"Premio Desiderio Pirovano" for Riccarda Suitner

Suitner is now employed at the University of Rome; at the time, she worked in Erfurt as part of the research group "Religious Individualisation in Historical Perspective" under the direction of Professor Martin Mulsow and Professor Jörg Rüpke began working on the project that is now being honoured. The board of the "Premio Desiderio Pirovano" has now selected their book, published by Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, for the 2024 prize due to the originality of the research, which deals with a topic that is little studied in Italian historiography.

The book analyses Venice as the centre of an Anabaptist movement in the 16th century that was linked to similar groups in other Italian and European territories. Based on extensive archival and documentary sources as well as an up-to-date bibliography, the author shows that the history of Anabaptism in Italy largely coincides with the history of Venice, albeit only for a limited period of time. At the end of the 16th century, the Roman Inquisition signalled the end of these numerically significant circles and led to a diaspora in Europe, whose protagonists were well-known intellectuals and reformers. However, the study does not focus on this well-known chapter of the Radical Reformation in Europe, but analyses the previous phase (first half of the 16th century) in order to highlight the particularities of the Radical Reformation in the Veneto region and the role of Venice in the development of important ideas and concepts. With its interdisciplinary approach, the book sheds light on both the continued existence of this movement after the end of the 16th century and its lasting legacy, namely the ideas of pacifism and religious tolerance - themes that are still highly topical today.

Jörg Rüpke, Co-Director of the Max-Weber-Kolleg: "We congratulate Riccarda Suitner on this well-deserved honour and wish her all the best for her future academic career".