GenALMA · Kinship, Alliance and Urban Space: the Genoese 'alberghi' in the Late Middle Ages (c. 1150 - c. 1450)

GenALMA aims to offer novel perspectives and invaluable new data on kinship and the development of urban space by examining late medieval Genoa, one of the most socially vibrant cities during the foundational phase of contemporary Europe. It will investigate: 1) why and how aristocratic families chose to unite in a peculiar form of association which had long-lasting repercussions across the city’s social spectrum, eventually involving families and individuals of lesser social standing; 2) the impact of the construction of such solidarities and alliances, and the patrimonial strategies these entailed, on the reconfiguration of the city’s residential and architectural landscape. By tackling these two main questions, GenALMA will address issues related to the development of kinship structures and gender roles, the evolution of patrimonial rights, the networks of socialisation, and the changes in the urban fabric. Employing an innovative interdisciplinary methodology, the project will involve the management (through multiple databases) of large data sets collected from still unexplored and exceptional historical sources (notarial records of Genoa) which will be used to reconstruct kinship ties and to map out residential patterns thanks to cutting edge technology available at the host institution. The digital maps will represent an unprecedented attempt at charting the evolution of the urban fabric over the span of three centuries. The project will be conducted at the CNRS – Centre Roland Mousnier where the candidate will benefit from high level interdisciplinary training offered by the host institution, which will improve her skills in analysing historical data, and from the presence of several specialists with whom to discuss methodological and historiographical approaches. So as to reach the widest audience possible, the results of the project will be disseminated via conferences and workshops, a monograph, publications in high level scholarly journals, and a blog.