Quando: martedì dalle 15.00 alle 17.00
Dove: Via della Pergola 58-60, stanza A.2.04
Legenda
Education and qualifications
08.2018: Achievement of the qualification to function as Associate Professor (Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale) in the SC 10/N1: Cultures of the Ancient Near East, Middle East and Africa, SSD L-OR/07: Semitic Languages – Ethiopian Languages and Literatures.
06.2008: PhD in African Studies at the University of Naples, “L’Orientale”.
02.2003: MA in Oriental Languages and Civilizations / Gǝʿǝz Language and Literature at the University of Naples “L’Orientale”.
Professional and research experience
03.2021-pres.: Researcher (RTD-A) and Lecturer in Semitic Philology at the University of Florence.
07.2020-02.2021: Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin (Postdoc position). Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC), Universität Hamburg (Germany). Project: Cluster of Excellence 2176 Understanding Written Artefacts: Materiality, Interaction and Transmission in Manuscript Cultures, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). Project: Across Time and Space: The History and Analytic Description of the Ethiopic Manuscripts of the Sapeto Collection (Genoa, Italy). A Cataloguing Project.
07.2015-06.2020: Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin (Postdoc position). CSMC, Universität Hamburg, Germany. Project: SFB 950 / Manuskriptkulturen in Asien, Afrika und Europa (2nd phase) funded by the DFG. Research unit C05: ‘Parchment Saints’ – The Making of Ethiopian Hagiographic Manuscripts: Matter and Devotion in Manuscript Practices of Medieval and Pre-Modern Ethiopia (directed by Prof. Alessandro Bausi).
07.2011-06.2015: Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeiterin (Postdoc position). CSMC, Universität Hamburg. Project: SFB 950 Manuskriptkulturen in Asien, Afrika und Europa (1st phase) funded by the DFG. Research unit C05: Cross-Section Views of Evolving Knowledge: Canonico-Liturgical and Hagiographic Ethiopic Christian Manuscripts as Corpus-Organizers (directed by Prof. Alessandro Bausi).
04.2009-06-2011: Postdoctoral Fellow (‘assegno di ricerca’). Department of Studies and Researches on Africa and Arabic Countries, University of Naples “L’Orientale”, Italy. Project: Filologia dei testi etiopici: edizione critica di testi inediti e storia culturale (‘Philology of Ethiopic texts: critical editions of unpublished texts and cultural history’), directed by Prof. Alessandro Bausi (2009) and by Prof. Gianfrancesco Lusini (2010-2011).
Teaching activities
2019, 2020: Annual lectures for the students of the MA in Manuscript Cultures at the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures, Universität Hamburg. Title: Ethiopian and Eritrean Manuscript Cultures (90 min.).
2016-2019: Teaching activities for MA and PhD students at the 1st to 4th Summer School in Ethiopian and Eritrean Manuscript Studies, Universität Hamburg (2016, 2017), Mekelle University (2018), Addis Ababa University (2019). Didactic units: Gəʿəz manuscripts in context (45 min.); Scribal practices in Gǝʿǝz manuscripts (45 min.); Working with Gəʿəz hagiographies: theory and practice (45 min.); training laboratories in Exercise in Gəʿəz manuscript cataloguing (270 min.); Manuscript digitization workshop (135 min.).
2017: Lecture for the PhD students of the Institut für Orientalistik, Indogermanistik, Ur- und Frühgeschichtliche Archäologie, Seminar für Orientalistik, University of Jena (Germany). Title: The Role of the Nine Saints in the Christianization of Ethiopia (5th-6th century): An Insight into History from a Hagiographic Perspective (135 min.).
2017: Lecture for the PhD students of the Doctorate in Philology, Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia). Title: The Textual Transmission of the Early Ethiopian Hagiography. A Methodological Approach (135 min.).
2014: Course for the student of the MA in Äthiopistik at the Asien-Afrika-Institut, Universität Hamburg. Module: Methoden der Äthiopistik. Seminar B: Gattungen und Geschichte der äthiopischen Literatur. Didactic units: 90 min. per week from 03.04 until 11.07.
Fieldworks and research expeditions
2017, 2018: Fieldworks in the Tǝgrāy region (north-Ethiopia) aiming at collecting data about contemporary practices of production and liturgical use of hagiographic manuscripts through interviews with the local scribes and the participation in the liturgical ceremonies for the commemoration of saints.
2018: Organization, direction and coordination of the fieldwork aiming at digitizing manuscripts, collecting codicological data and samples for the material analysis of the parchments (eZoomMS) of the Ethiopic manuscripts respectively preserved in the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana (Florence, Italy) and in the Biblioteca Forteguerriana (Pistoia, Italy). Members of the expedition: A. Brita, K. Helmholz, S. Hummel.
2017: Organization, direction and coordination of the fieldwork aiming at digitizing manuscripts, collecting codicological data and samples for the material analysis of the parchments (eZoomMS) of the Ethiopic manuscripts respectively preserved in the Biblioteca Giovardiana and in the library of the Casamari Abbey in Veroli (Frosinone, Italy). Members of the expedition: A. Brita, K. Helmholz, S. Hummel, M. Villa.
2016: Organization, direction and coordination of the fieldwork in Tǝgrāy aiming at (a) surveying some monastic manuscript collections; (b) identifying hagiographic manuscripts; (c) digitizing them; (d) collecting codicological and textual data; (e) collecting samples for the peptide analysis of the parchments. Members of the expedition: A. Brita, M. Di Bella, N. Sarris, N. Valieva.
2015: Organization, direction and coordination of the fieldwork aiming at digitizing manuscripts, collecting codicological data of the Ethiopic manuscripts preserved in the Museo delle Culture del Mondo, Castello d’Albertis (Genoa, Italy). Members of the expedition: A. Brita, K. Helmholz.
2014: Fieldwork organized in collaboration with D. Nosnitsin (ERC project Ethio-SPaRe) and I. Rabin (CSMC) aiming at analyzing the inks of manuscripts preserved in the church Urā Qirqos (Tǝgrāy). Members of the expedition: S. Ancel, A. Brita, A. Bausi, S. Dege, M. Di Bella, D. Domec, D. Nosnitsin, N. Pantazidou, V. Pisani, N. Sarris, I. Rabin.
2012-2014: Fieldworks in various regions of Ethiopia (Bǝgǝmdǝr, Lāstā, Šǝwā, Tǝgrāy, Wallo) aiming at digitizing and collecting codicological data of hagiographic manuscripts.
2012, 2014: Fieldworks with book conservators (ERC project Ethio-SPaRe) in Mekelle (Tǝgrāy Cultural and Turism Buro) aiming at the analyzing the codicological structure and conserving one dismembered hagiographic manuscript (UM-018) whose leaves’ sequence was reconstructed by me on the basis of textual evidences. Members of the expedition: A. Brita, M. Di Bella, D. Domec, N. Pantazidou, R. Procter, N. Sarris, T. Zammit Lupi.
2005, 2006: Fieldworks in various regions of Ethiopia (Bǝgǝmdǝr, Goğğām, Lāstā, Šǝwā, Tǝgrāy, Wallo) aiming at: (a) collecting ethnographic information about the local traditions on the so-called “second Christianization” of Ethiopia; (b) localizing unknown churches dedicated to the saints protagonist of the “second Christianization”; (c) digitizing unknown manuscripts transmitting their hagiographic narratives.
Collaboration in national, European and international projects
2021-pres.: Associated member of the Cluster of Excellence 2176 Understanding Written Artefacts: Materiality, Interaction and Transmission in Manuscript Cultures, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC), Universität Hamburg (Germany).
2018-2021: Associated member of the project ANR TransPerse ‒ Les Actes des martyrs perses entre Orient et Occident. Transmissions interculturelles et représentations au début du 5e siècle, directed by Christelle Jullien (CNRS, Paris).
2009-2014: Associated member of the project Comparative Oriental Manuscript Studies (COMSt) funded by the European Science Foundation (Research Networking Programme).
2005: Formal collaboration with the Research Unit of the University of Naples “L’Orientale” in the project PRIN Catene di trasmissione linguistica e culturale dell’Oriente Cristiano e filologia critico-testuale. Le problematiche dei testi etiopici: testi aksumiti, testi sull’età aksumita, testi agiografici di traduzione directed by Alessandro Bausi (National scientific director and director of the unit of Naples).
2003-2005: Formal collaboration in the researches of the University of Naples “L’Orientale” Testi e tradizione della più antica lingua e letteratura gǝʿǝz (etiopico antico): analisi filologica e linguistica directed by Alessandro Bausi.
Prizes, membership of scientific societies and journal committee
2019-pres.: Member of the steering committee of the Program Unit Ethiopic Bible and Literature for the Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature & American Academy of Religion (USA).
2016-pres.: Member of the editorial committee of the Glossary of Manuscript Cultures, CSMC, Universität Hamburg.
2010-2015: Member of the editorial board of the journal Rassegna di Studi Etiopici (University of Naples “L’Orientale”).
2014-pres.: Associated member of the Society of Biblical Literature (USA).
2014: Prize ‘Giorgio Maria Sangiorgi’ for the History and Ethnology in Africa, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (Rome).
2010-pres.: Member of the scientific board of the journal Rassegna di Studi Etiopici (University of Naples “L’Orientale”).
Organization of international conferences and workshops
2021: (with A. Bausi and M. Friedrich) International workshop: "Tied and Bound". How to Keep Things Together (or Not?), Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures, Universität Hamburg (20-22 May), held online.
2016, 2018: (with G. Ciotti, F. De Simini, and A. Roselli) 1st and 2nd editions of the bilateral workshop (Naples-Hamburg): Textual and Material Craftsmanship: What Does Copying a Manuscript Mean?, University of Naples “L’Orientale” (6-8 October) and Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures, Universität Hamburg (19-20 January).
2018: (with J. Karolewski and M. Friedrich) International workshop: Titles, Labels and Names of Multiple-Text Manuscripts, Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures, Universität Hamburg (30 November-1 December).
2016: (with v. Lorusso and J. Karolewski) International workshop: Typologies of Multiple-Text Manuscripts, CSMC, Universität Hamburg (29-30 April).
2015: (with M. Delhey and V. Lorusso) International workshop: Ordering Knowledge: Listing, Shelving, and Structuring Manuscripts, Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures, Universität Hamburg (30-31 January).
2015: (with A. Bausi and D. Nosnitsin) Panel: Literary Genres and Text Carriers in Ethiopian Manuscript Culture: Typologies and Correlations, at the 19th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies, Warsaw University, Poland (24-28 August).
2010: Member of the organizing committee and creation, implementation and updating of the website of the Conferenza degli africanisti italiani, “Studi sull’Africa a 50 anni dall’Indipendenza”, University of Naples, “L’Orientale” (30 September-2 October).
2010: Coordinator of the panel: Approcci multidisciplinari allo studio della letteratura e dei suoi veicoli, at the Conferenza degli africanisti italiani, “Studi sull’Africa a 50 anni dall’Indipendenza”, University of Naples, “L’Orientale” (30 September-2 October).
Presentations in international conferences and workshops
2019: Paper: ‘Ethiopic Manuscripts in Ritual Performances: Historical and Contemporary Evidences’. International workshop: Performing (with) Manuscripts, Observatoire de Paris, co-organized by the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures and ERC project Alfa – Alfonsine Astronomy (20-23 May).
2018: Paper: ‘Editing Hagiographic Texts Transmitted in Multiple-Text Manuscripts: A Methodological Reflection from the Ethiopic Collection of the Acts of the Martyrs’, in the panel: Past, present and future of editing Ethiopian texts: regional and global perspectives. 20th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies, Mekelle University (1-5 October).
2018: Paper: ‘Titles as Fluid Entities – Some Examples from Ethiopic Hagiographic Manuscripts’.International workshop: Titles, Labels and Names of Multiple-Text Manuscripts, Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures, Universität Hamburg (30 November-1 December).
2018: Paper: ‘Ethiopic Manuscripts in Context: Production, Use, Setting and Patterns. International workshop: Between Linguistics and Philology: Methodological Paths for the Documentation of Eritrean and Ethiopian Culture, University of Naples “L’Orientale” (18-19 December).
2017: Paper: ‘Between History and Fiction: The Role of Hagiography in the Reconstruction of the Christianization of Ethiopia and the Emergence of a Local Monasticism’. International workshop: Christianization Process in Egypt, Ethiopia and Nubia: Texts, Monasticism and Ecclesiastic Structures, University of Paris IV, Maison de la Recherche, Paris (20 June).
2017: Paper: ‘A Few Remarks on the Hagiographico-Homiletic Collections’ (with A. Bausi). International workshop: Hagiographico-Homiletic Collections in Greek, Latin and Oriental Manuscripts – Histories of Books and Text Transmission in a Comparative Perspective, CSMC, Universität Hamburg (23 June).
2017: Paper: ‘The Acts of the Martyrs in the Ethiopian Tradition: Textual Transmission and Contextual Manuscript Circulation’. Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature & American Academy of Religion, Boston (USA) (18-21 November).
2016: Paper: ‘(Re-)Awakening the Nāgrān Martyrs in the Ethiopian Tradition: Textual Criticism and Manuscript Transmission’. International workshop: Ethiopian Philology: The State of Art and What to Do, University of Naples “L’Orientale” (9-11 March).
2016: Paper: ‘Relocating Ethiopic Manuscripts in Time: Mistakes Affecting Dates in the Colophons’ in the panel Types of Discrepancies, Types of Texts. International workshop: Mistakes and the Study of Manuscripts, Université Paris Diderot (2-3 May).
2016: Paper: ‘The Construction of Sainthood in Ethiopia: Creating, Assembling, Reading Manuscripts’. International workshop: Tracing Evidences for Manuscripts in Rituals, Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures, Universität Hamburg (17-18 June).
2016: Paper: ‘Scribes at Work in Ancient and Contemporary Ethiopia’ in the panel: Production and Reproduction. 1st edition of the International Workshop: Textual and Material Craftsmanship: What does Copying a Manuscript Mean? University of Naples “L’Orientale” (6-8 October).
2015: Paper: ‘Re-contextualizing Christianity in the Aksumite Kingdom: Holy Places, Righteous Men and Sacred Parchments’, in the panel: Genesis and Development of the Aksumite Kingdom: Archaeological and Historical Analysis. 19th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies, Warsaw University, Poland (24-28 August).
2015: Paper: ‘L’immagine trascendentale del santo come strumento di potere nell’agiografia etiopica’, in the panel: Il santo e la società. 2nd Dies Academicus, Classis Africana: Person, transcendence and powers in Africa, Accademia Ambrosiana, Milan (12-14 November).
2015: Paper: ‘Syrian Models of Ascetic Practices in the Ethiopian Monasticism’, in the unit: Ethiopic Bible and Literature; Syriac Literature and Interpretations of Sacred Texts, theme: Ascetic Traditions. Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature & American Academy of Religion, Atlanta, Georgia (Usa) (21-24 November).
2014: Paper: ‘Multiple-Text Manuscripts in the Ethiopian Christian Tradition: Disturbance Factors and Scribal Strategies in the Transmission of the Acts of the Martyrs’. International workshop: Multiple-Text Manuscripts in Multiple Manuscript Cultures, Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures, Universität Hamburg(24-25 January).
2014: Paper: ‘The Role of Philology and Codicology in Manuscript Preservation: Some Examples from the Gädlä Sämaʿtat Collection’. Annual Symposium of the Haddis Alemayehu Institute of Cultural Studies Preservation of Ethiopian Cultural and Literary Heritages: Focusing on Manuscripts and Indigenous Knowledge, Debre Markos University, Ethiopia (1-2 March).
2014: Paper: ‘Shadowy (Nine) Saints: Moving Beyond Medieval Hagiography and Positivistic Historiography’. Annual Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature & American Academy of Religion, San Diego, California (USA) (19-23 November).
2013: Paper: ‘The Hagiography of Garimā’. International conference: Ethiopia and the Mediterranean World in Late Antiquity: The Garima Gospels in Context, Ioannou Centre for Classical and Byzantine Studies, University of Oxford (UK) (2-3 November).
2013: Paper: ‘Agiografia e liturgia nella tradizione della Chiesa etiopica’. International Conference: XXXV Settimana Europea: Storia Religiosa Euro-Mediterranea. Popoli, Religioni e Chiese lungo il corso del Nilo. Dal Faraone cristiano al Leone di Giuda, Villa Cagnola, Gazzada, Varese (3-7 September).
2012: Paper: ‘The Hagiographic Collection of Gadla Samāʿtāt: Texts and Manuscripts’. International workshop: Saints in Christian Ethiopia: Literary Sources and Veneration, Hiob Ludolf Centre for Ethiopian Studies, Universität Hamburg (28-29 April).
2012: Paper: ‘Natural Architectures and Asceticism in Ethiopia: Caves, Trees, Lakes and Wide-Open Spaces as Places of Monastic Power’. International workshop: Architectures of Power in the Horn of Africa and the Upper Nile Basin: From Ancient Times to the Present, Asien-Afrika-Institute, Universität Hamburg (6-7 July).
2012: Paper: ‘The Organization of the Knowledge in the Hagiographic Multiple-Text Manuscripts: the Case of the Gadla Samā‘tāt’. 18th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies Movements in Ethiopia / Ethiopia in Movement, University of Dire Dawa, Etiopia (29 October-2 November).
2011: Paper: ‘Ecclesiastical Sites of the Nine Saints’. International workshop: Ecclesiastic Landscape of North Ethiopia: History, Change and Cultural Heritage, Hiob Ludolf Centre for Ethiopian Studies, Universität Hamburg (15-16 June).
2010: Paper: ‘‘Les Gallas’: un manoscritto inedito del d’Abbadie’. Worshop Giornata di studi sull’Etiopia antica, University of Naples “L’Orientale” (18 March).
2010: Paper: ‘Tradizione e innovazione nell’agiografia etiopica. Questioni di metodo’. International conference: Conferenza degli Africanisti Italiani, “Studi sull’Africa a 50 anni dall’Indipendenza”, University of Naples “L’Orientale” (30 September-2 October).
2009: Paper: ‘Critica testuale e fonti agiografiche: l’esame del dossier sui cicli letterari riguardanti la seconda cristianizzazione dell’Etiopia (V-VI sec.)’. Seconda edizione della conferenza dei dottorandi e dottori di ricerca del dottorato di ricerca in Africanistica, University of Naples, “L’Orientale”, Torre Murata, Procida (Italy) (5-6 October).
2008: Paper: ‘Manoscritti in Etiopia: esperienza di una ricerca sul campo’. Conferenza sulla metodologia della ricerca sul campo in Africa, University of Naples, “L’Orientale” (18-20 June).