Articles by Nicla Riverso
Claiming Social and Cultural Dignity: Isabella Andreini’s Rime
Italian Studies 77.3 (2022): 241-252.
https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/SJWUINSSSM4QDAKPJQFZ/full?target=10.1080/01614622.2021.1988212
My article provides a better understanding of commedia dell'arte's transformation from an indecor... more My article provides a better understanding of commedia dell'arte's transformation from an indecorous form of popular entertainment, performed in public spaces (piazze) and accused of teaching lust and corruption, into a legitimate and respected art form, performed in aristocratic and royal court theatres before refined and educated audiences. I show how relevant performances by such actresses as
My article explores Paolo Sarpi's achievements in natural philosophy in order to define his contr... more My article explores Paolo Sarpi's achievements in natural philosophy in order to define his contribution to the intellectual milieu of his time. Sarpi's role as a natural philosopher has been underestimated, due to the fact that his research has been unpublished and has largely perished: his works on natural philosophy and his scientific discoveries were recorded in his private papers and diaries, kept in the Servite monastery in Venice, which was entirely destroyed by fire in 1769. I explain how Sarpi, because of his conflicts and strained relations with the Church of Rome, did not want to publish on natural philosophy, and I demonstrate how he operated in "silence," cooperating with other natural philosophers behind the scenes in order to make important discoveries. Bringing up what is left of Sarpi's writings, I examine the Servite's accomplishments in physics and magnetism, and compare them with those of Gilbert, Garzoni, and Galileo. Through a careful analysis on passages from Sarpi's correspondence and Pensieri, by focusing on his achievements in magnetism, I show that his research on magnetic fields had a significant bearing on his study of terrestrial motion and I point out how his study helped him to take his place among those scholars who led Galileo to develop his theory on motion and gravity.
La Sicilia a firma femminile: uno sguardo diacronico e sincronico dal XV al XXI secolo. Rivista di Studi Italiani 38.1 (2020): 14-38.
Per molti secoli, dal medioevo all'età moderna, i monasteri erano considerati prigioni in cui ven... more Per molti secoli, dal medioevo all'età moderna, i monasteri erano considerati prigioni in cui venivano confinate le donne che non potevano ambire alle nozze terrene. Nel mio saggio spiego che non per tutte lo spazio monastico era sinonimo di privazione, reclusione e tristezza ed illustro come ci furono donne che grazie alla libertà che godevano all'interno dei monasterisenza essere sopraffatte dai doveri e dalle proibizioni familiari -ebbero modo di dedicarsi allo studio, si istruirono e svilupparono capacità scrittorie. Prendendo in esame Il libro della Passione di Cristo e La Leggenda della beata Eustochia, scritti elaborati da monache siciliane nel Quattrocento, chiarisco come la produzione religiosa femminile incoraggiò scambi letterari con altri conventi mirando a soddisfare i bisogni spirituali di un pubblico femminile che era escluso dalla cultura del tempo. Il mio intento è quello di evidenziare come le opere scritte dalle monache siciliane sono un'esemplare testimonianza della vivacità intellettuale, culturale e spirituale vissuta all'interno dei monasteri, costituendo un importante documento che ci permette di apprezzare l'attività scrittoria fiorita all'ombra delle istituzioni culturali formalmente riconosciute.
(1689-1762) adopted the epistolary form to narrate her life and travels during her journey to Con... more (1689-1762) adopted the epistolary form to narrate her life and travels during her journey to Constantinople, expressing her challenging view of the East and her critique of the West. Positioning herself as being more authentic and credible through her first-hand experience and the plurivocal dialogue she adopted in her letter-writing, Montagu defies previous male travel writers, noting that because her gender granted her access to private spheres closed to men, her letters present a different and more accurate description of the culture of the Ottoman Empire. The epistolary form lets Montagu move from a private to a public sphere and to reach a wide range of readers by embodying different identities that enable her to narrate her experience through both male and female voices.
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Schede Umanistiche» è una rivista internazionale e pubblica articoli in italiano, inglese, france... more Schede Umanistiche» è una rivista internazionale e pubblica articoli in italiano, inglese, francese e spagnolo. Ogni testo inviato alla Redazione è reso anonimo e sottoposto al processo di peer-review, che consiste nell'esame di almeno due valutatori anonimi (uno interno, uno esterno alla rivista), il cui parere motivato scritto verrà comunicato dal direttore all'autore, insieme al giudizio finale favorevole o sfavorevole alla pubblicazione. I documenti della valutazione sono archiviati presso la Redazione.
The Catholic revival in the sixteenth century coincides with the opening of the commedia dell'art... more The Catholic revival in the sixteenth century coincides with the opening of the commedia dell'arte stage to women, leading to progress for female performers. However, the presence of women in the commedia dell'arte immediately shows contradictions and disagreements with the teaching of the Catholic Church. At this time, women were depicted as an emblem of Catholic morality: they were supposed to be devoted mothers and wives and their life was confined within the domestic household. In my paper, I analyze how difficult it was for women to prevail against religious and cultural prejudices and gain respect and recognition as actresses. My aim is to point out how the presence of women on the stage brought about a revolution for women's role in Western culture offering a freedom of expression against traditional moral patterns and giving female performers a chance to demonstrate cleverness and professionalism.
During the Council of Trent (1545-63), Protestants felt humiliated and excluded from the decision... more During the Council of Trent (1545-63), Protestants felt humiliated and excluded from the decisions made by the popes and had therefore been looking to redeem their position in Christendom. Because Sarpi was one of the most eminent Catholic theologians of the period, Protestants drew on his criticisms of the Church for support of their cause. Sarpi's work offered Protestant writers the means to demonstrate that their arguments against the pope and the Church of Rome were well founded. Moreover, Sarpi was considered a " hero " who had survived an assassination attempt and had defeated the pope during the Venetian interdict (1605-07). In this article, I explain how Sarpi's work gained a strong acceptance in England and how Sarpi tried to use his popularity to bring practical benefits to the Venetian Republic, which ultimately was left alone in its fight for " liberty " and in its attempt to reform the Church.
Modern Languages Open, 2016
È solo in anni relativamente recenti che si è cominciato a rivolgere alle commedie di Ariosto l&#... more È solo in anni relativamente recenti che si è cominciato a rivolgere alle commedie di Ariosto l'attenzione che meritano; questo è dipeso soprattutto dal fatto che l'opera maggiore da lui scritta, l'Orlando Furioso, aveva sempre affascinato a tal punto i critici, da distrarli dai pregi e dal significato di composizioni che sono di un genere letterario molto diverso e sono
book chapters by Nicla Riverso
“‘Family’ in Dante’s The Divine Comedy.” Critical Insights: Family. Ed. John V. Knapp. Ipswich, MA: Salem Press, 2012. 282-304.
Encyclopedia Entries by Nicla Riverso
“Giovan Battista Andreini.” The Literary Encyclopedia. https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=14784, November 2021
“La Mirtilla.” The Literary Encyclopedia. https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=38884, November 2018
“Isabella Andreini.” The Literary Encyclopedia. http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=13839, April 2017
Books by Nicla Riverso
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Articles by Nicla Riverso
book chapters by Nicla Riverso
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Books by Nicla Riverso