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Department of History

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Ross Balzaretti

Emeritus Professor of Italian History,

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Biography

I retired (early) from the History department in August 2024, having joined in August 1990. I am still research active. I am currently on the . I am a Fellow of the of London and the Royal Historical Society. Some of my publications can be discovered at where there is a complete publications' list.

Expertise Summary

I have supervised 18 doctoral students to completion and am currently co-supervising 2 more in diverse aspects of History (see below).

Research Summary

Doctoral researchers

I am currently so-supervising two doctoral researchers, Elena Manservisi and Cheryl-Anne Afonso. I will not be taking on any new PhD projects.

Completed PhDs

Dr Faye Taylor. Miracula, saints' cults and socio-political landscapes: Bobbio, Conques and post-Carolingian society (2012)

Dr Theresa Tyers. The rebirth of fertility: the Trotula and her travelling companions c. 1200-1450 (2012)

Dr Robert Hearn. Grey wolves and wild boar: a comparative species history in Liguria 1500 to 2012 (2013). Assistant Professor, School of Geography, ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´.

Dr Rachel Middlemass. Bodies of men : manhood and masculinity in England and northern France, c.1100-c.1250 (2013)

Dr Teresa Phipps. Urban women and local justice: gender, society and litigation in fourteenth-century England (2015)

Dr Pietro Piana. Topographical art and landscape history in central-eastern Liguria (c. 1770-1840) (2015). .

Dr Lucila Mallart. Josep Puig i Cadafalch and the construction of a Catalan national imagination (1880-1950) (2016). .

Dr Rebecca Maryan. Humoral theory circulating in religious literature in England, c.1300-1500 (2016)

Dr Laura Grazia di Stefano. The business of pilgrimage in the fifteenth-century Venice (2019)

Dr Chiara Ravera. In nomine dominae: notarial documents and women's lives in Genoese Chios (1348-1522) (2019)

Dr Michele Baitieri. Politics and documentary culture: the bishops of North-Western Italy during the post-Carolingian period (c. 888-962) (2020). .

Dr Timothy McManus. The construction of individual criminal culpability 1199-1245: heresy, inquisitio and Inquisition (2020)

Dr Marco Panato. Environment, society and economy of an early medieval river. The late-Lombard and Carolingian Po valley (northern Italy), 715-924 AD. From 2024 Leverhulme ECF, Nottingham.

Dr David Robinson. Orientalism or Meridionism? British identity formation through travel writing on India and Italy, 1760-1850 (2020)

Dr Alessandro Carabia. Space, population and economy in a frontier region: Liguria in the context of the Western Byzantine provinces AD 500-700 (2022)

Dr Robert Frost. Sir John Gardner Wilkinson (1797 - 1879): Lost Worlds of Antiquarianism in Egypt and the Balkans (2022). Now Leverhulme ECF at University of Leicester.

Dr Matthew Carter. Beasts of place and time: animals and Britishness in popular natural history, c.1760-1860 (2023)

Dr Leonardo Porcelloni. A Cultural Geography of Via Francigena: Historical and Modern Mobilities along a European Cultural Route (2023). Research fellow at University of Verona.

Selected Publications

  • BALZARETTI, R., 2016. Early Medieval Europe. 24(2), 185-208
  • BALZARETTI, R., PIANA, P. and WATKINS, C., 2015. Available at: <http://www.tate.org.uk/art/research-publications/jmw-turner/ross-balzaretti-pietro-piana-and-charles-watkins-travelling-in-italy-during-turners-r1176438>
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2013. Dark Age Liguria: regional identity and local power, c. 400-1020 Bloomsbury Academic.
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2019. The Lands of Saint Ambrose: Monks and Society in Early Medieval Milan Brepols.

since 2020, current.

Previous

, since 1993; Editor 2004-2010; resigned 2024.

since 1993; resigned 2024.

, co-editor of book series published by Brepols (until 2014)

(Brepols), co-editor of this books series now based at Nottingham, from 2014-2024.

Future Research

I am completing a fully annotated English translation of Paul the Deacon's Historia Langobardorum and related texts for Manchester University Press. Current title is North Italian Histories, 600-900 AD. Paul the Deacon's Historia Langobardorum and related texts.

  • BALZARETTI, R., 2023. . In: CEVASCO, R., HEARN, R. A. and PESCINI, V., eds., Situating foodways and foodscapes: Dalla tavola al terreno Genova University Press.
  • BALZARETTI, R., PIANA, P. and WATKINS, C., 2023. . In: CEVASCO, R., HEARN, R. A. and PESCINI, V., eds., Situating foodways and foodscapes: Dalla tavola al terreno Genova University Press.
  • ROSS BALZARETTI, CHARLES WATKINS and PIETRO PIANA, 2021. Boydell & Brewer.
  • ROSS BALZARETTI, 2021. . In: DAVID ROBINSON and GARY FISHER, eds., Travel Writing in an Age of Global Quarantine Anthem Press.
  • ROSS BALZARETTI, 2021. . In: NICHOLAS MATHEOU and TOM MACMASTER, eds., Italy and the East Roman World in the Medieval Mediterranean. Empire, Cities and Elites, 476-1204 Routledge.
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2021. Reti medievali. 22(1),
  • ROSS BALZARETTI, 2021. . In: CHRISTOPHER HEATH and ROBERT HOUGHTON, eds., Conflict and Violence in Medieval Italy 568-1154 Amsterdam University Press. 376
  • ROSS BALZARETTI, 2020. Milan, Genoa and the Alps: Early Medieval Exchanges across a Region. In: G. ALBINI and L. MECELLA, eds., Un ponte tra il Mediterraneo e il Nord-Europa. La Lombardia el primo millennio Pearson Italia. 201-230 (In Press.)
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2019. The Lands of Saint Ambrose: Monks and Society in Early Medieval Milan Brepols.
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2019. Journal of Risk Research.
  • P. PIANA, C. WATKINS and R. BALZARETTI, 2019. Landscapes.
  • PIETRO PIANA, CHARLES WATKINS and ROSS BALZARETTI, 2019. Photography, topographical art and cartography: the productive landscape of the Italian Riviera Annali di Ricerche e Studi di Geografia. 74, 39-52
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2018. Early Medieval Genoa. In: BENES, C., ed., Companion to Medieval Genoa Brill, Leiden.
  • BALZARETTI, R., BARROW, J. and SKINNER, P., eds., 2018. Italy and Early Medieval Europe: Essays Presented to Chris Wickham Oxford University Press.
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2018. Chestnuts in charters: evidence for specialised production in tenth-century Genoa and Milan. In: BALZARETTI, R., BARROW, J. and SKINNER, P., eds., Italy and Early Medieval Europe: Essays Presented to Chris Wickham Oxford University Press.
  • BRUZZONE, R., WATKINS, C., BALZARETTI, R. and MONTANARI, C., 2018. Landscape Research. 43(1), 20-36
  • PIANA, PIETRO, WATKINS, CHARLES and BALZARETTI, ROSS, 2018. Rural History. 29(2), 167-93
  • PIANA, PIETRO, WATKINS, CHARLES and BALZARETTI, ROSS, 2018. Landscape History. 39(2),
  • PIANA, PIETRO, WATKINS, CHARLES and BALZARETTI, ROSS, 2018. Topographical art and historical geography: amateur English representations of Ligurian landscape in the early nineteenth century’ Geostorie: Bollettino e notizario. 26(3), 195-221
  • ROSS BALZARETTI and CHARLES WATKINS, 2018. Experiences of historical ecology in Val di Vara. In: CARLO MONTANARI and MARIA ANGELA GUIDO, eds., Dal documento al terreno. Storia e archeologia dei sistemi agro-silvo-pastorali. Nuova edizione: Attualità di una proposta storica Genova University Press. 305-309
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2016. Early Medieval Europe. 24(2), 185-208
  • PIANA, P., WATKINS, C. and BALZARETTI, R., 2016. Landscape History. 37(2), 35-56
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2015. . In: BABINI, V., BECCALOSSI, C. and RIALL, L., eds., Italian Sexualities Uncovered: The Long Nineteenth Century (1879-1914) Palgrave. 251-71
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2015. Women and Weapons in Early Medieval Europe. In: CHEMOTTI, S. and LA ROCCA, M. C., eds., Il genere nella ricerca storica: Atti del VI Congresso della Societa Italiana delle Storiche Il Poligrafo, Padova. 137-50
  • HEARN, R., BALZARETTI, R. and WATKINS, C., 2015. Rural History: Economy, Society, Culture. 26(1), 1-16
  • BALZARETTI, R., CEVASCO, R., MORENO, D. and WATKINS, C., 2015. . In: HARVEY, D. and PERRY, JIM, eds., The Future of Heritage as Climates Change. Loss, Adaptation, Creativity Routledge. 130-47
  • BALZARETTI, R., PIANA, P. and WATKINS, C., 2015. Available at: <http://www.tate.org.uk/art/research-publications/jmw-turner/ross-balzaretti-pietro-piana-and-charles-watkins-travelling-in-italy-during-turners-r1176438>
  • HEARN, R., WATKINS, C. and BALZARETTI, R, 2014. Journal of Rural Studies. 36, 52-63
  • BALZARETTI, R and WATKINS, C., 2013. . In: CEVASCO, R., ed., La natura della montagna. Scritti in ricordo di Giuseppina Poggi Oltre edizioni. 204-10
  • BALZARETTI, R and WATKINS, C., 2013. . In: CEVASCO, R., ed., La natura della montagna. Scritti in ricordo di Giuseppina Poggi Oltre edizioni. 522-28
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2013. Dark Age Liguria: regional identity and local power, c. 400-1020 Bloomsbury Academic.
  • BALZARETTI, R, LAGOMARSINI, S. and WATKINS, C., 2013. . In: CEVASCO, R., ed., La natura della montagna. Scritt in ricordo di Giuseppina Poggi Oltre edizioni. 507-13
  • BALZARETTI, R and WATKINS, C., 2013. . In: CEVASCO, R., ed., La natura della montagna. Scritti in ricordo di Giuseppina Poggi Oltre edizioni. 515-21
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2012. . In: NELSON, JANET L, REYNOLDS, SUSAN and JOHNS, SUSAN M., eds., Gender and historiography: Studies in the history of the earlier middle ages in honour of Pauline Stafford Institute of Historical Research London. 9-20
  • BALZARETTI, R, PIANA, P, MORENO, D and WATKINS, C, 2012. Topographical art and landscape history: Elizabeth Fanshawe (1779-1856) in early nineteenth-century Liguria Landscape History. 33, 65-81
  • BALZARETTI, R, 2012. . In: LIN FOXALL and GABRIELE NEHER, eds., Gender and the City before Modernity Wiley-Blackwell. 57-85
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2011. Archeologia Medievale: Cultura materiale Insediamenti Territorio. 38, 45-57
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2011. History: Journal of the Historical Association. 96(324), 436-458
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2011. Gender and History. 23(3), 547-575
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2010. Catholic Historical Review. 98-100
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2010. . In: DEVROEY, J-P, FELLER, L and LE JAN, R., eds., Les élites et la richesse au haut Moyen Âge entre vie et xie siècles Brepols. 403-437
  • BALZARETTI, R and WATKINS, C., 2009. In: Le Zone Umide archivi del paesaggio culturale tra ricerca e gestione, Proceedings of the International Workshop, Genoa 29-30 January 2009.
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2009. Environment and History. 15(2), 257-259
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2008. . In: HARPER, A AND PROCTOR, C., ed., Medieval Sexuality: A Casebook London: Routledge. 7-31
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2008. Review-Article. Liudprand of Cremona Nottingham Medieval Studies. 52, 246-256
  • ADLER, K. H, BALZARETTI, R and MITCHELL, M., 2008. Gender & History. 20(1), 1-7
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2006. Spoken narratives in ninth-century Milanese court records. In: TYLER, E.M. and BALZARETTI, R., eds., Narrative and history in the early medieval West Turnhout: Brepols. 11-38
  • BALZARETTI, R. and TYLER, E., eds., 2006. Turnhout: Brepols.
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2005. . In: POHL, W. and ERHART, P., eds., Die Langobarden: Herrschaft und Identität Vienna: Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. 332-359
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2005. Review article. Agnellus of Ravenna, The Book of Pontiffs of the Church of Ravenna, translated by D. M. Delyannis Nottingham Medieval Studies. 48, 233-237
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2004. The history of the countryside in sixteenth-century Varese Ligure. In: BALZARETTI, R., PEARCE, M. and WATKINS, C., eds., Ligurian landscapes: studies in archaeology, geography & history London: Accordia Research Institute, University of London. 113-128
  • BALZARETTI, R., PEARCE, M. and WATKINS, C., eds., 2004. London: University of London, Accordia Reseach Institute.
  • BALZARETTI, R., PEARCE, M.J. and WATKINS, C., 2004. Ligurian landscapes: microhistory and environmental history. In: BALZARETTI, R., PEARCE, M.J. and WATKINS, C., eds., Ligurian landscapes: studies in archaeology, geography and history London: Accordia Research Institute. 1-6
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2004. Peasants. In: KLEINHENZ, C., ed., Medieval Italy: an encyclopedia London: Routledge. 868-871
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2004. Viticulture. In: KLEINHENZ, C., ed., Medieval Italy: an encyclopaedia London: Routledge. 1157-1158
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2004. Agriculture. In: KLEINHENZ, C., ed., Medieval Italy: an encyclopaedia London: Routledge. 6-8
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2004. Land Tenure and Inheritance. In: KLEINHENZ, C., ed., Medieval Italy: an encyclopaedia London: Routledge,. 599-601
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2004. Fieschi. In: KLEINHENZ, C., ed., Medieval Italy: an encyclopaedia London: Routledge. 336-337
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2002. Liutprand of Cremona's sense of humour. In: HALSALL, G., ed., Humour, history and politics in late antiquity and the early Middle Ages Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. 114-128
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2001. Sexual cultures in the early medieval West. In: SAMSON, R., ed., Indecent Exposure. Sexuality, Society and the Archaeological Record Glasgow: Cruithne Press. 147-161
  • BALZARETTI, R., 2000. Monasteries, Towns and the Countryside: Reciprocal Relationships in the Archdiocese of Milan, 614-814. In: Towns and their Territories between Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages Leiden: Brill. 235-257
  • BALZARETTI, R., 1999. Medieval History Journal. 2(2), 183-207
  • BALZARETTI, R., 1999. Men and Sex in Tenth-century Italy. In: Masculinity in Medieval Europe Harlow: Longman. 143-159
  • BALZARETTI, R., 1999. The Politics of Property in ninth-century Milan. Familial Motives and Monastic Strategies in the Village of Inzago Mélanges de l'École française de Rome. Moyen Âge. 111(2), 747-770
  • BALZARETTI, R., 1999. Early Medieval Europe. 8, 387-400
  • BALZARETTI, R., 1998. "These are things that men do, not women": the social regulation of female violence in Langobard Italy. In: Violence and Society in the Early Medieval West Woodbridge: Boydell and Brewer. 175-192
  • BALZARETTI,R., 1997. Review of W Davies and P Fouracre (eds), Property and Power in Early Medieval Europe, Cambridge University Press, 1995 Economic History Review. 50(2), 393-394
  • BALZARETTI, R., 1996. Cities, emporia and monasteries: local economies in the Po Valley 700-875. In: Towns in Transition. Urban Evolution in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages Aldershot: Scolar Press. 213-234
  • BALZARETTI, R., 1996. Charlemagne in Italy History Today. 46(2), 28-34
  • BALZARETTI, R. and ERICKSON, A., 1995. Gender & History, Special issue: Presentations of the Self in Early Modern England
  • BALZARETTI, R., 1995. Cities and Markets in Early Medieval Europe. In: AUSENDA, G., ed., After Empire: Towards an Ethnology of Europe's Barbarians. Boydell Press, Woodbridge. 113-142
  • BALZARETTI, R., 1994. The Curtis, the Archaeology of Sites of Power. In: La Storia dell'alto medioevo Italiano (vi-x secolo) alla luce dell'archeologia 99-108
  • BALZARETTI, R., 1994. Michel Foucault, Homosexuality and the Middle Ages Renaissance and Modern Studies. 37, 1-18
  • BALZARETTI, R., 1994. Update: Dark Age Italy The Historian. 41, 9-11
  • BALZARETTI, R., 1994. Early Medieval Europe. 3(1), 1-18
  • BALZARETTI, R., 1992. Past and Present: A Journal of Historical Studies. 135, 142-150
  • BALZARETTI, R, 1992. Images of Dark Age Milan Medieval World. 4, 48-54
  • BALZARETTI, R., 1992. History Workshop Journal. 33, 181-196
  • BALZARETTI, R., 1991. History, archaeology and early medieval urbanism: the north Italian debate Accordia Research Papers. 2, 87-104
  • BALZARETTI, R., 1991. Milano e i milanesi Nottingham Medieval Studies. 35, 155-160
  • PORCELLONI, L., WATKINS, C. and BALZARETTI, R., Via Francigena: changing historical geographies and mobilities of a rediscovered historical route (1695-2020) Geotema. (In Press.)

Department of History

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Nottingham, NG7 2RD

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