Disaster Narratives in Early Modern Naples. Politics, Communication and Culture, 2018
This volume deals with natural disasters in late medieval and early modern central and southern I... 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.
This volume deals with natural disasters in late medieval and early modern central and southern I... 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.
Disaster Narratives in Early Modern Naples Politics, Communication and Culture, 2018
This volume deals with natural disasters in late medieval and early modern central and southern I... 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.
Tra la rivolta detta di Masaniello e la controrivoluzione sanfedista del 1799, nel Mezzogiorno mo... 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.
Nelle comunità urbane e rurali del Mezzogiorno d'Italia della tarda età ... 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' ...
Charles of Bourbon’s accession to the Neapolitan throne in 1734 gave rise to several plans to ref... 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, tow... 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 ...
L'articolo esamina la complessa elaborazione delle politiche di gestione dell'emergenza i... 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.
This paper outlines an innovative method for the study of disasters in early modern societies tha... 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
This article addresses the circulation of information between different territories of the Spanis... 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
In early modern societies, in the aftermath of disasters the main social and institutional actors... 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.
D. Munoz Navarro (ed.), Ciudades Mediterráneas. Dinámicas sociales y transformaciones urbanas en el Antiguo Régimen, 2020
This paper focuses on a coastal suburb of Naples, Santa Lucia, and examines the ways in which its... 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.
Disaster Narratives in Early Modern Naples. Politics, Communication and Culture, 2018
This volume deals with natural disasters in late medieval and early modern central and southern I... 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.
This volume deals with natural disasters in late medieval and early modern central and southern I... 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.
Disaster Narratives in Early Modern Naples Politics, Communication and Culture, 2018
This volume deals with natural disasters in late medieval and early modern central and southern I... 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.
Tra la rivolta detta di Masaniello e la controrivoluzione sanfedista del 1799, nel Mezzogiorno mo... 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.
Nelle comunità urbane e rurali del Mezzogiorno d'Italia della tarda età ... 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' ...
Charles of Bourbon’s accession to the Neapolitan throne in 1734 gave rise to several plans to ref... 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, tow... 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 ...
L'articolo esamina la complessa elaborazione delle politiche di gestione dell'emergenza i... 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.
This paper outlines an innovative method for the study of disasters in early modern societies tha... 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
This article addresses the circulation of information between different territories of the Spanis... 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
In early modern societies, in the aftermath of disasters the main social and institutional actors... 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.
D. Munoz Navarro (ed.), Ciudades Mediterráneas. Dinámicas sociales y transformaciones urbanas en el Antiguo Régimen, 2020
This paper focuses on a coastal suburb of Naples, Santa Lucia, and examines the ways in which its... 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.
The article addresses the flow of information through different territories the Spanish Monarchy ... 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.
INTRODUZIONE alla sezione tematica "Disastri naturali e informazione negli imperi d’età moderna",... more INTRODUZIONE alla sezione tematica "Disastri naturali e informazione negli imperi d’età moderna", Studi Storici 2019/4
Après l ’étouffement de la révolte antiespagnole qui ravagea l ’Italie du Sud en 1647-1648, le sp... 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.
BEYOND THE BORDERS/Más allá de las fronteras, 2022
Il convegno è parte del progetto di Cooperazione internazionale
Beyond the borders. Laboratory ... 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
The volume deals with natural disasters in late medieval and early modern central and southern It... 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.
Venerdì 28 settembre proviamo a raccontarvi perché, come ricercatori del progetto ERC Discompose ... 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.
Gli eventi percepiti come disastrosi (fenomeni naturali estremi, guerre, carestie, epidemie) cost... 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.
Research project funded in the framework of the Programme Star 2016 by Università di Napoli Feder... 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
This session asks how early modern cities were shaped by the impact of natural disasters and inte... 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.
The International Associated Laboratory (LIA) "MéditerraPolis. Espaces urbains, mobilités, citadi... 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
Nella prima età moderna la diffusione del libro a stampa e il potenziamento di un circuito europe... 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.
Nella prima età moderna la diffusione del libro a stampa e il potenziamento di un circuito europe... 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
Gli eventi percepiti come disastrosi (fenomeni naturali estremi, guerre, carestie, epidemie) cost... 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.
"It is predicted that there is a 70 percent possibility of an earthquake directly hitting Tokyo w... 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.
Un terremoto, un'eruzione vulcanica o una guerra sono sempre stati eventi traumatici le cui conse... 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.
El objetivo principal de este curso de verano es ofrecer una mirada a la historia política y econ... 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.
Seminario organizado por Yasmina R. Ben Yessef Garfia, Domenico Cecere y Manuel Herrero Sánchez. ... 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.
Cos'era una catastrofe per le società di antico regime? Quali ne erano le cause e quali i possibi... 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.
L’attualità delle catastrofi naturali ha stimolato, specie negli ultimi decenni, una densa rifles... 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.
A collection of antiquarian books with a history stretching back over more than a century does no... 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.
Uploads
Books by Domenico Cecere
Papers by Domenico Cecere
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
Papers submission: before 15 April, 2016
mediterrapolis@gmail.com
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.