iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 10/10/2026

Few historians have done for the Middle Ages what Chris Wickham did. As an Italian, I feel fortunate that he made Italy a central field of his inquiry. Italian medieval history is richer for it. His work will continue shaping the field. Meanwhile, he will be missed.

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

This promises to be a great start! Tonight 17.30 GMT in person and online at the IHR. Registration link below!

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Reminder that our conference CfP "Media of Memory and the Pre-Modern Economy" (5-7 May 2027) is now live! Feel free to get in touch if you are interested in memory and economic awareness in the pre-modern world.

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

It is also a responsibility and a call to action to defend the discipline of history and reaffirm the essential role of the humanities in building a thoughtful and (for those who think that thoughtful is not enough) prosperous society.

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Now that education system — and the central place of the humanities within it — is increasingly under pressure. This election is therefore not just an honour, for which I am indeed very grateful.

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

I am thrilled to share that I have been elected a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. This achievement would not have been possible without the support and trust of an education system that turned my passion for history into a method and a habitus. royalhistsoc.org/society-elec...

royalhistsoc.org

Society elects 223 new Fellows, Associate Fellows, Members and Postgraduate Members - RHS

At its latest meeting on 1 July 2026, the RHS Council elected 82 Fellows, 44 Associate Fellows, 36 Members and 61 Postgraduate Members, a total of 223 people newly associated with the Society, from to...

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Reposted by Gabriele Passabì

Leonie V. Hicks @lvhicks.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Normans at #IMC2027! Call for papers sponsored by the Battle Conference. Full details in the alt text and pasted in successive posts. Deadline for abstracts 15 Sept. #medievalsky #archaeology #skystorians @imc-leeds.bsky.social

Communities, Change and Collaboration in Norman History
Organised by Dr Mark Hagger (Lincoln) and Prof. Leonie Hicks (Canterbury Christ Church University)
Sponsored by the Battle Conference on Anglo-Norman Studies

2027 marks two significant anniversaries: the 50th anniversary of the Battle Conference on Anglo-Norman Studies and the millennial anniversary of William the Conqueror’s birth in 2027. It also marks the European Year of the Normans. We hope to organise sessions reflecting communities, change and collaboration in Norman history and welcome proposals that draw on historical, literary, archaeological, and art-historical approaches and sources. Potential contributors might like to think about the following themes although these are not exclusive:

- communities of practice: writing, researching and teaching the Norman past in the middle ages and now
- comparative approaches across different areas conquered and settled by the Normans to communities and change
- communities of different sorts, e.g. financial, administrative, religious, ecological, social and cultural etc.
- landscapes
- tools and theories for understanding change, communities and collaboration as applied to the Normans e.g. digital humanities, knowledge exchange, mapping, etc.
- modelling collaborative approaches to Norman history
- how Norman historiography has change/is changing the way we understand the Normans

Please send abstracts for 20 minute papers (in person or virtual) to Prof. Leonie Hicks (leonie.hicks@canterbury.ac.uk) by no later than 15 September 2026.

Proposals should include
• Title
• Abstract (max 200 words)
• Your name, institution, and role
• Full contact details (these will be used by Leeds IMC to contact you)

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

I'm thrilled to see my article in print in the latest issue of the Haskins Society Journal! A huge thank you to Bill North and the editorial team at @boydellandbrewer.bsky.social for their work in bringing this issue together. I'm delighted to be part of it.

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

What's the best strategy to escape a heatwave? Go to a warmer place but with the sea next to it! Here is a view of Mount Vesuvius from Naples.

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

All 'bout the 💰! New blog post on our project "Money, History, and Moral Economies: Communicative Functions of Monetary Information in the Institutional Historiography of the Later Middle Ages" is out now! Kindly published by @ghilondon.bsky.social.

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Thrilled to give a paper at the fourth Congress of Italian medieval studies. This year we are hosted by the University of Naples, founded by the one and only Emperor Frederick II below represented in a bronze statue placed at the very entrance of the university. Feeling very Ghibelline right now.

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

Carlo Ginzburg has just passed away. There is little I can add in memory of a scholar of his stature. I'll recall only what he said during a fortunate conversation at the Betty Behrens Seminar in Cambridge: “Read everything. Your research path will find its way". And I live by that advice.

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Rosamond was a towering scholar and an unfailing source of support both during my time as PhD candidate at Sidney Sussex and long afterwards. This is truly shocking news. The whole field of medieval studies will miss her scholarship, energy and enthusiasm very much.

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Reposted by Gabriele Passabì

"Online Rent-a-Sage" Bret Devereaux @bretdevereaux.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

This has been something I've been meaning to write for quite some time and the Homer contretemps gave it the opportunity. The thing I most wanted to draw out is that it isn't one fool on Twitter with a helmet, but a radicalization pipeline designed to lead antiquity-curious young men into fascism.

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Reposted by Gabriele Passabì

Royal Historical Society @royalhistsoc.org · 04/06/2026

Ten years on from the Brexit vote: a new @yougov.co.uk poll finds that 77% of the British public have trust in the expertise of historians bit.ly/49I9NV7 It's heartening to hear that so many value, and certainly haven't had enough of, the historian as expert. #Skystorians 1/4

Screen shot of YouGov ranking of experts showing 'historians' and a Royal Historical Society 'Trust me, I'm a historian' badge.

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Looking forward to speaking in Madrid on manuscript layout and the visualisation of universal history. I'll be talking about Robert of Torigni, sharing a bit from my new book with @boydellandbrewer.bsky.social, and test some new ideas on Norman Italy along with some brilliant scholars. Can’t wait!

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Still thinking about last night’s conversation with David Nirenberg reflecting on the impact of his Communities of Violence 30 years after its publication. A thought-provoking evening expertly organised by the @ghilondon.bsky.social at the stunning Art Workers’ Guild in London.

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Reposted by Gabriele Passabì

Sam Ottewill-Soulsby @samottewillsoulsby.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

This is a really excellent idea that is extremely valuable!

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Reposted by Gabriele Passabì

The English Historical Review @enghistrev.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

Please share! EHR is hosting a free one-day symposium at St John's College, Oxford, on Friday 17 April, 10-6, on the theme 'When there are no sources'. Further details and how to sign up here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/when-there...

eventbrite.co.uk

When there are no sources: an English Historical Review symposium

The EHR is hosting a one-day symposium in St John's College, Oxford, to celebrate the recent publication of the journal's 600th issue.

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Reposted by Gabriele Passabì

Ana Roda Sánchez @arodsan95.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

Celebrating the 30th anniversary of 'Communities of Violence' by Prof David Nirenberg! He will be engaging in conversation with other scholars about his work and the history of religious persecution. Join us on 14 April at @ghilondon.bsky.social 😊 #skystorians #medievalsky #earlymodern #medieval

Delighted to share the news of an upcoming public event organised by Queen Mary University and German Historical Institute of London.

This event celebrates the 30th anniversary of the publication of ‘Communities of Violence’, by Prof David Nirenberg. This was a ground-breaking book that changed scholarly perspectives on religious violence and attitudes towards religious minorities in the late medieval and early modern periods. We are incredibly grateful to say that we will have Prof Nirenberg himself joining us and engaging in conversation with other scholars. They will discuss Prof Nirenberg’s work, its ongoing impact on the field, and the history of religious confrontations and religious persecution more broadly.

We would like to warmly invite you all to join us for this event. It will take place on 14th April 2026, 5:30-7:30pm at the Art Workers’ Guild London.

If you wish to attend, please register via the link provided.

We look forward to welcoming as many of you as possible!

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 07/03/2026

My definition of quality time in Paris. Indulging in a café noisette just outside the Sorbonne with a newly (and proudly) acquired first edition of Jacques Le Goff's Saint Louis.

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

It's my pleasure, Ben! Also, thank you very much indeed for your kind words. (I cannot help but noticing they've slightly damaged a corner of the book: ira gravissima!)

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

I'm happy to share that I've recently joined @ghilondon.bsky.social as a Research Associate! A few weeks into this new chapter, and I'm already enjoying working with @marcusmeer.bsky.social, combing my work in historiography with new research avenues in medieval economic culture. Thrilled!

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

Universal chronicle-writing finally receives the international attention it deserves. Very much look forward to be giving a paper at this conference 📚

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

You know what makes your day? Receiving the author copies of your book at home! It's genuinely great to hold it finally in my hands, ink on paper and real weight. If you'd like a copy, the code BB135 gets you 35% off all formats when buying from boydellandbrewer.com. I’m positively chuffed✨

I may have experimented with building various forms of architecture, yes.

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

Original thirteenth-century pilgrim canteen found in Brindisi, southern Apulia. I am sure it contained only the least sinful of refreshments.

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

Of course! I will send it via email.

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

That’s a great project! While in Toronto I found, by chance, a letter from Ker to John C. Pope about the death of Pope’s wife, Jean. It was inside a copy of Ker’s Catalogue at PIMS library. It seemed authentic but I’m unsure whether it was ever catalogued? I took a pic and I’d be happy to send it!

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 23/01/2026

If you ask my favourite spot in a library, it has to be the temporary storage. This is where books pile up waiting (im)patiently for their place. No shelves yet, no topic categories, no genres. There is only a natural stratification of discovery. Here curiosity leads and the unexpected finds you.

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Very sad news. Professor Stephen Baxter was a remarkable scholar and I will always be grateful for the opportunity he gave me when he interviewed me for the MA in Medieval History at KCL in 2014. That moment set me on the path to my life in the UK and my career in research. May he rest in peace.

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Reposted by Gabriele Passabì

St Peter's College, University of Oxford @spcoxford.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

It is with deep sadness that the Master and Fellows of St Peter’s College share news of the death of Professor Stephen Baxter, Fellow and Tutor in Medieval History. Our full tribute will be shared soon. ow.ly/cy8J50Y0yrB

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Reposted by Gabriele Passabì

Daniel Bellingradt @dbellingradt.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

Sometimes, the devil is in the details. When scanning this book from 1531, something went wrong badly. Not one page is complete, only nonsense scans. This is #bookhistory too. A story of mistakes and #digitization gone wrong.

A wrongly scanned page from the book "Anzaygung grüntlicher || natürlicher vrsachen der natur..." (1531), nowadays in München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek -- Res/4 Astr.p. 528,44.

Another wrongly scanned page from the book "Anzaygung grüntlicher || natürlicher vrsachen der natur..." (1531), nowadays in München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek -- Res/4 Astr.p. 528,44.

And another wrongly scanned page from the book "Anzaygung grüntlicher || natürlicher vrsachen der natur..." (1531), nowadays in München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek -- Res/4 Astr.p. 528,44.

a screenshot of a couple of scanned pages, all not readable, from the book "Anzaygung grüntlicher || natürlicher vrsachen der natur..." (1531), nowadays in München, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek -- Res/4 Astr.p. 528,44.

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

High quality doodles at the end of this 13 c. manuscript from Piacenza (London, British Library, Harley 3678). Here is a fine example of medieval good boi to help go through your Monday.

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Reposted by Gabriele Passabì

Dr Bryony Coombs @bryonycoombs.bsky.social · 18/01/2026

This 👀: I run a class on late-medieval political satire and this ⬇️ is going straight in there. Visual literacy has always been important and using animals in images to underscore the abuses of the world is perennial...

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 17/01/2026

Just back in Cambridge and glad to see that certain things don't change 🍂🦆

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

5. I was only supposed to check a manuscript in Ker’s catalogue. Instead, the unexpected presence of the letter drew me into Neil Ker’s and John Pope’s intimate world, sharing with them their story of grief, love, and friendship. This is also why we study history.

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

4. The event left a deep mark. To honour the memory of his wife, John Pope gifted to Yale University this delicate portrait of a “Woman Standing with Hands Behind her Head" by American artist Arthur B. Davies (1862-1928).

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

3. The letter is Neil Ker's heartfelt response upon receiving the news of Jean Werner Pope's death in 1971, the beloved wife of John Pope. The news came as “a bit of a bombshell” to Neil Ker, something for which “we can’t be really prepared”.

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

2. This copy of Neil Ker’s Catalogue of the Manuscripts containing Anglo-Saxon, which I found at PIMS Medieval Library, contained an autograph letter written by Neil Ker on 31 March 1971 to the great American historian of early medieval England John Collins Pope (1904-1997).

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Sometimes, when browsing through a good library, the books you are looking for may have a history of their own or can contain fragments of tangential stories, often intimate ones. A brief 🧵

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Gabriele Passabì @gabpassabi.bsky.social · 20/11/2025

This is (also) what happens when one stops making assumptions about a text and, especially, about who may have written it.

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