Violence in Early Modern Italy
The streets of Florence, the canals of Venice, and the piazzas of Verona—now admired for their beauty and grandeur—once echoed with the sounds of conflict. In the early modern period, these same spaces were the settings for political assassinations, family vendettas, domestic quarrels, and street brawls. This project explores how violence was enacted, understood, and remembered in the cities of early modern Italy, revealing the deep connections between urban space, social identity, and power.

Where Archives Meet Data
Early modern Italy presents a fascinating paradox: despite its highly developed systems of law and governance, its cities were among the most violent in Europe. To uncover why, the project draws on Italy’s vast and detailed criminal archives—thousands of cases preserved across centuries. Through close archival research and digital analysis, we transform these records into spatial and visual data, mapping where violence occurred and tracing how conflicts moved through neighborhoods and across time. This blend of quantitative and qualitative methods allows us to see both the broad patterns of violence and the lived experiences behind each case.

What We’re Discovering
By combining traditional historical methods with digital tools, this project moves beyond anecdote to investigate the social and political functions of violence in early modern Italy. In doing so, it illuminates how cities, families, and governments managed conflict—and how violence shaped the rhythms of urban life. Explore our work to discover new ways of seeing the dynamic, intricate, and often violent world of Renaissance Italy.