Category Archives: Mediterranean World

Tragic Boat Wreck off Lampedusa

A week ago, a boat carrying African migrants heading for Sicily wrecked off the small island of Lampedusa in the central Mediterranean. The boat, apparently carrying more than 500 people, became disabled and then began to capsize merely 800 meters … Continue reading

Posted in European History, European Union, Human Rights, Italian History, Maritime History, Mediterranean World | Leave a comment

Artiste nel chiostro

A conference on Ariste nel chiostro (Artists in the Cloister), is being held on 4-5 October 2013 in Firenze. In 1938, Giovanna Pierattini published her groundbreaking study on nun artist Suor Plautilla Nelli in the journal Memorie Domenicane. To mark … Continue reading

Posted in Art History, Conferences, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Italian History, Mediterranean World, Noble Culture and History of Elites, Religious History, Renaissance Art and History, Women and Gender History | 1 Comment

Mediterranean World Workshop Events

The Mediterranean World Workshop at Northern Illinois University participated in two events on campus this week. Members of the Mediterranean World Workshop attended a public lecture by Julia Clancy-Smith (Professor, University of Arizona) on “From Sidi BouZid to Sidi Bou … Continue reading

Posted in Early Modern World, Graduate Work in History, Lectures and Seminars, Mediterranean World, Northern Illinois University | Leave a comment

History of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt

Originally posted on Cluster for the Study of Religious Violence:
The Muslim Brotherhood has been an important religious and political organization in Egypt for decades and is one of the major participants in the ongoing Egyptian Revolution. NPR provides a…

Posted in Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, History of Violence, Mediterranean World, Religious Politics, Religious Violence, Terrorism, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Revisiting the Costa Concordia Disaster

The cruise liner Costa Concordia wrecked into the isola di Giglio, off the coast of Tuscany, on 13 January 2012. The ship then heeled over and partially capsized while its roughly 4,000 passengers were evacuating the ship. Thirty-two people died … Continue reading

Posted in Environmental History, European Union, Italian History, Maritime History, Mediterranean World | Leave a comment

Continuing Egyptian Revolution

The Egyptian Revolution continues to develop, although the international news media has largely treated it as a process completed after the Arab Spring, which launched revolutionary processes in Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, Lybia, and other countries. This week, the Egyptian military … Continue reading

Posted in Civil Conflict, Civilians and Refugees in War, Comparative Revolutions, History of Violence, Human Rights, Mediterranean World, Religious Violence, Revolts and Revolutions, War, Culture, and Society | Leave a comment

Recreating Early Modern Medicinal Gardens

The New York Botanical Garden has recreated a sixteenth-century medicinal garden as part of its exhibit on Wild Medicine: Healing Plants Around the World. The medicinal garden is patterned on the botanical garden that was created in 1545 for the … Continue reading

Posted in Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Environmental History, European History, Globalization, History of Medicine, History of Science, Mediterranean World | Leave a comment

Historical Perspectives on Climate Change

How will climate change affect human societies worldwide in the coming years?  It is difficult to envision all of the potential ramifications of climate change, but disaster planners certainly need to prepare for extreme climate events. One of the best … Continue reading

Posted in Atlantic World, Civilians and Refugees in War, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Environmental History, European History, European Wars of Religion, History of Science, Maritime History, Mediterranean World, State Development Theory, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment

Global Tourism and Graffiti

Global tourism is putting increasing pressure on historical sites and monuments, as growing numbers of tourists visit major cultural tourist locations around the world. High standards of living, lengthy vacations, and relatively affordable flights have allowed many Western Europeans, Canadians, … Continue reading

Posted in Art History, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, European History, European Union, Globalization, Mediterranean World, Museums and Historical Memory | Leave a comment

Renaissance Martyrs Canonized

Pope Francis has canonized the 800 Martyrs of Otranto, who were supposedly executed by Ottoman forces after the southern Italian town of Otranto surrendered in 1480. Otranto was caught up in maritime and naval conflicts during the Renaissance, as the … Continue reading

Posted in Civilians and Refugees in War, Early Modern Europe, Early Modern World, Empires and Imperialism, European History, European Union, Italian History, Mediterranean World, Religious Violence, War, Culture, and Society, Warfare in the Early Modern World | Leave a comment