Digital Approaches in Medieval Italian Studies and Beyond

We aim to foster an interdisciplinary environment by bringing together the rich traditions of medieval studies with the cutting-edge potential of digital tools. The event will bring together a diverse group of experts, including Dante scholars, specialists in medieval Italian literature, historians, computer scientists, palaeographers, and other professionals in medieval studies, to discuss and share insights on the use of digital methods in various segments of medieval research. The workshop aims to facilitate a broad dialogue across disciplines, breaking down conventional barriers and encouraging innovative collaborations. The term ‘beyond’ signifies not only the exploration of different digital techniques, but also the workshop’s aim to bridge Medieval Italian Studies with other medieval disciplines, potentially opening up new perspectives and methodologies that could enrich Medieval Studies as a whole.

Each session will consist of 25-minute presentations followed by a 40-minute to 1-hour discussion period, allowing for in-depth analysis and exchange of ideas on each topic. This format is designed to encourage active engagement and networking among participants, enabling them to explore the complex implications of digital advances for medieval studies and beyond. The workshop aims to serve as a dynamic platform for discussing the transformative role of digital projects in medieval studies, highlighting the critical role of interdisciplinary collaboration and the exploration of new, innovative research avenues within the field.

Programme
Wednesday 12 June
School of Modern Languages and Culture, Elvet Riverside I, Room 143

14:00: Welcome and Registration

Introduction (14:15-14:30)

David Cowling (Head of the School of Modern Languages and Cultures)
Ita Mac Carthy (Director of the Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies)
Lorenzo Dell’Oso (Teaching Fellow in Italian Studies)

Session 1: Texts and Images

Chair: Ita Mac Carthy (Durham)
14:30-15:45: Guyda Armstrong (Manchester), Giles Bergel (Oxford), and Rebecca Bowen (Oxford)
Envisioning Dante c. 1472-1630: Seeing and Reading the Early Printed Page (hybrid presentation)
15:45-16:45: Discussants: Simon Gilson (Oxford), Emanuela Patti (Edinburgh), and Lachlan Hughes (Durham)
16:45-17:00: Coffee break

Session 2: Dante and the Digital Humanities

Chair: Lorenzo Dell’Oso (Durham)
17:00-17:25: Akash Kumar (Berkeley), Missiles for the Future: Dante and DH
17:25-17: 50: Matthew Treherne (Leeds), ‘In pro del mondo che mal Dante as an interlocutor for the digital age
17:50-18:30: Discussants: Daragh O’Connell (Cork) and Valentina Mele (Leeds)
19:30: Dinner at Rudy’s Pizza Napoletana (Durham, 30-31 Silver St, DH1 3RD)

Thursday 13 June
IMEMS, 7 Owengate, Durham DH1 3HB

09:30-10:00: Welcome and Coffee

Session 3: Languages and Readers

Chair: Matthew Treherne (Leeds)
10:00-10:30: Salvatore Arcidiacono and Antonella Zammataro (Catania), Historical Electronic Lexicography: From Early Italian to Specialized Dictionaries
10:30-10:55: Federica Coluzzi (Warwick), Distantly Reading Dante’s Female Public: The Modern Beatrices Archive
10:55-11:15: Coffee break
11:15-12:15: Discussants: Kenneth Clarke (York), Ryan Pepin (York), and Serena Vandi (Manchester)
12:30-13:45: Lunch break

Session 4: Texts’ Transmissions

Chair: Laura Chuhan Campbell (Durham)
14:00-14:25: Peter Heslin (Durham), Machine Learning and Medieval Manuscripts of Classical Texts
14:25-14:50: Isabella Magni (Sheffield), Visualising the early transmission of Petrarch’s Fragmenta
14:50-15:30: Discussants: Giles Gasper (Durham) and Stuart James (Durham).
15:30-16:00: Coffee break

Session 5: Final Roundtable. Future challenges and perspectives

16:00-17:00: Chair: Ita Mac Carthy (Durham)
Daragh O’Connell (Cork), Akash Kumar (Berkeley), Isabella Magni (Sheffield), and Stuart James (Durham)