Francesca Prescendi Morresi

Francesca Prescendi Morresi is a Lecturer in the History and Anthropology of Religions Unit at the University of Geneva and a Director of Studies at the École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE) in Paris for the Chair of Religions of Rome and the Roman World. She holds Italian and Swiss nationality, born in Piombino, Italy. Her academic work focuses on ancient religious practices with particular expertise in Roman and Greek religious systems.

Her research interests span Roman and Greek reflections on religion, mourning and funeral lamentation in classical antiquity, methodology for defining fundamental concepts in the history of religions, modern explanations of ancient religions, sacrifices and killing rites in ancient civilizations, and the intersection of gender, religions, and anthropology. She approaches these topics through a comparative framework that examines religious phenomena across cultural boundaries.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on ritual practices, particularly sacrifice and divine hierarchies, with increasing attention to gender perspectives and anthropological approaches to ancient religions. Her work demonstrates sophisticated methodological approaches that combine philological analysis with anthropological frameworks, creating innovative pathways for understanding ancient religious systems.

• Accredited as a full professor of Religious Studies in Italy
• Member of the Collegio dei Docenti of the international doctorate 'Mondo classico: antropologia e teoria della cultura'
• Member of the committee of the Swiss Society for the Science of Religions
• Member of ISREL (Institute for the Science of Religions and Secularism)
• Member of the European Network on Gender Studies in Antiquity
• Director with Philippe Borgeaud of lecture series on ancient religions organized by the continuing education of the University of Geneva
• Member of the editorial board of 'Mythos. Rivista di Storia delle religioni' (Palermo)
• Member of the scientific committee of 'Asdiwal. Geneva Journal of Anthropology and History of Religions' (Geneva)

Dr. Prescendi Morresi directs the SNSF project 'Ancient and Modern Theories on Sacrifice and Ritual Killing in Greek, Roman and Jewish Religions and in the History of Religions.' Her scholarly network extends across Europe, with collaborations evident in her co-edited volumes and research projects. She has supervised doctoral students through the international doctorate program 'Mondo classico' and participates in numerous academic committees that shape the field of religious studies.