Davide Politi, M.A.

Davide Politi specializes in the history of Western Christianity from the eleventh to the fourteenth centuries, with a focus on medieval Latin literature, preaching and exempla, monastic orders, and the history of magic. Originally from Naples, Italy, Davide earned his Bachelor's degree in History from the University of Bologna Alma Mater Studiorum and a Master's degree in Medieval History from Central European University in Vienna.

Currently a PhD candidate at Ludwig Maximilian University, Davide is expanding on his previous research on demonic magic through his dissertation project: Constructing Identities Through the Devil: A Narratological Analysis of Demonic Encounters in the Middle Ages. This project explores the narrative motif describing interactions between humans and demons in medieval Latin sources from circa 1050 to 1350. By analyzing these texts, Davide investigates how medieval authors used depiction of demonic encounters to shape both their own identities and those of other groups. His research highlights how narratives could influence social and spiritual hierarchies, offering a new perspective on medieval Christian society and connecting literary depictions of demons to broader historical phenomena such as anti-Judaic persecutions, heresy suppression, inquisitorial shifts, and Church reforms.

Download Davide's academic CV here (PDF, 178 KB).

Supervisors

Prof. Dr. Julia Burkhardt

Prof. Dr. Christina Lutter