Historical Studies

"The issue of Conversion: Politics and Religion in the Early Modern Period" This course focuses on religious conversion within the broader framework of governance and political practices in the early modern period. The issue of conversion will be examined through the complex interplay between the rise of Global Catholicism, the emergence of empires, and the processes of exclusion and marginalization targeting members of religious minority groups, beginning with the Spanish expulsions of 1492. Special attention will be given to the redefinition of evangelization strategies both within Europe and in overseas territories. The course will explore the operation of wide-ranging conversion models, particularly in relation to the ambitions expressed by the Congregazione de Propaganda Fide (1622). We will reconstruct the chronology and intersections among the mechanisms developed in Rome, examining them both in dialogue and in competition with those implemented in other contexts, including Protestant ones. The course will also reflect on the role of mobility—both voluntary and forced—of individuals and communities in shaping these dynamics. Equally central to our study will be a critical examination of the failures, uncertainties, and contradictions inherent in early modern strategies for integrating converts. From a methodological perspective, the course will place strong emphasis on the analysis of relevant primary and secondary sources. The in-class reading and discussion of the "Diario di Anna Del Monte, ebrea romana" , a Roman Jewish woman, will form an integral part of the course.

Good knowledge of early modern history at an academic level (BA courses)

Mandatory readings: - Rubare le anime. Diario di Anna del Monte, ebrea romana, a cura di M. Caffiero, Roma, Viella 2009 - N. Terpstra, Purezza e fede. Esuli religiosi nell’Europa moderna, Bologna, Il Mulino 2019 One book among: - M. Garcia Arenal, G. Wiegers, L’uomo dei tre mondi. Storia di Samuel Pallache, ebreo marocchino nell’Europa del Seicento, Roma, Viella 2013 - F. Bethencourt, Strangers Within: The Rise and Fall of the New Christian Trading Elite, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2024 - L. Felici, G. Imbruglia, La tolleranza in età moderna. Idee, conflitti, protagonisti (sec. XVI-XVIII), Roma, Carocci, 2024 - T. Herzig, Storia di un ebreo convertito. Arte, criminalità e religione nell’Italia del Rinascimento, Roma, Viella, 2023 G. Maifreda, Sono una strega. Confessioni del sabba nel passato europeo, Torino. Einaudi, 2025 - G. Pizzorusso, Propaganda fide. I. La congregazione pontificia e la giurisdizione sulle missioni, Roma, Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, 2022 - N. Zemon Davis, La doppia vita di Leone l’Africano, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2008

The course is seminar in nature; attendance is not mandatory but strongly encouraged

The exam consists of an oral interview covering the topics discussed in the course. Students will be expected to critically engage with the subject matter, drawing on the required bibliography. Final grades range from 18 to 30 with honors (cum laude). A grade below 18 will be considered a failing mark.

The course will consist of lectures, short presentations and seminars.

"The issue of Conversion: Politics and Religion in the Early Modern Period" This course focuses on religious conversion within the broader framework of governance and political practices in the early modern period. The issue of conversion will be examined through the complex interplay between the rise of Global Catholicism, the emergence of empires, and the processes of exclusion and marginalization targeting members of religious minority groups, beginning with the Spanish expulsions of 1492. Special attention will be given to the redefinition of evangelization strategies both within Europe and in overseas territories. The course will explore the operation of wide-ranging conversion models, particularly in relation to the ambitions expressed by the Congregazione de Propaganda Fide (1622). We will reconstruct the chronology and intersections among the mechanisms developed in Rome, examining them both in dialogue and in competition with those implemented in other contexts, including Protestant ones. The course will also reflect on the role of mobility—both voluntary and forced—of individuals and communities in shaping these dynamics. Equally central to our study will be a critical examination of the failures, uncertainties, and contradictions inherent in early modern strategies for integrating converts. From a methodological perspective, the course will place strong emphasis on the analysis of relevant primary and secondary sources. The in-class reading and discussion of the "Diario di Anna Del Monte, ebrea romana" , a Roman Jewish woman, will form an integral part of the course.

Good knowledge of early modern history at an academic level (BA courses)

Mandatory readings: - Rubare le anime. Diario di Anna del Monte, ebrea romana, a cura di M. Caffiero, Roma, Viella 2009 - N. Terpstra, Purezza e fede. Esuli religiosi nell’Europa moderna, Bologna, Il Mulino 2019 One book among: - M. Garcia Arenal, G. Wiegers, L’uomo dei tre mondi. Storia di Samuel Pallache, ebreo marocchino nell’Europa del Seicento, Roma, Viella 2013 - F. Bethencourt, Strangers Within: The Rise and Fall of the New Christian Trading Elite, Princeton, Princeton University Press, 2024 - L. Felici, G. Imbruglia, La tolleranza in età moderna. Idee, conflitti, protagonisti (sec. XVI-XVIII), Roma, Carocci, 2024 - T. Herzig, Storia di un ebreo convertito. Arte, criminalità e religione nell’Italia del Rinascimento, Roma, Viella, 2023 G. Maifreda, Sono una strega. Confessioni del sabba nel passato europeo, Torino. Einaudi, 2025 - G. Pizzorusso, Propaganda fide. I. La congregazione pontificia e la giurisdizione sulle missioni, Roma, Edizioni di Storia e Letteratura, 2022 - N. Zemon Davis, La doppia vita di Leone l’Africano, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2008

The course is seminar in nature; attendance is not mandatory but strongly encouraged

The exam consists of an oral interview covering the topics discussed in the course. Students will be expected to critically engage with the subject matter, drawing on the required bibliography. Final grades range from 18 to 30 with honors (cum laude). A grade below 18 will be considered a failing mark.

The course will consist of lectures, short presentations and seminars.