Chiara Franceschini

Chiara Franceschini is a Full Professor of Art History at IMT School for Advanced Studies, Lucca and University Professor for Early Modern Art History at LMU Munich. She holds joint appointments in both institutions, specializing in pre-modern art with a focus on religious imagery, transcultural encounters, and the social role of art. Her academic career includes fellowships at the Warburg Institute, Columbia University, and EHESS.

Education:

• PhD in Art History, Scuola Normale Superiore (2008)
• Laurea in Letters and Philosophy, Università di Pisa (1997)

Research Interests:

• Visual norms in sacred images
• Art and the Inquisition
• Early Modern hospitals' architectural and artistic heritage
• Cross-cultural exchanges between Europe and Japan

Grants & Projects:

• ERC-StG SACRIMA (2016-2022)
• ERC-AdG ARCHIATER (2024-2029)
• DAAD-Waseda University partnership (2019-2021)

Awards:

• I Tatti Prize (2012)
• Newton Fellowship (2009)

Her current research explores the visual and architectural heritage of early modern hospitals, while her upcoming monograph examines art's role in Inquisition processes. She advises doctoral projects on cultural heritage and visual cultures of late medieval/early modern Europe.