I am an Italian ancient historian and papyrologist currently working in the Department of Classics and Ancient History at the University of Manchester.
My main interests are Graeco-Roman Egypt, with a focus on the Byzantine period, and the rise and spread of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Papyri and other Egyptian artefacts from the University of Manchester’s collections are often at the centre of my research and teaching. I am a Research Fellow of the John Rylands Research Institute and Academic Honorary Curator of Graeco-Roman Egypt at the Manchester Museum.
In recent years, I have developed an interest in cultural heritage issues related, in particular, with the circulation of papyri and other Egyptian objects on the antiquities market. I often write about this topic on my blog, Faces & Voices, and have organized a one-day colloquium on issues of provenance (To Publish or not to Publish? A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Politics, Ethics and Economics of Ancient Artefacts) in October 2014.
I like public engagement activities: I give talks on aspects of my research, on Egypt in the Graeco Roman world, and on the rise of Christianity for general audiences.