Worlds on the Move: Migration and Exchange Across Europe and the Mediterranean, 1492–1700

How did people travel across the Mediterranean in the early modern period? What documents and economic resources enabled their mobility? How did cities respond to migration, and what did it mean to cross borders in a world of empires, republics, and religious frontiers? This course explores the mechanisms and experiences of movement, examining how migration shaped the cultural, social, and political development of early modern societies. Drawing on the instructor’s expertise, the course places special emphasis on female mobility and the influence of gender relations on migratory experiences. Students will engage with various primary sources, such as archival documents, maps, iconographic materials, and literary texts, which will provide them with essential tools and methods for practicing history and deepen their understanding of how historians work.