This thesis is a study of the pageantry and entertainments which took place in 1608 on the occasion of three aristocratic marriages, those of Princesses Margherita and Isabella of Savoy to Francesco Gonzaga of Mantua and Alfonso d'Este of Modena and of Maria Maddalena of Austria to Cosimo II de' Medici of Tuscany. Volume I comprises: a brief survey of the political situation in northern Italy in 1608, including the marriage negotiations between savoy, Mantua and Modena; a discussion of attitudes to women current in the Renaissance as reflected in marriage pageantry; a full account of the pageantry and entertainments celebrating these marriages, drawing on archival material and contemporary published descriptions; a discussion of the interpretation of pageantry, the response of the spectators, and pageantry's value as political propaganda and as a means of promoting and spreading artistic development. Volume II is an edited collection (in Italian and French) of the relevant documents from Italian state archives and full transcriptions of the three principal accounts published in 1608. The thesis concludes that there is a close relationship between political changes and developments in pageantry. The rise of absolutism as the dominant form of government in Italy at the end of the sixteenth century is parallelled by the glorification of the ruler in pageantry. The stability and prosperity of the state come to be identified with the security and strength of the ruler. The thesis offers a new approach to the role of women in Renaissance politics and society through examination of marriage pageantry. Women are represented as counsellors and mediators, rarely taking action, but promoting peace and, through their role as mothers of future heirs, ensuring stability and prosperity in the state.

This thesis aims to assess the importance of Gianfrancesco Gonzaga and his state in early quattrocento politics. The central geographical position of Mantua placed it in the forefront of the conflict between Venice and Milan which dominated Gianfrancesco's life. It was a conflict during which both protagonists tried to exploit Mantua to further their own expansionist aims. Such a clash of interests naturally placed immense pressures upon Gianfrancesco. As always, his primary aim was to maintain the existence of his state and this meant that he had to manoeuvre himself between the two rivals. He was to place the strategic advantages of Mantua and his own talents as a military commander first of all at the disposal of Venice, the traditional ally and protector of the Mantuan state, and subsequently, in 1438, when he became suspicious of Venetian motives, at the disposal of Filippo Maria Visconti. The central portion of the thesis investigates Gianfrancesco's relations with these two very different masters and attempts to clarify the issues and motives which prompted his change of loyalty in 1438. In many respects, the role which Gianfrancesco was called upon to play was an unenviable one. While it is true that he himself obtained a considerable degree of prestige as Commander of the Venetian army as well as the 'kudos' of an Imperial title, the dual role of ruler and soldier of fortune which had been thrust upon him bristled with problems, and these are also investigated in this study. The period of Gianfranceso's rule provides us with an excellent opportunity to observe the problems and decisions which confronted a small state like Mantua at a time of political crisis. The part which Gianfrancesco and Mantua played in that crisis has been underestimated and this thesis attempts to redress the balance.

Chapter I: The Interdict and Changes in Venetian Policy: Illusion and Reality. Introduction: this study is a polemic, attacking the connection usually drawn between the political reform of 1582-3 and the hardening of Venetian attitudes towards the Curia up to 1606. (i) Venetian support of the French Crown in the 1530s and '90s was consistent with previous policy, and was dictated by changes in France rather than in Venice. (ii) Venetian suspicion of Papal jurisdictional claims long predates 1582: some cases show a milder attitude after that reform than before. (iii) The tolerance allowed by Venice to German Protestants did not alter substantially between 1560 and 1606. The growth of the Greek community in the last quarter century can be attributed to external circumstances rather than a more liberal Venetian attitude. The features generally cited to show a change in the direction of Venetian policies are not strong enough to prove it by themselves. Chapter II: A Manifesto for Reform? The literary history of Paruta's "Perfettiono della vita politica" appears to suggest a connection with political change: but the ideas it contains are too ambiguous to have had much partisan appeal. The division of opinions which the dialogue seems to suggest is uncertain, as is its connection with contemporary political events. Chapter III: The Problem and the Reform. The Council of X and Zonta cannot be described as "purely oligarchic" institutions, though their composition and some of their actions in the pre-reform period excited suspicion. The progress of the 1582-3 reform shows no sign of an organised programme or a shared ideology: all practical proposals for reform came from those who wished to preserve the Zonta, and even in opposition to these proposals no consistency was shown. It is not possible to identify a homogeneous group of "reformers". Chapter IV: Reform or Reshuffle? The tenure of the main political offices was in no way altered by the reform. The family interestgroups, particularly Tiepolo-Soranzo, Foscarini-Barbaro-Zustiniani, and Priuli, largely retained through the College the influence they had previously exercised through the X and Zonta. Legislation suggests fiercer competition for a smaller number of influential posts. The ruling clique may have been narrowed by the reform. Chapter V: Property and the Church-Economic Background. The most obvious changes in Venetian policy towards the Church are in the economic field. Growing numbers of nobles hold land from clerical proprietors. Anxieties of Sarpi and Querini about ecclesiastical wealth are born out by the evidence of the previous century: clerical property was growing, but at an uncertain rate and to an unascertainable level. The taxation system put most of it out of the reach of the secular government at a time when ready money was badly needed. Chapter VI: Property and the Church - from Principle to Policy. In the 1560s and '70s, Venetian argument about clerical wealth and privilege was either on an entirely abstract level, discussing canon and civil law, or an entirely parochial level, discussing the vested interests of individuals. Only in the later"1580s does the argument from "state interest" appear. In 1591 famine forced Venice to assert absolute control over property and produce in the Doninio, and this became established policy in 1593-5. This, is the political attitude which led to the property laws of the early XVIIth century, and so to the Interdict. Conclusion: The Venetian governing group did not change materially, but its attitudes did. This resulted more from pressure of economic circumstances around 1591 than from an infusion of new ideology in 1582. Appendix I: Lists of the Council of X (1572-192), Zonta (1572-1581), Savii Grandi (1572-1602) and Savii di Terraferma (1572-1602). Appendix II: Thirty leading senators, their political careers and ... connections, and their economic commitments ... Appendix III: "Alvise Michiel".

It has been believed that patria was an inherently civic or political concept, being interpreted as indicating citizenship or the state in which citizenship was held. Thus, it has been regarded by some as synonymous with res publica. This thesis revaluates our understanding of patria in the Roman world by examining its conceptualisation, function and nature in Latin literature and inscriptions. This thesis reveals how patria was a complex and multifaceted conceptual embodiment of collective identity; that its membership was broad, pertaining to men and women, free and freed, as well as evidence that suggests it even may have extended to slaves; that it was territorially ambiguous, being interpreted contemporaneously as corresponding to urban or regional geographical spaces; that it commanded a significant degree of affection and loyalty from its members; that it was prominent in the presentation of individual moral and political character, and in the presentation of imperial regimes; and finally how there was no single, all-embracing concept for the Roman Empire as a whole. This thesis also shows how patria was not a static concept. Instead, its conceptualisation shifted according to changes in the wider political or cultural context. In Chapter One, I consider how patria was understood, defined and recognised. In Chapter Two, I look at the function of patria in the writings of Cicero and its relationship to Roman republican politics. In Chapter Three, I examine the role of patria within the cultural context of the Augustan principate as a medium of Roman unity post-civil war. In Chapter Four, I consider how patria was used to define and understand the Augustan principate and the regime of Septimius Severus. Finally, in Chapter Five, I assess the truth behind the idea that there was a single all-embracing concept of patria for the peoples of the Roman Empire.

This thesis focusses on three compilations, extant in three manuscripts ―Florence, Biblioteca Riccardiana, MS 92; Milan, Venerabile Biblioteca Ambrosiana, MS F 19 sup.; Vatican City, Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, MS Borgianus graecus 22― These three manuscripts were produced by one of the most important representatives of the Italian Renaissance: Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499). The Florentine scholar was largely responsible for the revival of Platonism in Western Europe during the Renaissance and beyond. MS Ricc. 92 contains an anthology of Greek and Latin texts on the theme of love, which Ficino presumably compiled with a view to writing his commentary on Plato’s Symposium. MS Ambr. F 19 sup. is a collection of excerpts from Plato, Plotinus and Proclus on the theme of the soul, which Ficino produced before starting writing his major philosophical work: the Platonic Theology. Finally, MS Borg. Gr. 22 was likely used by Ficino as a textual basis for his translation of Dionysius the Areopagite’s De divinis nominibus. These three notebooks have been hitherto largely ignored or only partially studied by modern scholars. Through a contextualized analysis of these manuscripts, this work aims to give insight into Ficino’s reading practices and methodology, and show that they are crucial to reconstruct his scholarly activity. By using an interdisciplinary approach, it will provide a more nuanced view and more exhaustive reconstruction of the ways in which Ficino actually read, selected and used ancient and medieval authors and also of the ways in which he quoted, codified their doctrines and appropriated them in his own work. More broadly, it will offer insight into Renaissance reading practices and some important aspects of Early Modern culture.

This thesis aims to reconstruct the history, building phases, original appearance and role in mediaeval Rome of the church of S. Maria in Aracoeli, from its origins to c. 1400. The introduction describes the topographical setting of the church and traces its historiography . The first chapter investigates previous churches, their documentary sources, archaeological evidence and surviving components of church furniture. Patronage, date and original appearance of the so-called ‘ara coeli’, the extant main altar of the former church, are discussed. The second chapter concerns the present church, constructed by the Franciscans after their arrival on the hill in the mid-thirteenth century. The first section covers the building history from a documentary point of view, while the second provides a formal analysis, dedicating a subsection to each surviving part (nave and aisles, transept and adjacent chapel, facade). Archaeological research, together with graphic, epigraphic, literary and documentary sources, establishes the transformations of the building as well as the original plan and elevation of its lost parts (apse and eastern chapels). The third section critically reconsiders the lost decoration of the original apse, its iconography and the reasons for its success. The fourth section focuses on the workshop: analysis of the building technique is combined with the information on the architect gathered from his surviving sepulchral epitaph; the use of spolia and the adoption of gothic window-tracery are also discussed. The final chapter places Aracoeli in its context: the first section examines the civic role of the church as a setting for communal assemblies and a privileged site for judgement, the second considers its role as a favourite site for burial chapels of important Roman families. This thesis clarifies the history and appearance of the Christian site before the Franciscans, and provides a reconstruction of the building stages and original aspect of the present church (as well as of the function of some annexed structures) which differs radically from previous hypotheses, thus situating Aracoeli in a different architectural and cultural framework.

This thesis studies lithic landscapes and taskscapes from an explicit perspective of social practice. It explores the spatial and temporal dimensions of the three main interlocking lithic activities: procurement, production and use/discard. Five key concepts are used to explore human choice and interaction in these three fields: practice, knowledge, skill, strategy and tradition. Sardinia and the obsidian artefacts from the Riu Mannu Survey Project data have served as a case study. My research approach was developed to gain an understanding of the spatial and temporal developments of Sardinian lithic landscape and taskscapes. It has provided much-needed information on procurement and production strategies in Sardinia. Careful examination of the spatial and temporal interplay between source location, obsidian types, primary and secondary chaîne opératoires and aesthetic preferences has demonstrated that lithic practice is an inherently social day-to-day practice. Analysis has revealed a number of long-standing habitus in Sardinian lithic practice; procurement, production and use/discard strategies are not easily tied to specific regions or time periods. At the same time, variations also existed, and local choices are clearly visible. Production and use/discard is organised at a house-hold level and occurs primarily, but not exclusively, at permanent settlements. Part of the dataset has also shown that occasional and different activities occurred elsewhere. Moreover, this study revealed that so-called simple or expedient assemblages, especially single-stage flake, blade and mixed flake/blade reduction and bipolar flake reduction are skilfully knapped.

This thesis analyses the potential agricultural production of the regions of South Etruria and Sabina, north of Rome in the Middle Tiber Valley, Central Italy. Historical evidence from Roman authors is combined with archaeological evidence from field survey and geographical resource data, and modelled within a Geographical Information System. Farm size and location are investigated in order to determine any correlation with contemporary Roman recommendations. Multi-criteria evaluation is then used to create suitability maps, showing those regions within the study area best suited to different types of crops. A number of different models for agricultural production within the study area are presented. Many variables are utilised, each presenting a range of possibilities for the carrying capacity of the area, complementing previous studies of demography. Research into workload, nutrition and crop yields provides a basis for determining the supported population of the area. Urban provisioning is investigated also, showing how high yielding models could have supported a large urban population within the studied region, as well as its potential contribution to the food supply of Rome. This analysis showed which agricultural systems could adequately supply urban centres, and highlighted those models that would have led either to an urban dependency on larger scale trade networks or to decline.

This thesis analyzes the three texts forming the so-called „Fantastic trilogy‟ by Tommaso Landolfi: La pietra lunare (1939), Racconto d’autunno (1947) and Cancroregina (1950), in the light of the cultural and historical environment in which they were produced. I argue that these novellas incorporate and obliquely problematize specific tensions of the period running from Racial Laws (1938) and the Pact of Steel (1939) to post-war reconstruction. Building on recent scholarship on the subversive role of the Fantastic, the study provides a more comprehensive view of Landolfi‟s early production and challenges accepted views on his Fantastic as exclusively ironical, intellectual and free-play. This thesis also investigates the sources through which Landolfi delineates this oblique form of socio-political critique. Whereas scholarship in the past has widely recognized that Landolfi draws inspiration from nineteenth-century French, Russian and German classics in the genre of Gothic and Fantastic fiction, this contribution draws attention to the way Landolfi negotiates this traditional repertoire through input from both Italy‟s „high‟ literary tradition (Dante, Leopardi, Manzoni, D‟Annunzio), Italian folklore and other non-literary sources (i.e. occultism and psychiatry). This thesis considers Landolfi‟s work from fresh angles, applying recent Anglophone theoretical frameworks (including theories on post-humanism, on the subversive role of the Fantastic and political readings of Gothic fiction) to his writing and probing his portrayals of dynamics and tensions that continue to challenge us today. Additionally, it makes use of the anthropological notion of „liminality‟ to underline the intrinsic thematic, textual and narrative ambiguity of the three novellas. I claim that the texts‟ liminality – involving slippery entities, settings, situations and narrative modalities that do not fit any precise category – voices the cultural and political instability of the decade under analysis. The study makes a deeper, and more nuanced, contribution to the literature on Landolfi, reflecting upon the author‟s strategies for problematizing contemporary historical and cultural issues by means of a fiction only apparently detached from reality.

The religious and ecclesiastical role of women in the early medieval church in the city of Rome has so far not been studied in detail and this thesis offers to remedy that gap. It presents in form of a case study limiting itself in terms of its topographical boundaries to the city of Rome, and in terms of a historical time period to that which coincides approximately to the start of the papacy of Hadrian I to the end of the papacy of Paschal I. Use is made only of source material which can be connected directly to early medieval Rome, and not only ordained and monastic roles of women are explored but also the many other ways in which women were able to engage with the liturgy, sacraments and religious ordinances as well as through diaconal and other forms of work. This is done not least through a detailed analysis of the relevant Ordines Romani. Other ways in which women of early medieval Rome were able to engage in the life of the church was through the production and maintenance of liturgical textiles and also through patronage on large and small scales towards individual ecclesiastical institutions. A less well known means of engagement was through the work of the diaconitae at Rome’s diaconiae. Throughout the thesis a particular interest is expressed in exploring how religious and ecclesiastical engagement was possible for women from lower social strata. In addition to this the overall inclusion, or otherwise, of women in the surviving iconographical material of early medieval Rome is analysed. Particular attention is given to matters such as relics, saints patronage and lectionary readings in relation to saints’ days. Matters of hermeneutics are explored on an ongoing basis in relation to the source material, but also in relation to the secondary literature consulted. Regarding the latter this is especially undertaken in relation to female monastic communities and the offices of the diacona, presbytera and episcopa. In respect of these offices, but also in relation to all other matters pertaining to the ecclesiastical and religious roles of women in early medieval Rome this thesis argues neither for a minimalist nor for a maximalist interpretation, but offers a nuanced yet, of necessity, fragmentary overall picture. This is borne out of the decision to work only with source materials that can be directly linked to early medieval Rome which in itself is fragmentary in nature. On the one hand it means that little can be made known on a subject area such as women’s religious education for instance. On the other hand this concentration on Roman source material alone means that matters unique to the situation of women in the church of medieval Rome can be established, such as, for instance, the continuation of the ordained office of the diacona into the early ninth century or the absence of any issues regarding cultic cleanness relating to women.