Connell's Contributions to Renaissance History and Italian American Studies
The scholarly work of Connell spans several centuries of history, focusing heavily on the social, political, and intellectual landscapes of the Italian Renaissance and the subsequent Italian experience in the Americas. Through meticulous archival research and philological analysis—the study of language in oral and written historical sources—Connell has reshaped our understanding of key figures and societal structures of the Early Modern period.
Key Facts
- Machiavelli Expert: Solved a major philological puzzle by dating the final version of The Prince to the spring of 1515.
- Pioneering History: Co-edited The Routledge History of Italian Americans, the first scholarly history covering five centuries of the Italian experience in America.
- Rare Discovery: Found and published Della Republica Ecclesiastica, the only known first history of the Church written by a layman.
- Global Reach: His work on sacrilege in Florence has been translated into five languages, including Russian, Spanish, and Farsi.
Renaissance Florence and Political Networks
Connell's early research focused on the territory surrounding Florence during the Renaissance. In his book, La città dei crucci: fazioni e clientele in uno stato repubblicano del ʼ400, he examined the social networks and factionalism—the splitting of a group into smaller, often contentious factions—that defined republican Florence and the city of Pistoia.
His investigations extended to the courtly life of the era. By studying the Lombard nobleman Gaspare Pallavicino, Connell provided a new interpretation of the narrative structure and the role of the female courtier in Baldassarre Castiglione's Book of the Courtier. Additionally, in the co-authored work Sacrilege and Redemption in Renaissance Florence (2005), Connell and Giles Constable detailed the legal and social case of a man executed for defacing a painting of the Virgin Mary.
[ไม่มีภาพประกอบ]
Redefining Niccolò Machiavelli
A significant portion of Connell's career has been dedicated to the life and career of Niccolò Machiavelli. This research led to a highly regarded translation of The Prince (2005, revised 2016) and a collection of essays titled Machiavelli nel Rinascimento italiano (2015).
In 2013, Connell resolved a longstanding academic mystery, often compared to a puzzle awaiting its "Rosetta Stone," by proving that Machiavelli completed the final version of The Prince in the spring of 1515. Furthermore, in 2016, he identified intellectual connections between Machiavelli and the circles surrounding the humanist Erasmus and Thomas More, the author of Utopia.
The Atlantic World and Italian American Studies
Connell's research also addresses why Italian navigators, including Christopher Columbus, were central to the early Atlantic World. He argues that as Ottoman conquests diminished commercial opportunities in the eastern Mediterranean, Italian financiers shifted their investments toward the riskier expeditions into the Atlantic.
Moving into more recent history, Connell has helped revitalize Italian American studies. He co-edited The Routledge History of Italian Americans (2018) with Stanislao G. Pugliese. This comprehensive work, available in both English and Italian, earned the 75th Anniversary Award of the US-Italy Fulbright Commission in 2023.
| Focus Area | Key Work/Contribution | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Political History | La città dei crucci | Analyzed social networks in republican Florence and Pistoia. |
| Machiavelli Studies | Translation of The Prince | Dated the final version to Spring 1515. |
| Italian American History | The Routledge History of Italian Americans | First scholarly history of Italians in America over 500 years. |
| Ecclesiastical History | Della Republica Ecclesiastica | First history of the Church written by a layman (Donato Giannotti). |
Literary Discoveries and Academic Outreach
In 2018, Connell discovered a rare manuscript in an antique shop in Amalfi. Published in 2023, Della Republica Ecclesiastica was written by humanist Donato Giannotti in 1541. The text is notable for proposing a radical reform of the Catholic Church into a republic, where the Pope would be a ceremonial figure and bishops would be elected by the clergy and people.
Connell's interests also extend to modern literature. In 2021, he organized the first academic conference for the Philip Roth Personal Library. This event featured a 1962 audio recording of a symposium with Philip Roth, Ralph Ellison, and Pietro di Donato, discussing the conflict of loyalties faced by minority fiction writers.
[ไม่มีภาพประกอบ]
Global Academic Engagement
Connell's influence extends through international lectures and editorial roles. He has presented his research at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa, the Fondazione Luigi Firpo in Turin, and the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. He also served as an accreditation visitor at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia in 2011.
Beyond academia, he serves on the editorial boards of 13 journals and monograph series and has contributed reviews and articles to major publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Times Literary Supplement.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was Connell's major discovery regarding Machiavelli?
Connell solved a long-standing philological puzzle by demonstrating that Niccolò Machiavelli completed the final version of The Prince in the spring of 1515.
What is the significance of the Routledge History of Italian Americans?
Co-edited by Connell and Stanislao G. Pugliese, it is the first scholarly history to document the five-century experience of Italians in America, receiving the US-Italy Fulbright Commission's 75th Anniversary Award in 2023.
Why were Italian navigators prominent in the early Atlantic World?
According to Connell, declining commercial prospects in the eastern Mediterranean due to Ottoman conquests led Italian financiers to invest in risky Atlantic expeditions.
What did Donato Giannotti propose in Della Republica Ecclesiastica?
Giannotti proposed reforming the Catholic Church into a republic where the Pope would be a ceremonial figure, administration would be handled by the College of Cardinals, and bishops would be elected by the people and clergy.
What was the focus of the Philip Roth Personal Library conference?
The conference explored whether minority fiction writers face a conflict of loyalties when developing characters from their own minority backgrounds, featuring a 1962 symposium recording.