What was your research about, and how was your relationship with your supervisor?
My research aimed at providing a better understanding of how and why historical novels shape(d) our perception of Mediterranean history. My supervisor Lucy Riall shared my fascination for the peculiarities of historical fiction and supported me at every step of my journey through the depths of nineteenth-century popular literature. The final text would not have been the same without her guidance.
How did your EUI experience help pave your professional path?
The EUI widened my horizon. I encountered a vast diversity of researchers and topics that I would otherwise never have come across. It was the countless conversations with colleagues researching Habsburg diplomats, Irish revolutionaries, Hungarian theme parks, Egyptian students, or Mediterranean pirates that enriched my understanding of the world and made me the historian I am today.
Did you experience any turning points or aha moments during your PhD at the EUI that helped you?
It was eye-opening for me to realize that we, too, are storytellers. At first, I tried to remain constantly critical, deconstructing writings presented to me, uncovering their political connotations. While this step is important, researchers also need to create their own narratives. History is not only about questioning myths and misconceptions but also about providing alternatives that we find more meaningful. It is not merely about demonstrating the complexities of the past but also about creating a concise, convincing, and constructive account for oneself and one’s readership. Forging one’s own story is extremely liberating and empowering. My stay at the EUI showed me that I am allowed and, indeed, capable of doing so. Surely, the same realization has come, comes, and will come to hundreds of the institute’s researchers.
What advice would you give, to either current or future EUI:ers?
I strongly recommend finding a balance between concentrated work and free exploration. Some spend most of their time confined to their desks, reading and studying like hermits in a secluded cell. Others turn their attention to every new event, trendy discussion, or current issue. I think it is clear to most that one must strike a balance between keeping one’s eyes focused and wandering. Yet, to find the rhythm that suits your own needs and makes your life in Florence personally as well as professionally fulfilling is not as easy as it might seem. One should neither obsess over merely one topic nor scatter one’s energy by chasing every trend and whim. What seems self-evident is difficult to implement in one’s everyday life as an EUI researcher. It might be helpful to know that one is not alone in this struggle and that many others feel the same. Rather than being yet another distraction, solidarity among researchers offers a way to overcome the feeling of being lost between deadlines and the countless intellectual (as well as literal) paths to be trodden in the hills of Fiesole. The innumerable opportunities and new impressions at the EUI easily overwhelm us all. It is the presence of others that keeps us from losing our heads in past eras or overloaded schedules.
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The EUI Alumni Testimonials series offers a glimpse into the diverse paths and experiences of our alumni. Through their stories, we revisit meaningful moments from their time at the EUI and discover how these experiences continue to shape their personal and professional journeys.
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Disclaimer: All information reported in this article reflects solely the perspective of EUI alumni and former EUI members. In no case does this article represent the view of the organisations the interviewees are affiliated with.