Emily Michelson

Prof. Emily Michelson is a cultural and religious historian of early modern Italy, holding a Professorship in the School of History at the University of St Andrews since 2009. Previously, she taught at the University of Utah and earned her BA from Harvard University (1995) and PhD in History and Renaissance Studies from Yale (2006).

Research: Her work explores religious diversity, interfaith encounters, and mobility in early modern Italy. Key publications include The Pulpit and the Press in Reformation Italy (2013) and Catholic Spectacle and Rome's Jews (funded by the British Academy and AHRC). Current projects include the ItalianROSE initiative, co-led with Prof. Mary Laven, examining Renaissance objects/spaces of encounter, and co-editing the Routledge series Renaissance and Early Modern Worlds of Knowledge.

Teaching: She teaches modules on Renaissance Venice, Early Modern Rome, and interfaith dynamics. Courses include MO1007 (first-year survey) and HI2001 ('History as a Discipline').

Grants & Awards: Recipient of a British Academy mid-career grant (2017) and AHRC early-career fellowship (2016–2019). Projects include studies on religious minorities in early modern Rome and redefining sanctity in the early modern world.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with institutions across St Andrews and Cambridge, contributing to interdisciplinary research on religious history and cultural encounters.