Bankers and Banking in Medieval Italy
Banks as we have come to know them in today’s world owe their origins to the innovative credit mechanisms developed in medieval Italy.
Living with Books in Renaissance Ferrara
The growth of private libraries was one of the most remarkable aspects of the history of the medieval book during the 14th and 15th centuries.
Joanna II of Anjou-Durazzo, the Glorious Queen
This short essay reflects on Queen Joanna as a test case of both the difficulties and the potential that always reside in communication and confrontation between disciplines, even when they are as closely related as history and art history.
The Walk to Canossa: The Tale of an Emperor and a Pope
Ever since it happened people have been debating what took place at Canossa. Some have called it a brilliant masterstroke by Emperor Henry IV, while others have termed it his humiliation.
The Evil That Kings Do: Kingship, Tyranny and William I in Hugo Falcandus
A study of the presentation of William I of Sicily in the work of the pseudo – Hugo Falcandus, with particular attention to the author’s views on the entirety of the Hauteville dynasty and kingship in Sicily through the lens of his reign.
Death of a Renaissance Record-Keeper: The Murder of Tomasso da Tortona in Ferrara, 1385
Beginning with a description of the murder of an Italian record-keeper at the hands of an angry mob in the late fourteenth century, this essay explores the historical background of official records destruction during the Renaissance
The Medieval Magazine (Volume 3, Issue 7)
In our latest issue: Being lovesick was a real disease in the Middle Ages! Judaism, War, and Chivalry: Why is this Knight Different than Other Knights? Travel Tips: San Lorenzo’s Medici Crypt! Crusade in Europe
Failed Censures: Ecclesiastical Regulation of Women’s Clothing in Late Medieval Italy
Churchmen in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries tried to regulate the costume of Italian women. These efforts failed, and regulation was largely left thereafter to civic authorities.
The Medieval Magazine: Celebrating International Women’s Day (Volume 3, Issue 4)
We’ve just released our latest issue of the Medieval Magazine in celebration of International Women’s Day!
Cesare Borgia in a Nutshell: Book Tour and Giveaway!
This is an exciting week for book lovers at Medievalists.net. We’re hosting two book tours and giveaways! Today, we’re featuring author Samantha Morris’ Cesare Borgia in a Nutshell, and running an international contest to give away a copy of the book.
How to Defeat a Tyrant: The Florentines against the Duke
In a time of crisis the Republic of Florence turned to a brash noble to lead their city. He soon turned into a disgraceful tyrant. Could the Florentine citizens overthrow him before a plot to murder hundreds of people could be carried out?
80-Room Medieval Italian castle to be sold for first time in its history
Castel Valer, a lavishly decorated medieval castle in northern Italy, which has been owned by the same family who obtained the estate in the fourteenth century, is set to be sold at auction on 8th September 2016.
Book Talk: A Conversation with Guy Gavriel Kay
Set in a parallel Renaissance world, two major religions, the Jaddites who worship the sun, and the Asharites who worship the stars, struggle amidst the backdrop of court politics, murder, espionage, faith and family.
Mediterranean Castle for Sale
This 14th century castle can be found along the coast of Calabria in Italy.
A Man Must Not Embelish Himself like a Woman: The Body and Gender in Renaissance Cosmetics
In pre-modern Italy, cosmetics’ ideal backdrop was a pale complexion, apparently untouched by the sun’s rays to give the impression that one had the luxury of avoiding going about outside on any daily labors.
BOOK REVIEW: Medieval Medicine: Its Mysteries and Science by Toni Mount
Our review of Toni Mount’s fascinating look at medicine in the Middle Ages in – Medieval Medicine: Its Mysteries and Science by Toni Mount.
The Global Side of Medieval at the Getty Centre: Traversing the Globe Through Illuminated Manuscripts
Los Angeles correspondent, Danielle Trynoski takes through the, ‘Traversing the Globe Through Illuminated Manuscripts’ exhibut at the Getty Museum.
Medieval Survivals In Modern Rome
An analysis of medieval buildings in Rome with “defensive” characteristics has been ongoing for the past four years (towers, fortified houses, fortifications on ancient monuments).
Ladies, Concubines, and Pseudo-Wives: Mistresses in the Courtly Culture of Emilia-Romagna of Renaissance Italy
This work examines the lives of mistresses within the Italian province of the Emilia-Romagna, predominantly during the fifteenth century.
MEDIEVAL BOOKS: Black Friday!
Here are a few recent releases for medievalists hunting for Black Friday books and early Christmas gifts!
“These are beautiful words to understand” – Proverbs from the 14th century
‘If those who wound felt the pain of those who are wounded, they could not often wound with pleasure.’
Down to the Last Stitch: Sumptuary Law and Conspicuous Consumption in Renaissance Italy
Fashion and luxury were very important in Italian Renaissance society. One’s appearance indicated more than whether one was simply attractive, it also indicated one’s social standing.
Machiavelli and Botticelli Movies to Hit the Screen in 2016
Machiavelli and Botticelli are set to hit screens in 2016. We sat down to chat with Italian director, Lorenzo Raveggi about his two ambitious projects.
Movie Review: Dangerous Beauty
Late 16th century Venice, where a woman can be a nun, a wife or a courtesan. For Veronica Franco, the free spirited girl scorned by because of her lack of wealth, the choice is an obvious one…
The Justinianic Reconquest of Italy: Imperial Campaigns and Local Responses
This article examines a particular aspect of Justinian’s campaigns against the Ostrogoths in Italy, one that is often overlooked, yet one that is essential to the understanding of these wars