Francesca Dell'Acqua

Associate Professor Francesca Dell'Acqua teaches Medieval and Byzantine Art History at University of Salerno, with affiliations at the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz as an Associate Scholar. Her work bridges art history and cultural transmission across medieval Mediterranean societies.

• PhD from Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa
• Specializes in material culture and visual communication as historical records

Her research explores how medieval elites projected authority through artistic patronage, liturgical texts, and architectural symbolism, with particular focus on gender dynamics and soft power mechanisms. Publications analyze stained glass, ivory carvings, and Christian homiletics as interconnected media of cultural memory.

The Kunsthistorisches Institut (Max Planck Society) has supported her ivory object studies, while her 2020 monograph on Roman iconophilia examines political-theological intersections in image use.

Scientific Recognition

• 2003 Hahn Prize (Bibliotheca Hertziana)
• Multiple fellowships (Dumbarton Oaks, Birmingham's Byzantine Centre)

As a transdisciplinary scholar, she investigates how medieval 'mass media' – sermons, artworks, and manuscripts – shaped collective consciousness and power structures.