Matteo Salonia | University of Nottingham, China Campus (original) (raw)

Books by Matteo Salonia

Palgrave, 2022

This book provides an analysis of human actors and their capacity to explore and conceptualise th... more This book provides an analysis of human actors and their capacity to explore and conceptualise their own agency by being curious, gathering knowledge, and shaping identities in their travel reflections on Asia. Thus, the actors open windows across time to present a profound overview of diverse descriptions and constructions of Asia. The authors demonstrate that international and transnational history contributes to and benefits from analyses of national and local contexts that in turn enrich our understanding of transcultural encounters and experiences across time.

The volume proposes an actor-centred contextual approach to travel writing to recount meaningful constructions of Asia’s physical, political and spiritual landscapes. It offers comparative reflections on the patterns of encounter across Eurasia, where from the late medieval period an idea of civilisation was transculturally shared yet also constantly questioned and reframed. Tailored for academic and public discussions alike, this volume will be invaluable for both scholars of Global History and interested audiences to stimulate further discussions on the nature of global encounters in Asia.

This book investigates the economic, intellectual and political history of late medieval and earl... more This book investigates the economic, intellectual and political history of late medieval and early modern Genoa and the historical origins of the Genoese presence in the Spanish Atlantic. Salonia describes Genoa’s late medieval economic expansion and commercial networks through several case studies, from the Black Sea to southern England, and briefly compares it to the state-run military expansion of Venice’s empire. The author links the adaptability and entrepreneurial skills of Genoese merchants and businessmen to the constitutional history of the Genoese commune and to the specific idea of freedom progressively protected by its constitutions and embodied by institutions like the Bank of St. George. Moreover, this book offers an unprecedented account of the actions with which Ferdinand the Catholic protected Genoese merchants in his dominions and of the later, mutual understanding between the Genoese community and emperor Charles V during the Italian Wars, and in particular during the 1520s. These developments in Hispanic-Genoese diplomatic and economic relations are of great significance. The sixteenth-century Hispanic-Genoese alliance is important to understand the characteristics of Habsburg governance and the resilience of Genoa’s republican conservatism. Genoa’s republicanism (based on private wealth and private arms) contradicts historiographical narratives that assume the inevitability of the emergence of the modern, militarized and centralized state. It also shows the inadequacy of Tuscan-centric historical accounts of Renaissance republicanism. The last chapter of the book reveals the consequences of the 1528 Hispanic-Genoese alliance by considering case studies that illustrate the Genoese presence in the Spanish Americas, from Chile to Mexico, since the early stages of conquest and settlement.

Academic Articles by Matteo Salonia

Religions, 2023

This article introduces the key issues and scope of the 16th-century debate over the rights of th... more This article introduces the key issues and scope of the 16th-century debate over the rights of the native American peoples encountered by Columbus and the Castilian conquistadores. The historic attempt by theologians and missionaries to limit imperial expansion and to defend the dignity of conquered peoples is an example of Western self-criticism and a fundamental contribution of the Catholic Church to the slow emergence of human rights discourses. This article then focuses on the first pages of Bartolomé de Las Casas’s Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies, a text that played a pivotal role in the formation of the Black Legend against Spain, but also in the drafting of the Leyes Nuevas (New Laws) of 1542. While the Short Account’s hyperbolic and explosive prose are well-known, its religious roots can be detected in the prologue and preface, with their discussion of biblical kingship, virtuous Indians, mortal sin, and (un)Christian behavior.

Nuova Rivista Storica, 2023

Genoese capital was a pivotal element for sixteenth-and seventeenth-century Habsburg empire-build... more Genoese capital was a pivotal element for sixteenth-and seventeenth-century Habsburg empire-building in the Atlantic. Therefore, historians have usually stressed the role played by Genoese bankers in Spain. However, Genoese captains, merchants and entrepreneurs were also entering the new Castilian kingdoms on the other side of the ocean, being directly involved in the conquest and settlement of virtually all the rapidly expanding American frontiers since as early as the 1520s. This article investigates the role played by Giovanni Battista Pastene, a conquistador born in Genoa whose navigational skills and logistic support became invaluable for Pedro de Valdivia, the explorer and conqueror of Chile-for a long time the poorest and least attractive among the peripheries of Castilian America. My contribution is divided in three parts. First, I contextualize the Ligurian presence in the Spanish empire with a brief discussion of the Italian Wars (between Spain and France) and of the consequences of the 1528 Hispanic-Genoese alliance for the legal status of Ligurian citizens entering Castile and its colonies. Then, I offer an account of the first successful Spanish penetration into Chile, detailing the support offered by Pastene to Governor Valdivia, but also the Genoese's important and adventurous journey to Peru during the civil war of 1544-1548. Finally, I present documents that show how the Pastene family later integrated into the social structures of the new colony. Giovanni Battista and his heirs represent a fascinating case study in the global and transnational history of the Habsburg empire as well as a significant example of the early origins of a 'Genoese Atlantic'.

Travel Writings on Asia. Curiosity, Identities, and Knowledge Across the East, c. 1200 to the Present, 2022

The article investigates multiform perceptions of Asia during the Cold War in the 1960s through t... more The article investigates multiform perceptions of Asia during the Cold War in the 1960s through the lenses of politics, tourism and curious travellers. The article shows how in a turn towards the criticism of mechanical modernity, the variety of images and perceptions of Asia diversified into extreme positions. Our contribution places travel writer politicians like André Malraux and literary figures like Goffredo Parise alike into a framework in which individualized notions of Asia as a plurality of geopolitical, ideological, regional and local spaces emerged. In combination with the intra-Asian reorientation of tourist images, this chapter argues for a broad spectrum of Asian travel images beyond a clear dichotomy of authentic observations versus colonial gazes under the auspices of Cold War ideology.

Travel Writings on Asia. Curiosity, Identities, and Knowledge Across the East, c. 1200 to the Present, 2022

This essay focuses on early Iberian Asia and explores the theme of curiosity in the Asian section... more This essay focuses on early Iberian Asia and explores the theme of curiosity in the Asian sections of Antonio Pigafetta’s First Voyage Around the World, an account of the Magellan expedition. The contribution discusses Pigafetta’s narrative after the finding of the Strait, fleshing out both the colorful images of Asian rites and the presence of Christian chivalry in the text. Pigafetta portrays the Philippines, the Moluccas, and other islands from the perspective of an intellectual knight, self-consciously shaping his own character not only in the past, but also in the future. On the one hand, his guided curiosity usually avoids judgments about the strange societies that he observes; on the other hand, the importance of chivalric values demonstrates the resilience of cultural backgrounds and locally rooted meanings even at the moment of encounter. There is empathy rather than “othering,” but this is not in contradiction with Pigafetta’s cultural and religious identity.

Travel Writings on Asia. Curiosity, Identities, and Knowledge Across the East, c. 1200 to the Present, 2022

The first chapter reflects on the nature of travelling as the paradigmatic form of human experien... more The first chapter reflects on the nature of travelling as the paradigmatic form of human experience and its literary reflection in travel writings. In linking travels and experiences of human encounters, the chapter enquires into the relations between time and space by linking the historiographical traditions of travel writings on Asian spaces as readings of space across time with a critical analysis of the development of conceptualisations and inventions of Asian spaces. In addressing the analytical concepts of curiosity, identities, and knowledge, the chapter questions the dominance of an ideologically biased framework based on the Foucault–Saidian power–knowledge nexus that privileges the ideological assumption that imperialist appropriations of space are the human condition of travel writings. The chapter re-establishes curiosity as a human intellectual capacity at the centre of analysis to capture transnational space of encounters.

Itinerario. Journal of Imperial and Global Interactions, 2021

Giovanni da Empoli's second voyage to Asia (1510-1514) was eventful and violent, characterised by... more Giovanni da Empoli's second voyage to Asia (1510-1514) was eventful and violent, characterised by the emergence of conflicting agendas among different groups of Portuguese. The Florentine merchant's long letter about the voyage is an extraordinary document, and provides insights in three important areas. First, it allows us to fill some of the gaps in the history of the early phases of Portuguese empire building, questioning the extent to which the Crown was pursuing a clear and coherent strategy that included the conquest of Malacca. Second, it problematises further our conception of "the Portuguese" by reporting episodes of Portuguese-on-Portuguese violence and opposing views on the objectives of Portuguese fleets in the Indian Ocean. Finally, Giovanni unequivocally expresses admiration for the international markets of Eastern city-ports and openly criticises the militarist attitude and lawless tactics of the Portuguese viceroy, Alfonso de Albuquerque, thereby inviting us to reconsider the chronology of a "cosmopolitan reaction" among Italian writers visiting South Asia.

Religions, 2020

This article examines the regulation of religious life in the late Middle Ages (14th and 15th cen... more This article examines the regulation of religious life in the late Middle Ages (14th and 15th centuries), focusing comparatively on Catholic monastic communities in pre-Reformation England and Buddhist monasticism in early Ming China. This comparative approach to two of the most important monastic traditions across Eurasia allows us to problematize the paradigm of ideas and praxes surrounding monastic self-governance in Latin Christendom and to integrate the current scholarship on Ming regulation of religious communities by investigating the pivotal changes in imperial religious policies taking place in the early period of this dynasty. We find that monks and secular authorities at the two ends of Eurasia often shared the same concerns about the discipline of religious men and women, the administration of their properties, and the impact of these communities on society at large. Yet, the article identifies significant differences in the responses given to these concerns. Through the analysis of primary sources that have thus far been overlooked, we show how in early Ming China the imperial government imposed a strict control over the education, ordination and disciplining of Buddhist monks. This bureaucratic system was especially strengthened during the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang (r. 1368-1398), when the figure of the Monk-Official and other tools of secular regulation were introduced, and limits to property claims and economic activities of monasteries were imposed. Instead, during the same period, English monasteries benefited from the previous disentangling of the Church from secular political authorities across Europe. In fact, in late medieval England, the Benedictine tradition of self-governance and independence from the secular sphere was arguably even more marked than in the rest of the continent.

Giovanni da Empoli, a Florentine agent and merchant, was among the first Europeans to travel by a... more Giovanni da Empoli, a Florentine agent and merchant, was among the first Europeans to travel by an exclusively maritime route to India. This article focuses on Giovanni’s first voyage to the East (1503–1504), during which he visited several ports along the Malabar coast. By examining Giovanni’s letter to his father, this contribution explores his (re)emerging identities, and in particular his mercantile outlook and his Christian faith, which suggest a diversity of value systems and agendas among ‘the Portuguese’. The experience of Giovanni is significant also because it represents an instance of production and transfer of knowledge about ‘the Indies’ in early Cinquecento Europe. As suggested by other contemporary sources concerning Giovanni, this circulation of knowledge did not take place only in writing, but also orally, in formal and informal conversations that Giovanni had with a variety of interested interlocutors both in Florence and elsewhere.

Christian pilgrimage was one of the most striking phenomena characterising medieval societies. A ... more Christian pilgrimage was one of the most striking phenomena characterising medieval societies. A physical encounter with the relics of saints often constituted the spiritual summit of the pilgrim’s journey. In order to understand the importance of physicality and the rationale behind the veneration of relics, it is necessary to consider the philosophical recategorisation of the human body and the Christological reflections of Christian writers during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. This article presents some exemplificative texts, which show the emergence of a Christian philosophy within which the human body assumed a new dignity and new powers. When juxtaposed to these metaphysical and theological discourses, the acts of veneration towards the bodies and relics of saints become intelligible, suggesting that this aspect of medieval spirituality should be seen not merely as a fideistic and irrational phenomenon but rather as the manifestation of an internally coherent cosmology.

Habsburg intellectuals claimed that Charles V (1500–1558) was chosen by God to coordinate the def... more Habsburg intellectuals claimed that Charles V (1500–1558) was chosen by God to coordinate the defence of Christendom against the Ottoman Empire and to take care of the spiritual wellbeing of all Christians by fighting heresy. The Genoese captain Antonio Doria (c.1495–1577) was among the writers describing Charles as a pious and benevolent universal monarch and endorsing his military and political project. In the work entitled ‘Compendio’ (1571), Doria gives an account of the events taking place in the world during Charles's reign. This document is significant not only because Doria (with his more famous cousin Andrea) took part in several of the military episodes here recounted, but also because Genoa had joined the empire without losing its independence. Therefore, Antonio Doria's ‘Compendio’ represents an important source if we want to understand the reception of (and contribution to) sixteenth‐century imperial propaganda in the Italian context. After briefly presenting Doria's career and Genoa's republican culture, this article shows the global perspective of the text and argues that we can find in it an endorsement of Habsburg governance and an attempt to (re)order recent events within a universal, supranational framework. The final section briefly compares the ‘Compendio’ with two contemporary histories.

Brumaire, as part of the momentous decade 1789-1799, has been variously described and explained. ... more Brumaire, as part of the momentous decade 1789-1799, has been variously described and explained. Some scholars relegated the rise of Napoleon to insignificance, because, they claimed, by 1799 the revolution was already over. Others accompanied Marx’s theoretical vision with a systematic study of the revolutionary years that detailed the historical roles of the Directory and, hence, of Brumaire. And some others celebrated 1799 as the advent of an efficient government, the day that saved the achievements of a revolutionary decade - or even as the moment that signalled the beginning of a new revolution. Considering the Directory a corrupt and incapable government, these writers have seen Brumaire as a moment of rupture and much-needed political reform. On the other hand, other scholars have stressed the similarities between the Directory and the Consulate, pointing out the continuity of many successful policies. This review of the literature on Brumaire briefly presents works that exemplify these historiographical tendencies, taking into account the broader intellectual visions that often underpinned them, and specially reconsidering the wide interpretations of eighteenth-century France that offer an alternative to Marx’s theory.

Book Reviews by Matteo Salonia

Hispania. Revista Española de Historia, 2021

Economic History Review, 2018

A review of P. Francks's brief monograph on Japan and the great divergence debate. By Matteo Salonia

Renaissance Quarterly, 2017

Every generation of historians attempts to face the dilemma represented by the intellectual under... more Every generation of historians attempts to face the dilemma represented by the intellectual underpinnings and the historical consequences of late medieval and Renaissance republicanism in Italy. From time to time, a new interpretative framework emerges that seeks to challenge the characteristic lack of consensus in this field. Fabrizio Ricciardelli, in his The Myth of Republicanism in Renaissance Italy, aims to do precisely this. The central thesis of his work is that the concept of republicanism risks being misleading when applied to the history of the Italian city-states. This is the case because both republics and signorie underwent similar processes of territorialization and centralization while developing similar political languages and showing the same strategies to redefine space and power.

Talks by Matteo Salonia

Berber corsairs and Ottoman fleets were a growing threat for the coasts of Spain and Italy during... more Berber corsairs and Ottoman fleets were a growing threat for the coasts of Spain and Italy during the sixteenth century, especially after the Ottoman conquest of Egypt, in 1517. Warfare between French and Spanish forces in Italy and the Western Mediterranean further complicated the geopolitical situation. In my paper, I propose to look at the writings of Antonio Doria, the cousin of Andrea and a close advisor to both Charles V and Phillip II. I briefly summarise Antonio’s military career and expertise, and then I discuss his plan for a standing international fleet as well as his enthusiast endorsement of the Spanish composite monarchy. My primary sources will include both Antonio’s only published work (the 'Compendio') and his unpublished manuscripts that I have recently found in Italian archives.

There are still many questions surrounding the history of the first Portuguese fleets reaching th... more There are still many questions surrounding the history of the first Portuguese fleets reaching the Indian Ocean immediately after Vasco da Gama's expedition. Two of the most important issues that we have to explore when looking at the early empire-building process in this region are the identity (agenda; value system) of different actors among "the Portuguese" and the production of knowledge about space and human geography at the peripheries of the empire.
This paper offers a brief introduction to the life of Giovanni da Empoli, one of the first Italians to reach India and China by sea. The paper also outlines possible lines of inquiry and discusses alternative research questions for the future.

Palgrave, 2022

This book provides an analysis of human actors and their capacity to explore and conceptualise th... more This book provides an analysis of human actors and their capacity to explore and conceptualise their own agency by being curious, gathering knowledge, and shaping identities in their travel reflections on Asia. Thus, the actors open windows across time to present a profound overview of diverse descriptions and constructions of Asia. The authors demonstrate that international and transnational history contributes to and benefits from analyses of national and local contexts that in turn enrich our understanding of transcultural encounters and experiences across time.

The volume proposes an actor-centred contextual approach to travel writing to recount meaningful constructions of Asia’s physical, political and spiritual landscapes. It offers comparative reflections on the patterns of encounter across Eurasia, where from the late medieval period an idea of civilisation was transculturally shared yet also constantly questioned and reframed. Tailored for academic and public discussions alike, this volume will be invaluable for both scholars of Global History and interested audiences to stimulate further discussions on the nature of global encounters in Asia.

This book investigates the economic, intellectual and political history of late medieval and earl... more This book investigates the economic, intellectual and political history of late medieval and early modern Genoa and the historical origins of the Genoese presence in the Spanish Atlantic. Salonia describes Genoa’s late medieval economic expansion and commercial networks through several case studies, from the Black Sea to southern England, and briefly compares it to the state-run military expansion of Venice’s empire. The author links the adaptability and entrepreneurial skills of Genoese merchants and businessmen to the constitutional history of the Genoese commune and to the specific idea of freedom progressively protected by its constitutions and embodied by institutions like the Bank of St. George. Moreover, this book offers an unprecedented account of the actions with which Ferdinand the Catholic protected Genoese merchants in his dominions and of the later, mutual understanding between the Genoese community and emperor Charles V during the Italian Wars, and in particular during the 1520s. These developments in Hispanic-Genoese diplomatic and economic relations are of great significance. The sixteenth-century Hispanic-Genoese alliance is important to understand the characteristics of Habsburg governance and the resilience of Genoa’s republican conservatism. Genoa’s republicanism (based on private wealth and private arms) contradicts historiographical narratives that assume the inevitability of the emergence of the modern, militarized and centralized state. It also shows the inadequacy of Tuscan-centric historical accounts of Renaissance republicanism. The last chapter of the book reveals the consequences of the 1528 Hispanic-Genoese alliance by considering case studies that illustrate the Genoese presence in the Spanish Americas, from Chile to Mexico, since the early stages of conquest and settlement.

Religions, 2023

This article introduces the key issues and scope of the 16th-century debate over the rights of th... more This article introduces the key issues and scope of the 16th-century debate over the rights of the native American peoples encountered by Columbus and the Castilian conquistadores. The historic attempt by theologians and missionaries to limit imperial expansion and to defend the dignity of conquered peoples is an example of Western self-criticism and a fundamental contribution of the Catholic Church to the slow emergence of human rights discourses. This article then focuses on the first pages of Bartolomé de Las Casas’s Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies, a text that played a pivotal role in the formation of the Black Legend against Spain, but also in the drafting of the Leyes Nuevas (New Laws) of 1542. While the Short Account’s hyperbolic and explosive prose are well-known, its religious roots can be detected in the prologue and preface, with their discussion of biblical kingship, virtuous Indians, mortal sin, and (un)Christian behavior.

Nuova Rivista Storica, 2023

Genoese capital was a pivotal element for sixteenth-and seventeenth-century Habsburg empire-build... more Genoese capital was a pivotal element for sixteenth-and seventeenth-century Habsburg empire-building in the Atlantic. Therefore, historians have usually stressed the role played by Genoese bankers in Spain. However, Genoese captains, merchants and entrepreneurs were also entering the new Castilian kingdoms on the other side of the ocean, being directly involved in the conquest and settlement of virtually all the rapidly expanding American frontiers since as early as the 1520s. This article investigates the role played by Giovanni Battista Pastene, a conquistador born in Genoa whose navigational skills and logistic support became invaluable for Pedro de Valdivia, the explorer and conqueror of Chile-for a long time the poorest and least attractive among the peripheries of Castilian America. My contribution is divided in three parts. First, I contextualize the Ligurian presence in the Spanish empire with a brief discussion of the Italian Wars (between Spain and France) and of the consequences of the 1528 Hispanic-Genoese alliance for the legal status of Ligurian citizens entering Castile and its colonies. Then, I offer an account of the first successful Spanish penetration into Chile, detailing the support offered by Pastene to Governor Valdivia, but also the Genoese's important and adventurous journey to Peru during the civil war of 1544-1548. Finally, I present documents that show how the Pastene family later integrated into the social structures of the new colony. Giovanni Battista and his heirs represent a fascinating case study in the global and transnational history of the Habsburg empire as well as a significant example of the early origins of a 'Genoese Atlantic'.

Travel Writings on Asia. Curiosity, Identities, and Knowledge Across the East, c. 1200 to the Present, 2022

The article investigates multiform perceptions of Asia during the Cold War in the 1960s through t... more The article investigates multiform perceptions of Asia during the Cold War in the 1960s through the lenses of politics, tourism and curious travellers. The article shows how in a turn towards the criticism of mechanical modernity, the variety of images and perceptions of Asia diversified into extreme positions. Our contribution places travel writer politicians like André Malraux and literary figures like Goffredo Parise alike into a framework in which individualized notions of Asia as a plurality of geopolitical, ideological, regional and local spaces emerged. In combination with the intra-Asian reorientation of tourist images, this chapter argues for a broad spectrum of Asian travel images beyond a clear dichotomy of authentic observations versus colonial gazes under the auspices of Cold War ideology.

Travel Writings on Asia. Curiosity, Identities, and Knowledge Across the East, c. 1200 to the Present, 2022

This essay focuses on early Iberian Asia and explores the theme of curiosity in the Asian section... more This essay focuses on early Iberian Asia and explores the theme of curiosity in the Asian sections of Antonio Pigafetta’s First Voyage Around the World, an account of the Magellan expedition. The contribution discusses Pigafetta’s narrative after the finding of the Strait, fleshing out both the colorful images of Asian rites and the presence of Christian chivalry in the text. Pigafetta portrays the Philippines, the Moluccas, and other islands from the perspective of an intellectual knight, self-consciously shaping his own character not only in the past, but also in the future. On the one hand, his guided curiosity usually avoids judgments about the strange societies that he observes; on the other hand, the importance of chivalric values demonstrates the resilience of cultural backgrounds and locally rooted meanings even at the moment of encounter. There is empathy rather than “othering,” but this is not in contradiction with Pigafetta’s cultural and religious identity.

Travel Writings on Asia. Curiosity, Identities, and Knowledge Across the East, c. 1200 to the Present, 2022

The first chapter reflects on the nature of travelling as the paradigmatic form of human experien... more The first chapter reflects on the nature of travelling as the paradigmatic form of human experience and its literary reflection in travel writings. In linking travels and experiences of human encounters, the chapter enquires into the relations between time and space by linking the historiographical traditions of travel writings on Asian spaces as readings of space across time with a critical analysis of the development of conceptualisations and inventions of Asian spaces. In addressing the analytical concepts of curiosity, identities, and knowledge, the chapter questions the dominance of an ideologically biased framework based on the Foucault–Saidian power–knowledge nexus that privileges the ideological assumption that imperialist appropriations of space are the human condition of travel writings. The chapter re-establishes curiosity as a human intellectual capacity at the centre of analysis to capture transnational space of encounters.

Itinerario. Journal of Imperial and Global Interactions, 2021

Giovanni da Empoli's second voyage to Asia (1510-1514) was eventful and violent, characterised by... more Giovanni da Empoli's second voyage to Asia (1510-1514) was eventful and violent, characterised by the emergence of conflicting agendas among different groups of Portuguese. The Florentine merchant's long letter about the voyage is an extraordinary document, and provides insights in three important areas. First, it allows us to fill some of the gaps in the history of the early phases of Portuguese empire building, questioning the extent to which the Crown was pursuing a clear and coherent strategy that included the conquest of Malacca. Second, it problematises further our conception of "the Portuguese" by reporting episodes of Portuguese-on-Portuguese violence and opposing views on the objectives of Portuguese fleets in the Indian Ocean. Finally, Giovanni unequivocally expresses admiration for the international markets of Eastern city-ports and openly criticises the militarist attitude and lawless tactics of the Portuguese viceroy, Alfonso de Albuquerque, thereby inviting us to reconsider the chronology of a "cosmopolitan reaction" among Italian writers visiting South Asia.

Religions, 2020

This article examines the regulation of religious life in the late Middle Ages (14th and 15th cen... more This article examines the regulation of religious life in the late Middle Ages (14th and 15th centuries), focusing comparatively on Catholic monastic communities in pre-Reformation England and Buddhist monasticism in early Ming China. This comparative approach to two of the most important monastic traditions across Eurasia allows us to problematize the paradigm of ideas and praxes surrounding monastic self-governance in Latin Christendom and to integrate the current scholarship on Ming regulation of religious communities by investigating the pivotal changes in imperial religious policies taking place in the early period of this dynasty. We find that monks and secular authorities at the two ends of Eurasia often shared the same concerns about the discipline of religious men and women, the administration of their properties, and the impact of these communities on society at large. Yet, the article identifies significant differences in the responses given to these concerns. Through the analysis of primary sources that have thus far been overlooked, we show how in early Ming China the imperial government imposed a strict control over the education, ordination and disciplining of Buddhist monks. This bureaucratic system was especially strengthened during the reign of Zhu Yuanzhang (r. 1368-1398), when the figure of the Monk-Official and other tools of secular regulation were introduced, and limits to property claims and economic activities of monasteries were imposed. Instead, during the same period, English monasteries benefited from the previous disentangling of the Church from secular political authorities across Europe. In fact, in late medieval England, the Benedictine tradition of self-governance and independence from the secular sphere was arguably even more marked than in the rest of the continent.

Giovanni da Empoli, a Florentine agent and merchant, was among the first Europeans to travel by a... more Giovanni da Empoli, a Florentine agent and merchant, was among the first Europeans to travel by an exclusively maritime route to India. This article focuses on Giovanni’s first voyage to the East (1503–1504), during which he visited several ports along the Malabar coast. By examining Giovanni’s letter to his father, this contribution explores his (re)emerging identities, and in particular his mercantile outlook and his Christian faith, which suggest a diversity of value systems and agendas among ‘the Portuguese’. The experience of Giovanni is significant also because it represents an instance of production and transfer of knowledge about ‘the Indies’ in early Cinquecento Europe. As suggested by other contemporary sources concerning Giovanni, this circulation of knowledge did not take place only in writing, but also orally, in formal and informal conversations that Giovanni had with a variety of interested interlocutors both in Florence and elsewhere.

Christian pilgrimage was one of the most striking phenomena characterising medieval societies. A ... more Christian pilgrimage was one of the most striking phenomena characterising medieval societies. A physical encounter with the relics of saints often constituted the spiritual summit of the pilgrim’s journey. In order to understand the importance of physicality and the rationale behind the veneration of relics, it is necessary to consider the philosophical recategorisation of the human body and the Christological reflections of Christian writers during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. This article presents some exemplificative texts, which show the emergence of a Christian philosophy within which the human body assumed a new dignity and new powers. When juxtaposed to these metaphysical and theological discourses, the acts of veneration towards the bodies and relics of saints become intelligible, suggesting that this aspect of medieval spirituality should be seen not merely as a fideistic and irrational phenomenon but rather as the manifestation of an internally coherent cosmology.

Habsburg intellectuals claimed that Charles V (1500–1558) was chosen by God to coordinate the def... more Habsburg intellectuals claimed that Charles V (1500–1558) was chosen by God to coordinate the defence of Christendom against the Ottoman Empire and to take care of the spiritual wellbeing of all Christians by fighting heresy. The Genoese captain Antonio Doria (c.1495–1577) was among the writers describing Charles as a pious and benevolent universal monarch and endorsing his military and political project. In the work entitled ‘Compendio’ (1571), Doria gives an account of the events taking place in the world during Charles's reign. This document is significant not only because Doria (with his more famous cousin Andrea) took part in several of the military episodes here recounted, but also because Genoa had joined the empire without losing its independence. Therefore, Antonio Doria's ‘Compendio’ represents an important source if we want to understand the reception of (and contribution to) sixteenth‐century imperial propaganda in the Italian context. After briefly presenting Doria's career and Genoa's republican culture, this article shows the global perspective of the text and argues that we can find in it an endorsement of Habsburg governance and an attempt to (re)order recent events within a universal, supranational framework. The final section briefly compares the ‘Compendio’ with two contemporary histories.

Brumaire, as part of the momentous decade 1789-1799, has been variously described and explained. ... more Brumaire, as part of the momentous decade 1789-1799, has been variously described and explained. Some scholars relegated the rise of Napoleon to insignificance, because, they claimed, by 1799 the revolution was already over. Others accompanied Marx’s theoretical vision with a systematic study of the revolutionary years that detailed the historical roles of the Directory and, hence, of Brumaire. And some others celebrated 1799 as the advent of an efficient government, the day that saved the achievements of a revolutionary decade - or even as the moment that signalled the beginning of a new revolution. Considering the Directory a corrupt and incapable government, these writers have seen Brumaire as a moment of rupture and much-needed political reform. On the other hand, other scholars have stressed the similarities between the Directory and the Consulate, pointing out the continuity of many successful policies. This review of the literature on Brumaire briefly presents works that exemplify these historiographical tendencies, taking into account the broader intellectual visions that often underpinned them, and specially reconsidering the wide interpretations of eighteenth-century France that offer an alternative to Marx’s theory.

Hispania. Revista Española de Historia, 2021

Economic History Review, 2018

A review of P. Francks's brief monograph on Japan and the great divergence debate. By Matteo Salonia

Renaissance Quarterly, 2017

Every generation of historians attempts to face the dilemma represented by the intellectual under... more Every generation of historians attempts to face the dilemma represented by the intellectual underpinnings and the historical consequences of late medieval and Renaissance republicanism in Italy. From time to time, a new interpretative framework emerges that seeks to challenge the characteristic lack of consensus in this field. Fabrizio Ricciardelli, in his The Myth of Republicanism in Renaissance Italy, aims to do precisely this. The central thesis of his work is that the concept of republicanism risks being misleading when applied to the history of the Italian city-states. This is the case because both republics and signorie underwent similar processes of territorialization and centralization while developing similar political languages and showing the same strategies to redefine space and power.

Berber corsairs and Ottoman fleets were a growing threat for the coasts of Spain and Italy during... more Berber corsairs and Ottoman fleets were a growing threat for the coasts of Spain and Italy during the sixteenth century, especially after the Ottoman conquest of Egypt, in 1517. Warfare between French and Spanish forces in Italy and the Western Mediterranean further complicated the geopolitical situation. In my paper, I propose to look at the writings of Antonio Doria, the cousin of Andrea and a close advisor to both Charles V and Phillip II. I briefly summarise Antonio’s military career and expertise, and then I discuss his plan for a standing international fleet as well as his enthusiast endorsement of the Spanish composite monarchy. My primary sources will include both Antonio’s only published work (the 'Compendio') and his unpublished manuscripts that I have recently found in Italian archives.

There are still many questions surrounding the history of the first Portuguese fleets reaching th... more There are still many questions surrounding the history of the first Portuguese fleets reaching the Indian Ocean immediately after Vasco da Gama's expedition. Two of the most important issues that we have to explore when looking at the early empire-building process in this region are the identity (agenda; value system) of different actors among "the Portuguese" and the production of knowledge about space and human geography at the peripheries of the empire.
This paper offers a brief introduction to the life of Giovanni da Empoli, one of the first Italians to reach India and China by sea. The paper also outlines possible lines of inquiry and discusses alternative research questions for the future.

Panel on Sovereignty in the Hispanic World. My paper presents some of the events taking place ... more Panel on Sovereignty in the Hispanic World.

My paper presents some of the events taking place in the key decade of the 1520s, when the Genoese progressively understood that their republican order and their economic prosperity were incompatible with France’s long-term objectives. The Genoese realized that the Hapsburg polycentric system offered an advantageous alternative. They eventually placed themselves under the protection of Charles V, who recognized Genoa’s independence, while Andrea Doria ushered in reforms that confirmed and maintained Genoa’s peculiar understanding of libertà and sovereignty.

This thesis investigates the economic culture that fostered the constitutional history and politi... more This thesis investigates the economic culture that fostered the constitutional history and political cosmology of late medieval and early modern Genoa. Genoese economic actors are here studied through their diversified trades and businesses, as they moved from the

Palgrave Series in Asia and Pacific Studies

The first chapter reflects on the nature of travelling as the paradigmatic form of human experien... more The first chapter reflects on the nature of travelling as the paradigmatic form of human experience and its literary reflection in travel writings. In linking travels and experiences of human encounters, the chapter enquires into the relations between time and space by linking the historiographical traditions of travel writings on Asian spaces as readings of space across time with a critical analysis of the development of conceptualisations and inventions of Asian spaces. In addressing the analytical concepts of curiosity, identities, and knowledge, the chapter questions the dominance of an ideologically biased framework based on the Foucault–Saidian power–knowledge nexus that privileges the ideological assumption that imperialist appropriations of space are the human condition of travel writings. The chapter re-establishes curiosity as a human intellectual capacity at the centre of analysis to capture transnational space of encounters in which mutual curiosities complement the ideo...

Mises Institute, 2020

The Republic of Genoa provides an example of a how a small "state" managed to defend itself again... more The Republic of Genoa provides an example of a how a small "state" managed to defend itself against much larger states using military resources that were overwhelmingly owned and controlled by private parties.

Royal Opera House, London, 2018

International conference organized at the University of Nottingham Ningbo, China.

International conference organized at the University of Nottingham Ningbo, China.

Annali Recensioni Online, 2022