On September 24, 2025, the American University in Cairo (AUC) hosted JCU’s Professor Fabrizio Conti for a lecture titled “The Italian Renaissance and Its Legacies in a Global Perspective.” The event was part of the History department’s History Hash Outs seminar series, an ongoing initiative designed to foster scholarly dialogue and interdisciplinary engagement among students, faculty, and historians. AUC Professor Hanan Kholoussy (the department chair) opened the session by welcoming attendees and highlighting the department’s commitment to exploring global dimensions of historical study.
Professor Conti, a specialist in medieval and Renaissance history, began his talk by situating the Italian Renaissance within its historical context — a period spanning roughly from the 14th to the 17th centuries that marked a profound transformation in art, philosophy, science, and politics. Rather than viewing the Renaissance as an isolated European phenomenon, Conti invited the audience to consider it as part of a broader, interconnected world. He emphasized that the Renaissance was not only a rebirth of classical learning but also a moment of dynamic exchange between different regions and civilizations.
The Italian Reinassance: a Dialogue with the Islamic World
One of the central themes of Professor Conti’s lecture was the dialogue between Europe and the Islamic world during this transformative period. He underscored how the Italian Renaissance was deeply influenced by centuries of intellectual and cultural contact across the Mediterranean. Islamic scholars had preserved and expanded upon classical Greek and Roman knowledge, which later found its way back into Europe through translations and scholarly exchanges. Conti noted that this transmission of knowledge ranging from philosophy and mathematics to medicine, astronomy and art — played a crucial role in shaping Renaissance thought.
The lecture further explored how artistic and material exchanges reflected this cross-cultural dialogue. Conti argued that the Renaissance world was far more interconnected than is often assumed. The flourishing of trade between Italian city-states and the Ottoman Empire, for example, not only fueled economic growth but also encouraged new ways of seeing and representing the world. In this sense, the Renaissance can be understood as both a European and a global phenomenon.
Professor Conti
Reinassance Studies Today: Inclusivity and Awareness
Professor Conti closed his lecture by addressing how Renaissance ideals and aesthetics continue to shape modernity. He discussed the enduring legacy of Renaissance Humanism — particularly its emphasis on individual creativity, critical inquiry, and the value of education — and reflected on how these ideas have influenced intellectual and artistic movements beyond Europe.
He encouraged the audience to think critically about how concepts such as “the Renaissance” have been constructed and interpreted in global contexts, calling attention to the importance of inclusivity and cross-cultural awareness in the study of history.
