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Biography
I was educated at the University of Bologna (Italy, BA in Foreign Languages and Literatures), University of Sussex (UK, exchange student at the School of English), University of Nottingham (UK, MA in Viking and Anglo-Saxon Studies) and I am currently a PhD student at the University of Nottingham (PhD in English).
Before coming to Nottingham for my PhD, I worked as a museum operator at the Collection of Anatomical Pathology and Veterinary Teratology of the University of Bologna. I oversaw an educational project for high school and college students that explored the behaviour and relationship between humans and canids, especially wolves and dogs. I was also part of one of the teams in charge of the exhibitions for the five hundredth anniversary of Ulisse Aldrovandi at the University of Bologna (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine).
I'm currently involved with educational activities at the University of Nottingham (Vikings for Schools).
Teaching Summary
I am currently involved as a volunteer for the educational project Vikings for Schools, which aims to educate young students about the Viking Age. In particular, I oversee an activity regarding… read more
Research Summary
My project aims to investigate the concept of 'wolfishness' in medieval Scandinavia through an interdisciplinary approach that considers archaeological, literary and scientific evidence. Wolves were… read more
I am currently involved as a volunteer for the educational project Vikings for Schools, which aims to educate young students about the Viking Age. In particular, I oversee an activity regarding Viking Hoards, which requires students to interact with a variety of replicas to either find or hide a hoard.
Current Research
My project aims to investigate the concept of 'wolfishness' in medieval Scandinavia through an interdisciplinary approach that considers archaeological, literary and scientific evidence. Wolves were among the most impactful animals in Old Norse culture, and the majority of sources that represent them were created in medieval Iceland. However, this species was never indigenous to Iceland and therefore, my thesis explores this tradition tracing it to Norway and Europe.
By expanding on recent studies regarding the history and distribution of this species in the Scandinavian landscape, my thesis evaluates the meaning of wolves in folk taxonomy and the wider culture. Furthermore, Old Norse culture places considerable emphasis on the similarities and differences between wolves and dogs, which elicits a complex picture that has not yet been carefully addressed. My project analyses this triangular relationship between humans, wolves, and dogs to determine how wolves came to be among the most influential animals in medieval Scandinavia.
Past Research
In my past studies, I worked on a variety of Old Norse sources with a penchant for Icelandic fornaldarsögur. In particular, I focused on the importance of familial bonds in Völsunga saga and the significance of social disruption in the creation of literary paradigms.