Comparisons between Genoa and Venice have been drawn primarily from the perspective of the discipline of history, if at all. Both similarities and differences have been noted, but it has also been questioned whether a comparative approach is useful at all, describing the two sea powers as “incomparable”. However, this is not true for the way in which Genoa and Venice established their respective systems of colonies along the coasts of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea: here, significant analogies in practices and solutions have been suggested. And yet, one can rightly ask why the “colonial systems”, and architectural and artistic features of their colonies were so different in so many respects. This conference aims to re-evaluate a comparative approach and to explicitly broaden the horizon by considering the material and visual cultures of both the cities themselves and their colonies. By doing so, archival work, epigraphic studies, art history and archaeology, grounded in both local examples and trans-regional field studies, will be brought together. Furthermore, concepts and terms related to research on the phenomenon of colonies will be scrutinized so as to come to a discussion more reflective as concerns terminology. It is hoped that the comparative perspective will prove especially fruitful regarding this aspect.

Organizers:

Dr. hab. Rafał Quirini-Popławski, Uniwersytet Jagiellonski (rafal.quirini-poplawski@uj.edu.pl)
Prof. Dr. Rebecca Muller, Universität Heidelberg (r.mueller@zegk.uni-heidelberg.de)

The Venetian Seminar is a peripatetic one-day workshop with a long tradition of participation by scholars of history, art history, literature and linguistics who study Venice and Italy. It is convened on a yearly basis by Alex Bamji (Leeds), Filippo de Vivo (Birkbeck), and Mary Laven (Cambridge). The Seminar brings together established scholars, early career researchers, and postgraduate students in a format designed to promote awareness of the latest research in the field, and to maximize discussion. Email a.bamji@leeds.ac.uk for information.