Donatella Gagliardi

Donatella Gagliardi is an Associate Professor of Spanish Literature at the Department of Literary, Linguistic and Comparative Studies, University of Naples L'Orientale. She has been qualified for the first category (2016, third session) in the Scientific Disciplinary Group 10/SPAN-01. Her academic career is centered on Renaissance Spanish literature, particularly focusing on dialogues of the Siglo de Oro, gender studies, reading theory, censorship practices, 16th-century Christian education, Castilian chivalric novels, and political satire of the Early Modern period.

Her research interests include:

• Renaissance dialogues and their Italian influences
• Gender studies and women's representation in Early Modern literature
• Reading theory and censorship during the Counter-Reformation
• 16th-century Christian education treatises
• Castilian chivalric novels and their reception
• Political satire in Early Modern Spain

Her recent publications (2023-2025) demonstrate a strong focus on widowhood in Early Modern Spain, censorship practices, Renaissance educational treatises (particularly those of Juan Luis Vives), and the analysis of prohibited books. These works span multiple disciplines including literary studies, gender studies, history of education, and book history, with particular emphasis on the Spanish-Italian cultural exchange during the Renaissance and Early Modern periods.

She has held significant institutional roles including:

• President of the University Library System and Historical Archive (2025-present)
• ERASMUS coordinator for Spanish universities (2019-present)
• Scientific coordinator for international agreements with Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3 (2019-present)
• Member of research evaluation committees for ANVUR and AEI

Prof. Gagliardi actively participates in international research collaborations, having worked on numerous PRIN projects and international research initiatives focused on censorship, religious dissent, and Renaissance literature. She has organized multiple international conferences on topics related to censorship, widowhood, and Spanish Golden Age literature. Her scholarly activities demonstrate a sustained commitment to interdisciplinary research that bridges literary studies, history, and cultural studies with a particular focus on the Spanish-Italian cultural exchange during the Renaissance and Early Modern periods.