazioni stupefacenti, inaudite e funeste.
Non a caso, dunque, si diffuse una variegata gamma di testi a stampa, destinati ad un pubblico in cerca di notizie, casi meravigliosi, occasioni d’intrattenimento e di svago.
Il progetto ERC DisComPoSE - Disasters, Communication and Politics in Southwestern Europe. The Making of Emergency Response Policies in the Early Modern Age [Erc Starting Grant 2017 No 759829] - organizza seminari e lezioni sul tema della lingua di consumo e l'italiano del "sensazionale" fra Cinque e Seicento, promuovendo l'incontro fra studiosi interessati a mettere a fuoco modalità discorsive, tipologie testuali, stili narrativi, scelte lessicali nella stampa "popolare" e negli avvisi pubblici, nel quadro generale della formazione e diffusione della lingua italiana in età moderna.
Per informazioni: info@discompose@unina.it, chiara.decaprio@unina.it, fmontuori@unina.it
Non a caso, dunque, si diffuse una variegata gamma di testi a stampa, destinati ad un pubblico in cerca di notizie, casi meravigliosi, occasioni d’intrattenimento e di svago.
Il progetto ERC DisComPoSE - Disasters, Communication and Politics in Southwestern Europe. The Making of Emergency Response Policies in the Early Modern Age [Erc Starting Grant 2017 No 759829] - organizza seminari e lezioni sul tema della lingua di consumo e l'italiano del "sensazionale" fra Cinque e Seicento, promuovendo l'incontro fra studiosi interessati a mettere a fuoco modalità discorsive, tipologie testuali, stili narrativi, scelte lessicali nella stampa "popolare" e negli avvisi pubblici, nel quadro generale della formazione e diffusione della lingua italiana in età moderna.
Per informazioni: info@discompose@unina.it, chiara.decaprio@unina.it, fmontuori@unina.it
Research Interests:
Nella prima età moderna la diffusione del libro a stampa e il potenziamento di un circuito europeo dell’informazione accompagnano singoli e collettività alla scoperta di nuove civiltà e di luoghi lontani e sconosciuti, così come di una... more
Nella prima età moderna la diffusione del libro a stampa e il potenziamento di un circuito europeo dell’informazione accompagnano singoli e collettività alla scoperta di nuove civiltà e di luoghi lontani e sconosciuti, così come di una natura dalle manifestazioni stupefacenti, inaudite e, talora, funeste.
Non a caso, dunque, si diffuse una variegata gamma di testi a stampa, destinati ad un pubblico in cerca di notizie, casi meravigliosi, occasioni d’intrattenimento e di svago.
Il progetto ERC DisComPoSE - Disasters, Communication and Politics in Southwestern Europe. The Making of Emergency Response Policies in the Early Modern Age [Erc Starting Grant 2017 No 759829] - organizza seminari e lezioni sul tema della lingua di consumo e l'italiano del "sensazionale" fra Cinque e Seicento, promuovendo l'incontro fra studiosi interessati a mettere a fuoco modalità discorsive, tipologie testuali, stili narrativi, scelte lessicali nella stampa "popolare" e negli avvisi pubblici, nel quadro generale della formazione e diffusione della lingua italiana in età moderna.
Tra gli eventi un seminario organizzato dal Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici di Napoli Federico II in collaborazione col Dipartimento di Studi Linguistici e Letterari dell’Università di Padova.
Per informazioni: info@discompose@unina.it
Non a caso, dunque, si diffuse una variegata gamma di testi a stampa, destinati ad un pubblico in cerca di notizie, casi meravigliosi, occasioni d’intrattenimento e di svago.
Il progetto ERC DisComPoSE - Disasters, Communication and Politics in Southwestern Europe. The Making of Emergency Response Policies in the Early Modern Age [Erc Starting Grant 2017 No 759829] - organizza seminari e lezioni sul tema della lingua di consumo e l'italiano del "sensazionale" fra Cinque e Seicento, promuovendo l'incontro fra studiosi interessati a mettere a fuoco modalità discorsive, tipologie testuali, stili narrativi, scelte lessicali nella stampa "popolare" e negli avvisi pubblici, nel quadro generale della formazione e diffusione della lingua italiana in età moderna.
Tra gli eventi un seminario organizzato dal Dipartimento di Studi Umanistici di Napoli Federico II in collaborazione col Dipartimento di Studi Linguistici e Letterari dell’Università di Padova.
Per informazioni: info@discompose@unina.it
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Gli eventi percepiti come disastrosi (fenomeni naturali estremi, guerre, carestie, epidemie) costituiscono da alcuni decenni un argomento di forte interesse nella ricerca storica e si prestano agevolmente a esperimenti d’analisi... more
Gli eventi percepiti come disastrosi (fenomeni naturali estremi, guerre, carestie, epidemie) costituiscono da alcuni decenni un argomento di forte interesse nella ricerca storica e si prestano agevolmente a esperimenti d’analisi interdisciplinare. Il workshop “Disaster Texts” ospita presso la Bibliotheca Hertziana, Istituto Max Planck per la Storia dell’arte, il progetto Disaster Texts. Literacy, Cultural Identity, Coping Strategies in Southern Italy between the
Late Medieval and the Early Modern Period (Progetto STAR 2013, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II), composto da filologi, storici della lingua, storici del medioevo e dell’età moderna, studiosi della letteratura italiana e spagnola. Il progetto, incentrato sul rapporto
tra disastri e comunicazione nel Regno di Napoli tra il XV e il XVIII secolo, mira a ricostruire la rappresentazione di questi eventi attraverso le fonti testuali. Le ricerche presentate offriranno una panoramica sulla diversa natura di questi testi, sulla loro complessità e sui possibili livelli di lettura delle trame della storia: dalle strategie di raccolta e di presentazione delle informazioni all’analisi delle forme di narrazione adottate; dalle diverse categorie di attori coinvolti al ruolo da essi giocato per l’ideazione e la circolazione dei testi; dall’interpretazione e percezione degli eventi disastrosi alla loro ricaduta nella vita quotidiana e nelle pratiche sociali e culturali.
In tale contesto si inseriscono le proposte d’indagine storico-artistica ospitate nel workshop, che intendono mostrare con casi di studio esemplari il ruolo svolto dalle
immagini e il potere delle opere di culto in connessione con il verificarsi o il ricorrere di eventi disastrosi, guardando all’area centro-meridionale della penisola italiana tra il tardo-medioevo e l’età moderna. Un gruppo internazionale di discussants, composto da specialisti afferenti a diversi ambiti disciplinari, seguirà e accompagnerà i lavori.
A partire dagli studi offerti alla discussione, l’incontro si propone così di sondare i punti di contatto e le possibili piste di ricerca condivise tra la Storia dell’arte e le altre discipline storiche attorno al tema dei disastri.
Late Medieval and the Early Modern Period (Progetto STAR 2013, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II), composto da filologi, storici della lingua, storici del medioevo e dell’età moderna, studiosi della letteratura italiana e spagnola. Il progetto, incentrato sul rapporto
tra disastri e comunicazione nel Regno di Napoli tra il XV e il XVIII secolo, mira a ricostruire la rappresentazione di questi eventi attraverso le fonti testuali. Le ricerche presentate offriranno una panoramica sulla diversa natura di questi testi, sulla loro complessità e sui possibili livelli di lettura delle trame della storia: dalle strategie di raccolta e di presentazione delle informazioni all’analisi delle forme di narrazione adottate; dalle diverse categorie di attori coinvolti al ruolo da essi giocato per l’ideazione e la circolazione dei testi; dall’interpretazione e percezione degli eventi disastrosi alla loro ricaduta nella vita quotidiana e nelle pratiche sociali e culturali.
In tale contesto si inseriscono le proposte d’indagine storico-artistica ospitate nel workshop, che intendono mostrare con casi di studio esemplari il ruolo svolto dalle
immagini e il potere delle opere di culto in connessione con il verificarsi o il ricorrere di eventi disastrosi, guardando all’area centro-meridionale della penisola italiana tra il tardo-medioevo e l’età moderna. Un gruppo internazionale di discussants, composto da specialisti afferenti a diversi ambiti disciplinari, seguirà e accompagnerà i lavori.
A partire dagli studi offerti alla discussione, l’incontro si propone così di sondare i punti di contatto e le possibili piste di ricerca condivise tra la Storia dell’arte e le altre discipline storiche attorno al tema dei disastri.
Research Interests:
"It is predicted that there is a 70 percent possibility of an earthquake directly hitting Tokyo within the next 30 years. Are you prepared?". Con questo appello si apre la presentazione di Disaster Preparedness Tokyo (Toukyou Bousai), il... more
"It is predicted that there is a 70 percent possibility of an earthquake directly hitting Tokyo within the next 30 years. Are you prepared?". Con questo appello si apre la presentazione di Disaster Preparedness Tokyo (Toukyou Bousai), il manuale di oltre trecento pagine recentemente pubblicato dall’amministrazione metropolitana di Tokyo per preparare i cittadini, nel modo più chiaro ed efficace possibile, ad affrontare il prossimo terremoto che colpirà la città. Fatte le debite differenze, oggi come ieri la prevenzione e le contromisure pratiche sono inevitabilmente legate alla narrazione e alla spiegazione dei disastri naturali. Oggi come ieri, l’impatto materiale del disastro non è mai disgiunto dalle sue ripercussioni sociali. Da ciò deriva l’interesse e forse anche l’utilità del confronto con il passato, come notano i curatori dell’elegante volume edito da Domenico Cecere, Chiara De Caprio, Lorenza Gianfrancesco e Pasquale Palmieri, e dedicato alle risposte politiche e culturali alle minacce ambientali nella Napoli della prima Età moderna.
Research Interests:
Un terremoto, un'eruzione vulcanica o una guerra sono sempre stati eventi traumatici le cui conseguenze si riverberano nelle società che li hanno vissuti e nelle generazioni successive. Questo convegno si propone di analizzare i modi in... more
Un terremoto, un'eruzione vulcanica o una guerra sono sempre stati eventi traumatici le cui conseguenze si riverberano nelle società che li hanno vissuti e nelle generazioni successive. Questo convegno si propone di analizzare i modi in cui la memoria degli eventi traumatici è stata costruita, vissuta e trasmessa nel corso dell'età moderna a partire dello studio della circolazione delle notizie; le sue ripercussioni in spazi specifici, come il mondo urbano, e la testimonianza e il racconto dei singoli attori. A tal fine, si prendono in esame alcuni tratti ricorrenti del processo di costruzione del ricordo, come la sua dinamicità, poiché l'atto di ricordare comporta, in ogni momento, la possibilità di introdurre, alterare o eliminare parti del racconto. Inoltre, si presta attenzione al carattere soggettivo e alla mancanza di neutralità di tale processo, giacché sia il ricordare che il dimenticare rispondono a obiettivi specifici e dipendono dagli interessi dei numerosi soggetti (istituzioni, attori sociali, corporazioni, città) coinvolti nella sua elaborazione. Le sessioni potranno essere seguite anche sulla piattaforma GoogleMeet.
Research Interests:
El objetivo principal de este curso de verano es ofrecer una mirada a la historia política y económica de las ciudades del Mediterráneo a lo largo de una cronología amplia, para evidenciar elementos de continuidad y ruptura entre la Baja... more
El objetivo principal de este curso de verano es ofrecer una mirada a la historia política y económica de las ciudades del Mediterráneo a lo largo de una cronología amplia, para evidenciar elementos de continuidad y ruptura entre la Baja Edad Media y la Primera Edad Moderna. El público de referencia son estudiantes de grado, máster y doctorado, sin excluir a un público más amplio interesado en estos temas. Las clases estarán organizadas en torno a cinco temas principales: la red de los consulados, la diplomacia urbana, los agentes comerciales, la respuesta a las catástrofes y el patrimonio arquitectónico y documental relacionado con la historia política y económica de las ciudades.
Research Interests:
Seminario organizado por Yasmina R. Ben Yessef Garfia, Domenico Cecere y Manuel Herrero Sánchez. Celebrado en la Universidad Pablo de Olavide de Sevilla. El objetivo principal de este seminario, fruto de la colaboración entre el proyecto... more
Seminario organizado por Yasmina R. Ben Yessef Garfia, Domenico Cecere y Manuel Herrero Sánchez. Celebrado en la Universidad Pablo de Olavide de Sevilla.
El objetivo principal de este seminario, fruto de la colaboración entre el proyecto I+D “REXPUBLICA” (Res Publica Monárquica. La Monarquía hispánica, una estructura imperial policéntrica de repúblicas urbanas, PGC2018- 095224-B-I00) y el proyecto ERC “DisComPoSe” (Disasters, Communication and Politics in Southwestern Europe, Horizon 2020, grant agreement n. 759829) es el estudio de los fenómenos de circulación y construcción de la información generados tras algunos fenómenos desastrosos de diversa tipología ocurridos en la América colonial hispánica.
El objetivo principal de este seminario, fruto de la colaboración entre el proyecto I+D “REXPUBLICA” (Res Publica Monárquica. La Monarquía hispánica, una estructura imperial policéntrica de repúblicas urbanas, PGC2018- 095224-B-I00) y el proyecto ERC “DisComPoSe” (Disasters, Communication and Politics in Southwestern Europe, Horizon 2020, grant agreement n. 759829) es el estudio de los fenómenos de circulación y construcción de la información generados tras algunos fenómenos desastrosos de diversa tipología ocurridos en la América colonial hispánica.
Research Interests:
Cos'era una catastrofe per le società di antico regime? Quali ne erano le cause e quali i possibili rimedi? E attraverso quali processi istituzionali e culturali i racconti, le memorie e le opinioni di sopravvissuti, testimoni,... more
Cos'era una catastrofe per le società di antico regime? Quali ne erano le cause e quali i possibili rimedi? E attraverso quali processi istituzionali e culturali i racconti, le memorie e le opinioni di sopravvissuti, testimoni, naturalisti e predicatori potevano influenzare le risposte dei gruppi e delle autorità? Il seminario intende illustrare, attraverso un dialogo tra storia e filologia, alcuni percorsi di ricerca recenti che affrontano il nesso tra l'elaborazione di istorie funeste di calamità naturali, la loro circolazione attraverso diverse reti informative e lo sviluppo di politiche e pratiche di gestione dell'emergenza. Il confronto partirà dallo studio di eventi verificatisi in diversi territori della Monarchia ispanica tra XVI e XVIII secolo.
Research Interests:
L’attualità delle catastrofi naturali ha stimolato, specie negli ultimi decenni, una densa riflessione tra studiosi di discipline diverse, generando un vivace dibattito sui connotati culturali e sociali dei disastri. Terremoti,... more
L’attualità delle catastrofi naturali ha stimolato, specie negli ultimi decenni, una densa riflessione tra studiosi di discipline diverse, generando un vivace dibattito sui connotati culturali e sociali dei disastri. Terremoti, inondazioni, uragani e incendi sono letti come eventi sociali, che forniscono un negativo fotografico rilevante sulla cultura e l’immaginario del periodo in cui si manifestano.
Nella prima età moderna le calamità naturali avvenute nei territori della monarchia spagnola determinano la pubblicazione di testi compositi – trattati, relazioni, avvisi, cronache e poesie – che circolarono nei periodi immediatamente successivi all’evento dentro e fuori i confini dell’impero. Questi testi, pur se eterogenei, contribuirono alla creazione e diffusione di topoi ricorrenti, stilemi e retoriche comuni. A differenza di altre notizie sulle gesta di condottieri in battaglia, sulle sontuose entrate in città di principi e governatori, sulle nascite e le morti mitizzate dei reali, la narrazione dei disastri sembra mancare di attori protagonisti, rimpiazzati dalla furia antropomorfa degli elementi naturali. Eppure, talvolta nel racconto sul disastro naturale, dalla massa indistinta del popolo e dei suoi drammatici aneddoti, emergono singolari figure che entrano in azione stravolgendo lo stato d’emergenza: da un lato i santi, dall’altro le istituzioni locali. I primi sono invocati a mediare con i cieli e a placare l’ira divina con eventi miracolosi, le seconde sono chiamate a gestire la tragedia con aiuti e misure straordinarie.
Le giornate di studio organizzate dal gruppo DisComPoSE il 14, 15, 21 e 22 gennaio hanno l’obiettivo di riflettere su questi peculiari eroi dell’emergenza e sulle diverse questioni interpretative sottese alla memoria delle loro gesta: dalle strutture retoriche comuni a cui fanno ricorso i diversi generi editoriali che ne danno notizia, alla relazione di questi con gli stilemi dell’epica e della poesia coeva, dalle rappresentazioni figurative dell’azione epica al loro riuso e adattamento in altri contesti di crisi, dal conflitto tra narrazioni contraddittorie alle ragioni politiche di questo conflitto, dalla caratteristica immagine delle processioni all’intersezione tra competenze e poteri di differenti istituzioni che si manifestano durante tali eventi.
Nella prima età moderna le calamità naturali avvenute nei territori della monarchia spagnola determinano la pubblicazione di testi compositi – trattati, relazioni, avvisi, cronache e poesie – che circolarono nei periodi immediatamente successivi all’evento dentro e fuori i confini dell’impero. Questi testi, pur se eterogenei, contribuirono alla creazione e diffusione di topoi ricorrenti, stilemi e retoriche comuni. A differenza di altre notizie sulle gesta di condottieri in battaglia, sulle sontuose entrate in città di principi e governatori, sulle nascite e le morti mitizzate dei reali, la narrazione dei disastri sembra mancare di attori protagonisti, rimpiazzati dalla furia antropomorfa degli elementi naturali. Eppure, talvolta nel racconto sul disastro naturale, dalla massa indistinta del popolo e dei suoi drammatici aneddoti, emergono singolari figure che entrano in azione stravolgendo lo stato d’emergenza: da un lato i santi, dall’altro le istituzioni locali. I primi sono invocati a mediare con i cieli e a placare l’ira divina con eventi miracolosi, le seconde sono chiamate a gestire la tragedia con aiuti e misure straordinarie.
Le giornate di studio organizzate dal gruppo DisComPoSE il 14, 15, 21 e 22 gennaio hanno l’obiettivo di riflettere su questi peculiari eroi dell’emergenza e sulle diverse questioni interpretative sottese alla memoria delle loro gesta: dalle strutture retoriche comuni a cui fanno ricorso i diversi generi editoriali che ne danno notizia, alla relazione di questi con gli stilemi dell’epica e della poesia coeva, dalle rappresentazioni figurative dell’azione epica al loro riuso e adattamento in altri contesti di crisi, dal conflitto tra narrazioni contraddittorie alle ragioni politiche di questo conflitto, dalla caratteristica immagine delle processioni all’intersezione tra competenze e poteri di differenti istituzioni che si manifestano durante tali eventi.
Research Interests:
A collection of antiquarian books with a history stretching back over more than a century does not ‘grow’ by chance. The original nucleus of the holdings of the Bibliotheca Hertziana – Max Planck Institute for Art History dates back to... more
A collection of antiquarian books with a history stretching back over more than a century does not ‘grow’ by chance. The original nucleus of the holdings of the Bibliotheca Hertziana – Max Planck Institute for Art History dates back to the end of the nineteenth century and consists of the bequest of the founder Henriette Hertz. It has been successively expanded by generations of librarians and scholars through selective purchases, bequests and donations and today comprises some 20,000 volumes.
Since 2015, the traditional sections of the collection have grown in line with a programme of systematic acquisitions, in response also to the Institute’s new directions of research. For example, in agreement with the research department headed by Tanja Michalsky, there has been a focus on antique publications devoted to topics such as Naples and southern Italy, while also opening up the field to ‘natural disasters’ such as earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions. Vesuvius constitutes, so to speak, the point of intersection between these interests. This led to the idea of presenting part of the book holdings already present in the ‘rare’ collection, together with numerous more recent acquisitions, through a digital exhibition – ‘Eruzioni di carta’ (‘Paper eruptions’) – for which this material was selected, studied and catalogued by a study group set up for the occasion.
The entire library holdings are currently being digitised in line with the highest technical standards, and are being made available to the public in open source mode. The digitised volumes of this exhibition can be consulted in the DLIB digital library, where they form a special collection (links can be found in the respective files). All texts are undergoing neural transcription with the help of Transkribus, providing additional research tools for those who want to try their hand at this material in the future.
The result of close cooperation between the Library department and the Michalsky research department with the technical support of the Photographic Collection, this digital exhibition has been personally curated by Elisabetta Scirocco, Philine Helas and Hanna Sophie Stegemann, building on the work carried out over the years by librarians Beate Thomas and Barbara Dinsing. The study and cataloguing of the works in the exhibition have been enriched by the contribution of the research group of the ERC project Disasters, Communication and Politics in Southwestern Europe: The Making of Emergency Response Policies in the Early Modern Age (DisComPoSE), directed by Domenico Cecere at the Department of Humanistic Studies of the University of Naples “Federico II”, and dedicated to the links between the circulation of news about natural disasters, the processing of information and memories of the events and the development of emergency management policies in the European and non-European territories of the Hispanic Monarchy between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries.
While it is true to some extent that “the bibliography of Vesuvius begins with the great eruption of 1631” (Furchheim 1897, Preface, p. V), the volcanic phenomena of Roman Campania Felix continued to attract the interest of travellers and ‘health tourists’ throughout the Middle Ages and the modern age, gaining a prominent place in guidebooks and works aimed at lovers of antiquities who travelled south of Rome. It is no coincidence that these ‘natural monuments’ are included in various picture cycles dedicated to antiquities or the wonders of Italy, alongside architectural monuments built by human hands. However, it is difficult to underestimate the cultural impact of the eruptive event of 1631, which constitutes a real watershed in the history of Naples and its territory and marks the start of the volcano’s continuous activity over the following two centuries. Writers, historians, artists and travellers were continuously interested in the mountain, and during the eighteenth century were joined by naturalists who laid the foundations for the birth of modern geology and volcanology. In the nineteenth century, the latter was to establish itself as a discipline on an international scale, placing the volcanoes of Campania and those of the rest of the world on a similar level of investigation. Visiting Vesuvius and/or the Solfatara as a natural spectacle and historical site of tragic events was throughout the late modern age an integral part of the tour programme of travellers and subsequently of travelogues, while the numerous gouaches depicting Vesuvius during an eruption indicate a flourishing market for such souvenirs.
The six sections of the exhibition retrace this important thematic trail in European publishing and visual culture from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. The enormous production of texts with accounts, chronological series and catalogues of eruptions, theological discourses, mineralogical and volcanological investigations, printed by Neapolitan publishers and others, was accompanied from the outset by an equally flourishing production of images, linked closely intrinsically and extrinsically with the source texts. The diffusion and transmigration of visual topoi and codes of representation linked to ‘volcanic landscapes’ and catastrophes is in fact another possible key to understanding the volumes on display.
Some of the volumes on display entered the Institute’s collection very early on; others belonged to internationally renowned scholars who have long animated the intellectual life of the Institute, such as Richard Krautheimer. The success of the theme and the rich production of books and pictures on the subject of the eruptions of Vesuvius have recently been matched by the interest of the underground market and unscrupulous collectors. Proof of this is the systematic defacement of many of the volumes on display, with engravings depicting the volcano (represented as a force of nature in activity or as a landscape element) being cut out from them, often in a targeted and selective manner. In these cases, wherever possible, the exhibition cards refer to these missing engravings found in other examples available on the web, to allow a virtual recomposition of the works in their relationship between texts and images, albeit with the awareness of the impossibility of recovering the uniqueness of the book-object that characterised every single example of the same print run. For this reason, the work of scientific analysis for the exhibition was accompanied by the updating of the files concerning these same volumes in the library catalogue.
‘Eruzioni di carta’ is only the first exhibition of its kind. Other exhibitions will follow at regular intervals, with the aim always of combining the library’s scientific and research expertise and presenting some of the treasures of the Institute’s book heritage to the specialist public.
Since 2015, the traditional sections of the collection have grown in line with a programme of systematic acquisitions, in response also to the Institute’s new directions of research. For example, in agreement with the research department headed by Tanja Michalsky, there has been a focus on antique publications devoted to topics such as Naples and southern Italy, while also opening up the field to ‘natural disasters’ such as earthquakes, floods and volcanic eruptions. Vesuvius constitutes, so to speak, the point of intersection between these interests. This led to the idea of presenting part of the book holdings already present in the ‘rare’ collection, together with numerous more recent acquisitions, through a digital exhibition – ‘Eruzioni di carta’ (‘Paper eruptions’) – for which this material was selected, studied and catalogued by a study group set up for the occasion.
The entire library holdings are currently being digitised in line with the highest technical standards, and are being made available to the public in open source mode. The digitised volumes of this exhibition can be consulted in the DLIB digital library, where they form a special collection (links can be found in the respective files). All texts are undergoing neural transcription with the help of Transkribus, providing additional research tools for those who want to try their hand at this material in the future.
The result of close cooperation between the Library department and the Michalsky research department with the technical support of the Photographic Collection, this digital exhibition has been personally curated by Elisabetta Scirocco, Philine Helas and Hanna Sophie Stegemann, building on the work carried out over the years by librarians Beate Thomas and Barbara Dinsing. The study and cataloguing of the works in the exhibition have been enriched by the contribution of the research group of the ERC project Disasters, Communication and Politics in Southwestern Europe: The Making of Emergency Response Policies in the Early Modern Age (DisComPoSE), directed by Domenico Cecere at the Department of Humanistic Studies of the University of Naples “Federico II”, and dedicated to the links between the circulation of news about natural disasters, the processing of information and memories of the events and the development of emergency management policies in the European and non-European territories of the Hispanic Monarchy between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries.
While it is true to some extent that “the bibliography of Vesuvius begins with the great eruption of 1631” (Furchheim 1897, Preface, p. V), the volcanic phenomena of Roman Campania Felix continued to attract the interest of travellers and ‘health tourists’ throughout the Middle Ages and the modern age, gaining a prominent place in guidebooks and works aimed at lovers of antiquities who travelled south of Rome. It is no coincidence that these ‘natural monuments’ are included in various picture cycles dedicated to antiquities or the wonders of Italy, alongside architectural monuments built by human hands. However, it is difficult to underestimate the cultural impact of the eruptive event of 1631, which constitutes a real watershed in the history of Naples and its territory and marks the start of the volcano’s continuous activity over the following two centuries. Writers, historians, artists and travellers were continuously interested in the mountain, and during the eighteenth century were joined by naturalists who laid the foundations for the birth of modern geology and volcanology. In the nineteenth century, the latter was to establish itself as a discipline on an international scale, placing the volcanoes of Campania and those of the rest of the world on a similar level of investigation. Visiting Vesuvius and/or the Solfatara as a natural spectacle and historical site of tragic events was throughout the late modern age an integral part of the tour programme of travellers and subsequently of travelogues, while the numerous gouaches depicting Vesuvius during an eruption indicate a flourishing market for such souvenirs.
The six sections of the exhibition retrace this important thematic trail in European publishing and visual culture from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century. The enormous production of texts with accounts, chronological series and catalogues of eruptions, theological discourses, mineralogical and volcanological investigations, printed by Neapolitan publishers and others, was accompanied from the outset by an equally flourishing production of images, linked closely intrinsically and extrinsically with the source texts. The diffusion and transmigration of visual topoi and codes of representation linked to ‘volcanic landscapes’ and catastrophes is in fact another possible key to understanding the volumes on display.
Some of the volumes on display entered the Institute’s collection very early on; others belonged to internationally renowned scholars who have long animated the intellectual life of the Institute, such as Richard Krautheimer. The success of the theme and the rich production of books and pictures on the subject of the eruptions of Vesuvius have recently been matched by the interest of the underground market and unscrupulous collectors. Proof of this is the systematic defacement of many of the volumes on display, with engravings depicting the volcano (represented as a force of nature in activity or as a landscape element) being cut out from them, often in a targeted and selective manner. In these cases, wherever possible, the exhibition cards refer to these missing engravings found in other examples available on the web, to allow a virtual recomposition of the works in their relationship between texts and images, albeit with the awareness of the impossibility of recovering the uniqueness of the book-object that characterised every single example of the same print run. For this reason, the work of scientific analysis for the exhibition was accompanied by the updating of the files concerning these same volumes in the library catalogue.
‘Eruzioni di carta’ is only the first exhibition of its kind. Other exhibitions will follow at regular intervals, with the aim always of combining the library’s scientific and research expertise and presenting some of the treasures of the Institute’s book heritage to the specialist public.