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Wanxin Du

My name is Wanxin Du. I am a current PhD candidate at the Centre for the Study of the Renaissance at the University of Warwick, co-supervised by Dr Jonathan DaviesLink opens in a new window and Dr Luca MolĂ Link opens in a new window. I am interested in economic, social, political, and legal history in early modern Italy, especially in the history of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany in the 16th and 17th centuries.
My PhD project, 'Crime and Justice in Tuscany in the Late Sixteenth and Early Seventeenth Centuries', explores the patterns of crime, punishment, and conflict resolution in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany through the lens of socio-economic crises between the 1590s and the 1660s. A comparison between the Stato Vecchio of Florence and the Stato Nuovo of Siena is my focus. By investigating this topic, I hope to examine whether the Grand Duchy of Tuscany strengthened its state formation by coping with crimes, and to what extent did the seventeenth-century crisis influence the efficiency of state justice and community justice in early modern Tuscany.

 

Research Interests

  • Renaissance and Early Modern Italy
  • History of Florence, Siena, and Tuscany
  • Violence, Crime, and Criminal Justice in Early Modern Europe

Education

  • Ph.D. in Renaissance Studies, University of Warwick, UK, 2022-present
  • M.A. in World History, Fudan University, China, 2019-2022
  • B.A. in World History, Tianjin Normal University, China, 2015-2019

Research and Language Trainings

  • Winter Seminar in Palaeography and Archival Studies, Medici Archive Project, Jan 2024
  • Specialised Italian Intermediate for Renaissance Research, Warburg Institute, Oct 2022-Mar 2023
  • Italian Palaeography, University of Warwick, Oct-Dec 2022 & Jan-Mar 2024

Scholarships and Awards

  • Eva Schler Fellowship, Medici Archive Project, 2023-2024
  • China Scholarship Council-University of Warwick Scholarship, 2022-2026
  • Outstanding Graduate of Fudan University, 2022
  • Tung Scholarship, Fudan University, 2020-2021