Eleonora Rava

Dr Eleonora Rava is an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of St Andrews' School of History. Her research focuses on medieval voluntary reclusion, medieval European legal frameworks, and religious practices. She co-edited the 2021 special issue Ripensare la reclusione volontaria nell'Europa medievale and contributed to multiple publications analyzing statutes from Central and Northern Italy. Her work bridges historical analysis with social and religious contexts, particularly exploring the motivations and legal underpinnings of voluntary imprisonment in medieval societies.

Dr Rava was a researcher on the InSpeCo H2020 MSCA Fellowship (2017–2019), examining voluntary reclusion across medieval Europe. She has engaged in public scholarship, including a 2017 lecture series for prisoners in Terni, Italy, linking historical reclusion with modern penal experiences. Her research emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to medieval social and religious history.