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Key research themes
1. How did Venetian colonial governance manifest in smaller Ionian territories such as Ithaca, and what does this reveal about local elite involvement versus direct Venetian rule?
This research theme investigates the administrative structures and exercised colonial power in Venetian territories, focusing on Ithaca as a case study. It examines the extent to which governance was delegated to local elites, the role of appointed governors, and the interaction between Venetian authorities and indigenous nobility. Understanding this offers insights into the complexity and variability of Venetian colonial administration beyond the major islands, addressing gaps in historiography that have largely overlooked smaller possessions.
Key finding: The study reveals that unlike in larger Ionian islands directly administered by Venetian appointees, Ithaca's governorship was occupied by Cephalonian nobles elected by the local council, illustrating a modality of delegated... Read more
2. What spatial dynamics characterized religious dissent and heresy in sixteenth-century Venice, and how did urban geography influence heterodox social networks?
This theme explores the interplay between urban space and religious nonconformity in Renaissance Venice, shifting focus from personalities to the locations where heretical ideas circulated and communities formed. It studies the geography of heterodox practices within Venice’s streets, markets, and neighborhoods, revealing how urban structures facilitated or constrained knowledge exchange and dissent. The spatial approach nuances the social history of Venetian heresy, offering a performative and situated perspective on dissent within a contested confessional landscape.
Key finding: By analyzing archival sources from the Savi sopra l’eresia, the paper maps heretical circles within Venice from the 1540s to 1580s, identifying commercial hubs such as bookshops and pharmacies as safe spaces for heterodox... Read more
3. How did Venetian medieval mercantile networks operate in the Mediterranean, and what roles did diverse social actors play beyond the patrician elite?
This area examines the composition and functioning of Venice’s medieval trading networks, focusing on the social heterogeneity within Venice’s overseas mercantile diaspora. It challenges narratives privileging the Venetian patriciate by highlighting the participation of lower-rank actors—including Jews, Greeks, colonial subjects, and migrants—in the economic system. The research uses network analysis and notarial archives to uncover interactions, informal collaborations, and rule negotiations that shaped commercial practices, thus providing a more nuanced socio-economic map of Venetian trade.
Key finding: Through examination of seventy-eight notarial records from Alexandria (1418–1420), this study reveals a mixed social network underpinning Venetian trade comprising patricians and numerous lower-status actors such as Jews,... Read more
4. How was water-power managed and controlled in pre-industrial Veneto, and what does archival evidence from the Venetian magistracy reveal about the transformation of hydraulic energy use from the Renaissance to the Republic's fall?
Focusing on the Venetian mainland state, this research theme analyzes the political, technological, and environmental aspects of water-power exploitation, particularly in manufacturing sectors reliant on hydraulic energy. It emphasizes the mid-sixteenth-century institutional innovation whereby Venice centralized water rights through the magistracy of Provveditori sopra i Beni Inculti, highlighting the governance strategies and state interventions that shaped proto-industrial development. The archival material offers a longitudinal perspective on renewable energy resource utilization within early modern economic contexts.
Key finding: This archival study uncovers that from 1557 onwards, the Venetian state asserted ownership over water, instituting the magistracy to regulate water use and manage hydraulic energy rights. The documentation illustrates how... Read more
5. What were the distinctive features and trajectories of Venetian Renaissance drawing practices and their role in artistic invention and production?
This theme explores the materiality, technique, and historiography of Venetian disegno (drawing) between circa 1420–1620, investigating its function in artistic creation and innovation. It encompasses studies of individual artists, workshops, and the transmission of stylistic and technical knowledge. The research sheds light on drawing media, surface treatments, and their integration into broader artistic processes, challenging myths about Venetian drawing traditions and proposing nuanced interpretations of its role in the artistic culture of Venice and Veneto.
Key finding: Analyzing wall decoration drawings, this study demonstrates the conceptual and practical integration of disegno as a creative and design tool in Venetian Renaissance mural cycles, highlighting its function beyond preparatory... Read more
Key finding: The paper offers a rigorous attribution and contextualization of a disputed drawing, illustrating Bastiani’s distinctive drawing techniques within the Venetian artistic milieu, thereby contributing to a finer understanding of... Read more