https://www.history.ac.uk/events/event/19294
Cities were key tools in the ruling of early medieval Italy; they were the location of most local courts, the focus of elite investment and the canvasses upon which claims for authority were made. The political value of urbanism in Italy has been well demonstrated. But how did such ‘high politics’ relate to the societies and economies of urban life? What was the role of urban courts and centres in exchange of goods? How did urban centres relate to wider landscapes of agricultural production and the transformations of the material world? What role did cities and the people who lived in them play in cultures of learning, health, and faith?
This day-long workshop seeks to reassess a topic core to the study of the early middle ages. A range of speakers will present current research on different aspects of early medieval urbanism, senior and junior scholars, UK-based and continental scholars, and those working in history faculties and those in archaeology. The day will be designed to encourage dialogue, share data and findings, as well as contrast methods and research. We seek to bridge gaps between sub-disciplines (of economic history and socio-cultural history, field archaeology and archaeological sciences) and across regional and national traditions.
Confirmed speakers:
- Ross Balzaretti (Nottingham)
- Martin Carver (York)
- Alessandro Carabia (Birmingham)
- Marios Costambeys (Liverpool)
- Cristina La Rocca (Padova)
- Cristiano Nicosia (Padova)
- James Norrie (Oxford)
- Antonio Sennis (UCL)
- Veronica West Harling (Oxford)
- Giorgia Vocino (Orléans)
- Giulia Zornetta (Padova)
Free and open to the public. Space is limited, please register online: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/state-of-the-city-in-early-medieval-italy-tickets-55154666091
Location: UCL, Christopher Ingold Building, Ramsay Lecture Theatre (G21),20 Gordon St, London WC1H 0AJ