Arabella Cortese

Dr. Arabella Cortese is a postdoctoral researcher and scientific coordinator of the DFG Research Training Group 2337 "Metropolitanity in Pre-Modernity" at the University of Regensburg. She also conducts research at the University of Marburg in Christian Archaeology and Byzantine Art History, focusing on "The Staging of Holy Water in Late Antique and Byzantine Church Buildings." Her academic journey includes doctoral studies in Late Antique and Byzantine Art History at the University of Munich.

Dr. Cortese's educational background includes:

• 2003-2005: Studied Archaeology at the University of Pisa
• 2005-2008: Studied Medieval Archaeology at the University of Pisa
• 2017-2020: Doctoral studies in Late Antique and Byzantine Art History at the University of Munich
• 2021-2022: Fellow of the Free State of Bavaria at the Central Institute for Art History in Munich

Her research examines how natural elements, particularly water, shaped sacred spaces and religious practices in Late Antiquity and Byzantine periods. She investigates the ritual and narrative dimensions of water cults and their influence on the creation of sacred spaces organized around water. Her work combines archaeological evidence, literary sources, and iconographic analysis to understand religious space construction and experience in the Late Antique Mediterranean world.

Dr. Cortese's publication record demonstrates expertise in Late Antique sacred landscapes, particularly in Cilicia and Asia Minor. Her research shows consistent focus on how religious practices shaped urban and rural spaces, with particular attention to water-related rituals and saint veneration. She has published extensively on sacred architecture, pilgrimage sites, and urban transformation from Roman to Late Antique periods.

Among her notable achievements is the Fritz Thyssen Foundation funding for her research project "Construction Research in Concordia Sagittaria (VE)" (2024-2026), which examines how Concordia fit into the late antique sacred landscape of northeastern Italy. She was previously awarded a fellowship from the Free State of Bavaria to work at the Central Institute for Art History in Munich (2021-2022).

Dr. Cortese actively contributes to the academic community through conference organization and presentations. She has organized panels at major international conferences including the European Association of Biblical Studies and the International Congress on the Study of the Middle Ages. Her current research projects investigate water's role in shaping sacred spaces and conduct construction research on the early Christian complex of Concordia Sagittaria in northeastern Italy.