Insults in Italian City States.Criminal Literary History

Project Information

SATYRANDO

Grant agreement ID: 800084

DOI

10.3030/800084

Project closed

EC signature date 16 April 2018

Start date 1 June 2019

End date 1 March 2023

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 262 269,00

EU contribution

€ 262 269,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI ROMA LA SAPIENZA
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SATYRANDO (Insults in Italian City States.Criminal Literary History)

Reporting period: 2021-06-01 to 2022-05-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

As European societies strive towards increased complexity and integration, the challenge is to bring together diverse individuals and communities without eroding their unique identities and diversity. Understanding how such harmonious integration can be achieved, without triggering destructive violence, is more urgent than ever. However, true integration must be able to preserve those voices that challenge and question dominant narratives. These forms of protest, potent forces in their own right, are essential for stirring debate and promoting change, acting as counterweights to illiberal tendencies.

SATYRANDO seeks to redefine the role of non-physical, particularly verbal, violence in today's societies. This redefinition comes from fostering a cross-disciplinary understanding of the history of insult and defamation as crimes at a critical juncture of European history, the Italian Middle Ages. This period is unique for its explosion of judicial records, an occurrence unmatched in the rest of Europe or in earlier eras. Simultaneously, the influential Bolognese school of Roman law glossators rose to prominence, significantly shaping the way European societies balanced defamation with free speech from the Renaissance through to the modern era. Lastly, the Italian Trecento emerged as a hotbed of literary innovation, with eminent figures such as Dante, Boccaccio, and Petrarch not only employing but also reflecting on the satirical mode.

By mapping, curating and making accessible and interoperable, a vast selection of judicial material related to the crime of insult (verba iniuriosa), the action addresses a number of key questions: When does symbolic violence exceed its bounds and become intolerable? What is the role of art in the production and regulation of violence in complex societies such as the Italian communes? And what if any are the social and gender markers of the phenomenon?

SATYRANDO concluded successfully, with the development and publication of the most comprehensive database to date of judicial documents related to the crime of insult. This comprehensive resource not only illuminates the historical dynamics of non-physical violence but also establishes a foundation for future academic explorations in this field. The project further expanded its scope by with partially published interviews with celebrated comedian Alexis Wilkinson and renowned cartoonist Bob Mankoff. The completion of the project extends to the academic sphere, where a monograph and two comprehensive studies are underway.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

Throughout the initial phase of the project, the researcher engaged in a deep-dive into the fields of medieval Latin, palaeography, codicology, and archival sciences, garnering an advanced set of skills and knowledge. This newfound expertise was further enhanced by a simultaneous focus on interdisciplinary areas such as legal studies and criminal history. Moreover, the researcher broadened their capabilities in the digital scholarly edition and teaching. In a rigorous effort, approximately 7000 archival and judicial documents from the 13th and 14th centuries have been examined, culled from the State Archives of Bologna, Siena, Prato, Perugia, San Gimignano, Lucca, and Firenze. This painstaking task entailed the creation of an inventory of all the examined archival units and the transcription of more than 600 documents related to 'verba iniuriosa'.

In the second phase of the project, the researcher enhanced his skills in data processing and analysis, leveraging tools like Power BI to handle the vast and complex data. A comprehensive online database of verbal violence cases was designed, developed and shared on the project's blog, offering a wealth of verba iniuriosa cases for academic and public perusal. Designed in collaboration with Sapienza's Digilab, this powerful resource provides a wealth of insights into the socio-economic statuses, roles of women, geographic locations, and other facets of the cases. It became a dynamic tool for data analysis and a vehicle for the researcher's discoveries. The detailed analysis of these cases led to the identification of recurring patterns, ultimately culminating in the successful design and meta-dating of 456 cases. These insights were shared with the public via the project's blog, enhancing transparency and encouraging engagement.

Four out of five chapters of the project monograph titled "Criminal and Literary History of Satire in Medieval Italy," have been drafted. A book proposal has been subsequently submitted to the Cambridge OB Publisher. Additionally, two research papers intended for international peer-reviewed journals were drafted, with one, titled "Towards a Criminal History of Satire. The Medieval Italian Contribution," submitted for publication to the Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies. The researcher was active in maintaining the project blog, updating it regularly with findings and insights. He also conducted two out of the planned three interviews with non-academic figures, recording and transcribing their views and observations.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Project SATYRANDO has transcended the state of the art in terms of its rigorous and comprehensive examination of historical archives and its unique blending of criminal and literary history. The progress made has set the foundation for uncovering significant findings that will continue after the project's conclusion. The culmination of the extensive research is set to be encapsulated in the publication of the seminal monograph and two detailed academic studies. These publications will serve as an enduring testament to the project's accomplishments and the invaluable insights it has unearthed about satire in medieval Italy.

In terms of socio-economic impact, the dedicated blog and database of SATYRANDO have been fundamental in sharing the project's progress and findings, attracting consistent attention from a global audience, particularly after the publication of the interview and database. This active engagement from the public highlights the practical relevance of the project's research and its ability to touch various aspects of society, including education, history, law, and media.

In a bid to preserve and expand the project's impact, the SATYRANDO team has taken considerable steps to ensure the sustainability and accessibility of the project's resources. A major undertaking is going to be the transfer of the project's database, a significant tool for scholars and researchers, to the servers of Digilab Sapienza. This move not only guarantees a secure infrastructure for the database but also ensures its ongoing availability and full functionality, thereby furthering academic exploration and knowledge sharing.

The final repositioning of the database not only ensures its preservation but also emphasizes its crucial role across diverse academic disciplines. This wider dissemination of the SATYRANDO project's valuable findings will continue to contribute to scholarly discourse in various fields. The societal implications of this are vast, as the project's insights could potentially influence policies, cultural understanding, and public discourse about satire and its role in society.

SATYRANDO: Crime or Satire