Carrie Beneš

Due October 10th >> The New College Conference on Medieval & Renaissance Studies returns 5-7 March 2026! Accepting abstracts on all topics in European & Mediterranean history, literature, art, music & religion (4c-17c): www.newcollegeconference.org/cfp

#medievalsky #earlymodern #renaissance #CfP

It was great to have you in class, and to hear about your work, Lari! Stay in touch.

STOP THAT 🤣

Medieval Rome: The two best to start with are Richard Krautheimer’s “Portrait of a City” (2nd ed) and Hendrik Dey’s recent “New Portrait”. But I’ll also plug James Palmer’s Virtues of Economy and his translation of the Anonimo Romano chronicle. 🙂

The New College Conference on Medieval & Renaissance Studies returns 5-7 March 2026! Abstracts on all topics in European & Mediterranean history, literature, art, music & religion (4c-17c) are due 1 October 2025: www.newcollegeconference.org/cfp

#medievalsky #earlymodern #renaissance #CfP

I have had everything from $0 to $80 quotes for a single image reproduction in a small-run scholarly publication. The $80 was the Marciana.

From the trenches: Italian law is supposedly nationally consistent on these policies, and all state institutions are subject to it. In reality, each institution makes its own calls, e.g. on what constitutes a "scientific publication."

In my experience this creates a L hand/R hand problem where the library decides what you pay (depending on use) but they don't tell *you*, they only tell the processor, and if you dispute the amount the processor tells you to take it up with the library, which refuses to answer further emails.

Marciana: There is a fee, there are forms, and there is a 3rd-party payment processor that you pay the fee to.

TBR.

Yep, me too. 👇

I handled this book in the Schoenbergs' flat here in SRQ once! It's really gorgeous. 🤩

Yesterday my 9yo gave Albuquerque a beautifully precise Romance lilt ("Al-boo-kwair-kway") and I had to admit to her that Americans call it "Alba-kerky".

Higher education faculty members should read two new articles and discuss them deeply as a department/unit/etc. The NYMag article about AI and cheating + the NYT article by the professor at U. of Florida about working under the DeSantis regime. They are connected; discuss those connections.

MAA to Host Community Discussion on Cuts to Federal Funding MAA to Host Community Discussion on Cuts to Federal Funding Tuesday May 6th, 1 pm EDT Many of us have been shocked and appalled by the recent termination of

Tomorrow, 1pm EDT!

On behalf of @medievalacademy.bsky.social , Alison Perchuk and I are hosting an informal Community Hour for any/all premodernists affected by recent federal cuts. Please join us! #medievalsky #earlymodern #lateantiquity

www.themedievalacademyblog.org/maa-to-host-...

A Call for Constructive Engagement | AAC&U A Call for Constructive Engagement

Proud to add my name to this important message. #MedievalSky www.aacu.org/newsroom/a-c...

MAA to Host Community Discussion on Cuts to Federal Funding MAA to Host Community Discussion on Cuts to Federal Funding Tuesday May 6th, 1 pm EDT Many of us have been shocked and appalled by the recent termination of

*One week from today* On behalf of @medievalacademy.bsky.social, Alison Perchuk and I are hosting an informal Community Hour for premodernists affected by recent federal cuts. Please join us—and share this announcement widely!

#medievalsky #earlymodern #lateantiquity

Starting point, this time, was “No way this guy is Cardinal Pizza Can Dance.”

Thank you, Elizabeth Warren.

Detail:
(Painting, btw, is in the Maritime Museum in Genoa, which is amazing.)

Lest anyone think that life in the Middle Ages was provincial, isolated, and rural... (Medieval Mediterranean port cities like this often had pop. densities ca. 100K/sqmi, which is more than Manhattan or Mumbai today [60-75K].) —Cristoforo de' Grassi, 1597 copy of Genoa in 1481.

Happy Earth Day from the #sferaproject!
#medievalsky #earlymodern #maphistory #bookhistory
(G. Dati, La sfera/The Globe, early 15c; BNCF Magl. XI.83, f. 7r)

Kind, decent, and compassionate, Pope Francis was badly out of step with contemporary western culture.

Thank you, Seb! 🫶 Toujours Equipe France!

Yes! Like a broccoli haircut for camels. 😁

Venetian camel, as ordered! Even derpier!!! (Venice, BibNat Marciana Ital. 6279, f. 20v, with helpful "africha" label).

Florence is bad enough, but honestly, you think I WANTED to get tangled up in a project in *15th-century* Florence?????? All those self-righteous humanists, UGH. Luckily Dati was a pretty grounded guy. 🤣

Thanks, David. In appreciation I offer you derpy Sfera camels (Florence, BML MedPal90 16v, "camels laden with spices").

Also, isn't our work-in-progress gorgeous? 👀👀
lasfera.rrchnm.org
(with mad props to @jasonheppler.org)

Donation page for the formerly-NEH-funded #sferaproject. The horrors persist, but so do we. 💪