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Content archived on 2024-06-18

Oral culture, manuscript and print in early modern Italy, 1450-1700

Objective

From the palazzo to the piazza, from the church to the private household, the spoken and sung word had uniquely important roles to play in transmitting information, opinions and texts in the society of early modern Italy. Oral discussion and performance, both formal and informal, were used intensively in the culture of the literate minority, while the verbal culture of the uneducated depended mainly or solely on orality. Constant interaction between the oral and the written enriched and shaped both forms of expression. Yet the voices that were so prominent throughout the cultural life of this period have been neglected. This pioneering project will provide the first integrated study of the practices and the social, intellectual and aesthetic values of oral culture, thus opening up new horizons for the study of early modern Italian culture as a whole.

The challenge is to recapture the rich but ephemeral world of Renaissance orality through correlated studies of the traces it has left in written sources such as diaries, archival records, literary texts, treatises and correspondence. The fundamental research question to be asked is: how did oral culture relate to written culture and how far was it independent of writing? The investigation will focus on four key areas: social performance, politics, religion and linguistic usage. It will encompass spaces such as courts, council chambers, churches, academies, streets, houses and the countryside; men and women of all social classes; and contexts including ceremonial and ritual events, oratory, public and private performance, and scripted and improvised entertainment. This unique research will also lead to a new understanding of the cultural functions of the exceptionally wide spectrum of languages used throughout the peninsula.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

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Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Call for proposal

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ERC-2010-AdG_20100407
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Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

ERC-AG - ERC Advanced Grant

Host institution

UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS
EU contribution
€ 1 453 356,00
Address
WOODHOUSE LANE
LS2 9JT Leeds
United Kingdom

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Region
Yorkshire and the Humber West Yorkshire Leeds
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

No data

Beneficiaries (1)

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