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La presente ricerca si concentra sul gruppo dei santi martiri nell’affresco del Giudizio Universale dipinto da Michelangelo Buonarroti per la parete d’altare della Cappella Sistina. Il gruppo riveste un ruolo importante nella composizione sia per quanto concerne l’inedita iconografia e rilevanza nel contesto dell’Ultimo Giudizio sia per ciò che riguarda i significati dell’affresco. La presente indagine si propone attraverso una ricostruzione della committenza papale dell’opera, divisa tra Clemente VII e Paolo III, di contestualizzare la presenza dei martiri nell’iconografia del Giudizio ponendola a confronto con la tradizione figurativa precedente e relazionando, infine, il tema del martirio ai protagonisti di questa commissione, nel più ampio quadro della Chiesa del XVI secolo. / This research focuses on the martyrs’ group depicted by Michelangelo Buonarroti in the Sistine Chapel’s Last Judgment. This group has an important role in the composition thanks to its new iconography in the Last Judgment subject and to its significance in the meaning of the fresco. This thesis, reconsidering the papal patronage of pope Clement VII and Paul III, wants to underline martyrs’ role in Last Judgment iconography, comparing it with the previous figurative tradition and to relate the theme of martyrdom with the protagonists of this artistic commission into the wider context of sixteenth century Church.

This thesis examines whether and how historians’ reliance on medical treatises has limited the historiography of contagion as it relates to fourteenth through sixteenth century England. It analyses the context, contents, audience, and codicology of six English tractates, four on the plague and two on the sweating sickness. Before the early seventeenth century, most English tractates were translations/adaptations of Continental works, with ‘uniquely English’ content added. Although the plague dominates studies of pre-modern disease, focusing on the plague hinders comparative analyses that can reveal much about contemporary understanding of contagion. The socio-political-professional contexts in which the tractates were written and disseminated affected their contents, circulation and, ultimately, audiences. Although largely ignored by historians, the tractates’ prefatory dedications, together with their codicology, reveals that the texts were likely accessible to non-elite audiences. Rather than being limited to its medical sense, contagion formed part of the larger discourse about the human condition.

This thesis is a study of royal acts printed in French before 1601. The kingdom of France is a natural place to begin a study of royal acts. It possessed one of the oldest judicial systems in Europe, which had been established during the reign of St Louis (1226-1270). By the sixteenth century, French kings were able to issue royal acts without any concern as to the distribution of their decrees. In addition, France was one of the leading printing centres in Europe. This research provides the first detailed analysis of this neglected category of texts, and examines the acts’ significance in French legal, political and printing culture. The analysis of royal acts reveals three key historical practices regarding the role of printing in judiciary matters and public affairs. The first is how the French crown communicated to the public. Chapters one and two discuss the royal process of dissemination of edicts and the language of royal acts. The second is how printers and publishers manoeuvred between the large number of royal promulgations and public demand. An overview of the printing industry of royal acts is provided in chapter three and the printers of these official documents are covered in chapter four. The study of royal acts also indicates which edicts were published frequently. The last two chapters examine the content of royal decrees and discuss the most reprinted acts. Chapter five explores the period before 1561 and the final chapter discusses the last forty years of the century. An appendix of all royal acts printed before 1601, which is the basis of my research for this study, is included. It is the first comprehensive catalogue of its kind and contains nearly six thousand entries of surviving royal acts printed before 1601.

Le travail a consisté à réaliser l’édition commentée de l’Itinerario de Vartema (Rome,1510), compte-rendu écrit par Vartema à l’issue de son voyage, qui le mena de Venise aux Indes en passant par l’Arabie (1503-08). Bien que ce texte ait donné lieu à plusieurs éditions dans plusieurs langues européennes, il n’a en effet jamais fait l’objet d‘une édition critique. Le voyage eut lieu au moment où les grandes découvertes bouleversèrent l’image du monde: il s’agissait du premier voyage par voie de terre effectué par un occidental au moment où les Portugais créèrent la route commerciale maritime des épices. Vartema est un homme fascinant qui a endossé avec aisance des rôles très éloignés de la mentalité occidentale, nous laissant un document unique dans sa manière de reformuler son expérience. L’objet de la recherche se situe au carrefour de plusieurs disciplines: l’histoire littéraire, la philologie, la littérature de voyage, l’histoire de la géographie, du livre et des sciences. / The aim of this research is the preparation of an annotated critical edition of the de Ludovico de Vartema bolognese of Bologna (1st ed. Rome, 1510). This is a record written by Vartema on his way back from a journey which took him from Venice to the East Indies and through Arabia between 1503 and 1508. It gives an account of the first journey made by a western man after the Portuguese created their commercial empire. Although in the sixteenth century several editions of this work in many languages were issued, it has never before been the subject of a critical edition. Vartema’s Itinerario is the account of a charming man who was able to get inside the minds of people distant from the western mentality. He has left us a unique document since the way his experiences have been told is poised among many disciplines including: political philology, language history, text analysis, history and geography, science book history, travel literature. / Copo del presente lavoro di ricerca è stata la realizzazione dell’edizione critica commentata dell’Itinerario de Ludovico de Vartema bolognese (Roma,1510). Si tratta del resoconto scritto da Vartema al ritorno dal suo viaggio, che lo portò da Venezia alle Indie orientali, passando per l’Arabia, tra il 1503 e il 1508. Si tratta del primo viaggio effettuato da un occidentale nel momento in cui i Portoghesi crearono il loro impero commerciale. Sebbene nel sedicesimo secolo questo testo abbia visto numerose edizioni in molte lingue, non è mai stato oggetto di un’edizione critica. Lo studio dell’Itinerario di Vartema - uomo affascinante che si cala facilmente in ruoli molto lontano dalla mentalità occidentale e che ci lascia un documento unico per il modo in cui l’esperienza vi è raccontata - si situa al centro degli sguardi incrociati di molte discipline: filologia politica, storia della lingua, analisi del testo, storia e geografia, storia del libro delle scienze, letteratura di viaggio.

This thesis examines whether and how historians’ reliance on medical treatises has limited the historiography of contagion as it relates to fourteenth through sixteenth century England. It analyses the context, contents, audience, and codicology of six English tractates, four on the plague and two on the sweating sickness. Before the early seventeenth century, most English tractates were translations/adaptations of Continental works, with ‘uniquely English’ content added. Although the plague dominates studies of pre-modern disease, focusing on the plague hinders comparative analyses that can reveal much about contemporary understanding of contagion. The socio-political-professional contexts in which the tractates were written and disseminated affected their contents, circulation and, ultimately, audiences. Although largely ignored by historians, the tractates’ prefatory dedications, together with their codicology, reveals that the texts were likely accessible to non-elite audiences. Rather than being limited to its medical sense, contagion formed part of the larger discourse about the human condition.

This thesis explores the relationship between image and text in four devotional books printed in Münster Germany between 1589 and 1660, and shows how this relationship supported the Catholic confessionalization programs of the three prince-bishops of those years. These confessionalization strategies, though varied, all emphasized the reinforcement of religious conformity leading to the consolidation of the authority of the ecclesiastical and secular leadership of the prince-bishop. The success of the confessionalization strategies of the three prince-bishops through this medium were the result of three contributing factors. The first of these was the printer of the works, the Raesfeldt printing house, which held a printing monopoly from all three of the prince-bishops. The second factor was the Jesuits who were responsible for education and indoctrination in Münster and shaped a significant portion of this literature. The last contributing factor was the readers, a group with a relatively wide spectrum of abilities in literacy who bought, read, and exchanged the books. Among the readers were a significant number of women readers who took up the confessional message of these books, wound it into their devotional lives, and strove to perpetuate Catholic piety within their homes. Although conventional wisdom suggests that images played a minor role in such programs, images were crucial elements in the communication of Catholic orthodoxy. This thesis shows how images were an equal partner in the conveyance of a nuanced Catholic confessional message in which the text directed a specific Catholic viewing and reading experience. The majority of the images do not carry an intrinsic Catholic message but rather present a traditional visual vocabulary that established an unbroken lineage between the Catholic Church and the pre-Reformation Church. These images provided the standard recurring theme around which the confessionalization message of the text was fashioned. As a distinctly regional literature, these devotional works reveal a localized Catholic response to Protestant polemic. They give valuable insight into the influence of confessionalization programs on regional devotional practices. The lasting effects of these confessionalization programs are still visible in Münster’s Catholic character today.

Beginning in the 16th century, the Isthmus of Panama was identified as a region of strategic importance. Although mountainous and prone to adverse weather, it provided the most direct route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. During this period the Isthmus served as the primary route for the shipments of silver and gold extracted from the mines of Peru. The bullion was transported via coastal armadas from Peru to Panamá la Vieja, where it was loaded onto pack mules and hauled across the Isthmus to Nombre de Dios until 1597, and after that to Portobelo. Once the bullion arrived at the Caribbean port cities it was transferred to the ships of the Armada de la Guardia de la Carrera de Indias and shipped across the Atlantic to the royal coffers of Spain. Because of the Isthmus’s role in the transportation of valuable commodities, it quickly became a region prone to attacks by pirates and privateers looking to profit from the plunder of Spanish assets. Thus the Spanish crown began a campaign to defend the Isthmus early on and repeatedly adapted its defensive strategy in order to meet the ever-changing tactics of the pirates and privateers. This thesis investigates the history of the Isthmus of Panama and the ways in which Spain defended this strategically significant locale during the 16th century. It incorporates an historical analysis of the tactics planned, ordered, and executed by the crown; an overview of the most relevant structural remains of the fortifications built during this period; and a synopsis of previous archaeological investigations, as well as the prospects of future archaeological research. The thesis begins with a brief history of the three main cities located on the Isthmus as well as a general description of the geography and climate in order to better explain the challenges faced by the inhabitants, soldiers, and attackers in this region. It then discusses the strategic importance of the Isthmus as it was perceived in the 16th century. Since defense would not have been necessary had it not been for the presence of pirates and privateers, the history of attacks on the Isthmus is discussed, and a general overview of piracy in the Spanish Main during the period under analysis is presented. Lastly, the archaeological work previously undertaken in the region is examined and summarized, and recommendations for further research are provided in an effort to provide a basis for future study of the ships and infrastructure used during this era for the defense of the Isthmus of Panama.

This dissertation examines the intersection of spiritual values and material life at Syon Abbey, a wealthy Brigittine double monastery in late medieval England. As an institution it was, paradoxically, directed primarily toward an evangelical goal, while being focused on contemplative women who were strictly enclosed. In this dissertation, I assert that this apparent contradiction was resolved through a high degree of collaboration between the abbey’s religious women and men. I argue that Brigittine monasticism, and that of Syon in particular, was uniquely attuned to metaphors and meanings of materiality, which enabled the abbey to transform the women’s mundane material life of food, clothing, architecture, work, finance, and even bureaucracy, into spiritual fruits to be shared with the Syon brethren through dialogue within confessional relationships, and subsequently, with the laity through the media of sermons, sacraments, books, and conversation. I use the abbey’s extensive household financial accounts in conjunction with Brigittine writings and monastic legislative documents to examine the intersection of ideal material life and its spiritual meaning on the one hand, and the abbey’s lived materiality as reflected in its internal economic and administrative actions, on the other. The central question is the degree to which Syon’s material life was one of luxury in keeping with what the Order’s founder, Saint Birgitta, would have seen as worldly excess, or one of moderate asceticism, in keeping with the Brigittine Rule. Major findings are that in most respects (financial management, gender power, officer appointments, clothing, and some aspects of food), Syon’s materiality was lived in accordance with the Rule and the Brigittine mission, but that in some respects, it erred on the side of elite display and consumption (the majority of food items and the architecture and decoration of the abbey church), and in others, the source material is too incomplete to enable conclusions (the decoration of monastic buildings and the distribution of alms). In addition, by analysing the income from boarding of visitors and offerings from pilgrims, I examine the degree of Syon’s impact on the laity and how it changed with the approaching Dissolution, concluding that the abbey had a significant impact that declined only when legal restrictions were applied.

Malgré son indéniable talent, le peintre vénitien Leonardo Corona est négligé : la seule étude systématique qui lui ait été consacrée remonte à une quarantaine d’années (E. Manzato, « Leonardo Corona da Murano », Arte veneta, XXIV, 1970, p. 128-150). Grâce aux nombreux documents inédits que nous avons découverts dans les archives vénitiennes, nous sommes parvenue à reconstituer au moins en partie sa « vraie vie », fixant la date de mort de Corona à 1596.L’exploration des fonds d’archives nous a permis également de mettre en lumière l’une des caractéristiques les plus fascinantes des chantiers vénitiens de la fin du XVIe siècle : leur « esprit choral », les intervenants étant toujours très nombreux, tant du côté des commanditaires que du côté des artistes. Dans ce travail, nous nous sommes intéressée tout particulièrement à quatre chantiers (les églises de San Zulian, Santo Stefano, Santa Maria Formosa et San Bartolomeo), à fin de reconstituer le contexte historique et social de chacun d’entre eux / Despite his undeniable talent, the Venetian painter Leonardo Corona, has been strongly neglected in recent studies: the only contribution dedicated to him goes back to forty years ago (E. Manzato, “Leonardo Corona da Murano”, Arte veneta, XXIV, 1970, pp. 128-150). Thanks to numerous unknown and unpublished documents discovered in Venetian archives, it was possible to reconstruct the ‘real life’ of Corona, died in 1596.After long and exthensive archival researches it was possible, as well, to highlight one of the most fascinating aspect in Venetian ‘cantieri’ at the end of Sixteenth century: the choral spirit which involved a variety of patrons and artists in several artistic adventures. The research focused on four main Venetian ‘Cantieri’ (the Church of San Zulian, Santo Stefano, Santa Maria Formosa and San Bartolomeo). The intent was to reconstruct the social and historical context that charaterized each of them / Nonostante l’innegabile talento, il pittore veneziano Leonardo Corona è stato fortemente trascurato dalla storia degli studi: l’unico contributo a lui dedicato risale ormai a una quarantina d’anni fa ((E. Manzato, “Leonardo Corona da Murano”, Arte veneta, XXIV, 1970, pp. 128-150). Grazie a numerosi documenti inediti ritrovati negli archivi veneziani, è stato possibile ricostruire almeno in parte la “vera vita” di Corona, morto in realtà nel 1596. L’esplorazione dei fondi d’archivio ha permesso ugualmente di far luce su uno degli aspetti più affascinanti di cantieri veneziani della fine del XVI secolo: lo spirito corale, che vuole coinvolti una molteplicità di attori, tanto fra i committenti che fra gli artisti chiamati ad intervenire. In lavoro si è concentarto su quattro cantieri veneziani (le chiese di San Zulian, Santo Stefano, Santa Maria Formosa e San Bartolomeo), con l’obiettivo di ricostruire il contesto storico-sociale caratteristico di ciascuno di essi