Thomas Croisez

Thomas Croisez is a Researcher in the Department of History at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence, Italy. He joined the institute in 2021 and is engaged in advanced research on early modern colonial history, particularly focusing on religious and geopolitical dynamics in the Americas.

His research centers on early modern history, with thematic expertise in global, imperial, and colonial history, especially the Spanish Empire and French-Spanish rivalry in Louisiana, Texas, Florida, and Hispaniola between 1683 and 1763. His work adopts a transnational and comparative approach to early modern empires, emphasizing the role of missionaries as geopolitical actors in borderland regions.

His research interests include:

• Early modern history of the Hispanic world
• Colonialism and empire studies
• Transnational and comparative imperial history
• Borderlands in North America and the Caribbean
• 17th and 18th century global history

Thomas is supervised by Regina Grafe (former EUI Professor) and Lucy Riall. He is affiliated with the Department of History at EUI, contributing to scholarly discussions on colonial encounters, religious missions, and imperial competition in the Atlantic world.

He is Belgian by nationality and maintains an active academic profile at EUI, though no formal teaching rank or part-time status is indicated.