Studying at the Warburg: An interview with PhD student Florence Forte
After completing her MA in Cultural, Intellectual and Visual History from the Warburg Institute in 2022, Florence Forte went on to begin a PhD at the Institute with a Leverhulme Study Abroad Studentship at the Medici Archive Project.
Read on to discover what led Florence to undertake her PhD at the Warburg, her research activities so far, and why she would recommend the Institute as a place to study.
You’re currently a PhD student at the Warburg Institute. Could you tell us more about your research?
My research centres on the Latin literary output of women in fifteenth-century Italy, and my thesis will situate their works in this historical context and literary perspective. These writers are often studied in isolation of their male peers, if at all, but I am engaged in reconstructing their shared networks and intellectual interests in the early Renaissance. After examining the textual transmission of Isotta Nogarola’s disputation on Adam and Eve (1451) in my first year, I have now shifted my focus to Battista Malatesta with a special interest in humanism, rhetoric, classical and Christian sources, and issues of philology.
What led you to the Warburg Institute?
I was a Warburgian before I found the Warburg, which is probably what led me here. An important step was moving to Florence as a Classics graduate, where I was struck by the connections between ancient and modern Italy on a daily basis. I then trained and worked as a Latin teacher in London before founding an academy (@forte_academy) to deliver interdisciplinary summer courses in Italy – before I knew that the term ‘interdisciplinary’ existed. In 2019, I was self-studying the Renaissance when I came across a public talk on Dante at the Warburg Institute, organised by Alessandro Scafi. I picked up a brochure for the MA in Cultural, Intellectual and Visual History and the course sounded tailor-made for me. I enrolled the following year thanks to a Peltz Scholarship. Michelle O’Malley and Sara Miglietti helpfully nudged me in the right direction for a PhD and now, Alessandro Scafi and Lucy Nicholas are my supervisors: a dream team!
What have you enjoyed most about the PhD programme?
I have enjoyed the freedom and independence that comes with pursuing original and sustained research on one topic at PhD level. It has been particularly rewarding to work primarily with manuscripts and to slowly build up a “bigger picture” of the past from a details-oriented dedication to primary sources. For this approach, there’s no better academic home than the Warburg. I am grateful for the intellectual rigour and genuine open-mindedness of the people at the Institute, which makes it such a fun place to be associated with. I also had a wonderful start to my PhD supported by a Leverhulme Study Abroad Studentship hosted at the Medici Archive Project (@themediciarchiveproject) in Florence, which has been an excellent base to sharpen my skills as a scholar: both through ‘learning on the job’ in various libraries and the mentorship of Alessio Assonitis, and other colleagues with archival expertise.
You recently presented at a workshop on ‘Being a Minority in Medieval and Early Modern Sciences,’ hosted by the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. Could you tell us more about the ideas behind the workshop?
The goal was to look at the special features of minorities engaged in the study or practice of the sciences and philosophy from the thirteenth- to seventeenth- centuries. The term ‘minority’ was understood broadly (gender, language, religion) as was ‘science’ (medicine, astrology, natural philosophy) and ultimately this was up to the interpretation of each speaker. The overarching question was how might the ‘minority’ status of an individual shape or condition their approach to scientific and philosophical topics.
What was your paper about, and how does it align with your PhD research?
My paper focused on the longstanding debate over who caused the Fall in Genesis 3, which I have called ‘The Genesis Question’. It was a chance to share research from my MA thesis and Leverhulme-funded project, by discussing Isotta Nogarola’s defence of Eve within the broader perspective of what other Latin authors had said about the matter, which I divided into ‘dominant’ and ‘minority’ viewpoints. I thought this was a worthwhile angle to consider, since it leads to slightly different results than grouping ‘male’ vs. ‘female’ responses to the question. I first outlined the significant features of Nogarola’s engagement with the science of disputation before analysing how her ‘minority’ status may have shaped her rhetorical strategy with a male interlocutor.
What were the key takeaways from your participation in the workshop? Was it a valuable experience, and why?
Each speaker’s interpretation of what constituted a medieval or early modern ‘minority’ differed greatly, and even amongst those who focused on women, the patterns were less clear than expected. This was interesting as I reflected on the not insignificant role that we play, as scholars, in deciding which historical individuals and texts come to be viewed as canonical or marginal. And also, on the links between researchers and their research interests.
In addition to the ‘Being a Minority’ workshop, can you share any upcoming projects or events that you’re excited about?
I’m excited about many events on the horizon at home and away, starting with the short course at the Warburg on Textual Criticism and the Transmission of Texts led by Dr Anna Somfai. In June, I’m presenting my latest research at a symposium at the Herzog August Library in Wolfenbüttel and in September, I’m organising an in-person workshop in Florence called ‘The Epistolary Renaissance: Women Latinists within the Republic of Letters (1300-1700)’, kindly hosted by the Medici Archive Project. I am also looking forward to the completion of the ‘Warburg Renaissance’ project and the prospect of bringing people together through events in the new space.
Would you recommend the Institute as a place to study, and why?
Recommending the Institute as a place to study in general would be like recommending my favourite, local restaurant in Florence to every tourist. I can only hope that everyone who is naturally inclined towards studying the past in a Warburgian way manages to find the Warburg, and I’m sure that they will!
