Entangled Semantics of Power between Byzantium and the Italian Peninsula

Entangled Semantics of Power between Byzantium and the Italian Peninsula sheds new light on the dynamics of mutual influence and cultural cross-pollination between Byzantium and Italy from the 8th to the 12th century. Interdisciplinary in scope, it offers a fresh perspective on the medieval Mediterranean by taking a concrete look at the social and political dynamics that underpinned cultural exchange.

Traditionally, the history of the interactions between Italy and Byzantium has been studied primarily as a history of diplomatic relations among political powers. As a result, historians have tended to focus on the political and economic outcomes of such contacts, rather than their social and cultural impact. The book moves beyond this framework and offers a deeper understanding of the social and political dynamics that drove cultural cross-pollination between Byzantium and Italy.

Particularly suited for those interested in interdisciplinary approaches to historical analysis and the impact of cross-cultural interactions on institutional practices, this book is a valuable reference for researchers in the field of medieval history, Byzantine studies, and Mediterranean cultural exchange.

Luisa Andriollo is a researcher in the Humanities Department of Otto-Friedrich Universität Bamberg, Germany. She is the author of a monograph on imperial administration, local societies and the role of the aristocracy in Constantinople (in French, 2017; winner of the Diehl medal, Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres).

Alberto Cotza is Associate Professor at the Università degli Studi Roma Tre, Italy. His work examines cultural and political change in early medieval Italy, focusing on the evolution of historical writing in Tuscany and has published a book on the origins and developments of historiography in Medieval Tuscany in Italian (2021).

Paolo Tomei is a researcher at the Università di Pisa, Italy. His research explores the material and symbolic structures of power, and the forms of political and social aggregation in Italy between the 6th and 13th centuries, with a focus on Tuscany. His publications include a monograph on aristocratic structures in the Lucca area (in Italian, 2019).