Beyond the Margins. Female Illuminators in Medieval and Renaissance Europe
- ISFiDa
- Apr 27
- 2 min read
Prof. Carla Rossi Publishes Beyond the Margins: A Landmark Study on Female Illuminators in Medieval Europe
We are proud to announce the publication of Beyond the Margins. Female Illuminators in Medieval and Renaissance Europe by Prof. Carla Rossi, philologist and art historian, published by Ethics International Press (2025). This groundbreaking volume systematically examines the essential but historically undervalued contributions of women to the art of illuminated manuscripts, offering an unprecedented scholarly framework that reshapes our understanding of medieval and Renaissance book culture.
Through meticulous archival investigations and advanced philological analysis, Prof. Rossi reconstructs the lost trajectories of female illuminators and scribes, revealing their artistic agency and their pivotal role in shaping the visual and textual traditions of Europe. Her work, grounded in material philology and manuscript studies, bridges historical research and digital innovation, notably through the development of the first interactive map dedicated to medieval and Renaissance female scribes and illuminators, now accessible via ISFiDa.
By combining gender history, manuscript transmission studies, and codicological reconstruction, Beyond the Margins challenges traditional narratives dominated by male figures, offering a vibrant and evidence-based reassessment of women's presence in the intellectual and artistic life of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
Despite enduring a defamatory campaign orchestrated by individuals with vested interests in manuscript trafficking, Prof. Rossi continues her academic mission with integrity, resilience, and renewed international recognition.Her commitment to responsible scholarship and cultural heritage protection is reflected not only in Beyond the Margins but also in her broader efforts to document and reconstruct dismembered manuscripts across Europe.
Already considered one of the first systematic contributions to the field of female manuscript production, Beyond the Margins establishes a new standard for manuscript studies and material philology.The volume is available through Ethics International Press and marks a significant advancement in the academic discourse on gender, art history, and medieval studies.
➡️ Discover Beyond the Margins and explore the interactive map of medieval female illuminators on: https://www.oprom.eu/map-female-illuminators
