CeSIM is a research centre belonging to the Department of philosophy ‘Piero Martinetti’ of the University of Milan.
CeSIM promotes research projects dedicated to the history of medieval thought from a perspective that takes into account the plurality of cultures, languages and traditions that mark the medieval era. The centre also aims to present an image of the medieval millennium which is characterised by open chronological horizons, encompassing a time span from Late-antiquity to Early-modernity, stressing on the notion of continuity with respect to the intellectual phenomena that represent its origins and evolution.
The research supported by the centre is characterised by direct recourse to unpublished sources, such as manuscripts or ancient prints; special attention is paid to the production of critical editions of texts, which would otherwise not be accessible in modern editions. In addition, research focuses on the study of different medieval cultural and linguistic traditions (Latin-romance, Greek-byzantine, Arabic, Hebrew) and on the phenomena of transmission from one tradition to another.
Methodologically, CeSIM favours inquiries related to texts, authors or topics adopting both the historical-philosophical approach – such as the study of sources, textual transmission and reception – and an interdisciplinary criterion, which makes use of tools belonging to other human sciences. Of particular relevance is the adoption of critical-textual methodologies and the expertise in paleography for the study of unpublished sources. Finally, the centre aims to combine the classical perspective of historical-philosophical and critical-textual research with the dissemination of new digital tools, encouraging, for example, the dissemination of the results on digital platforms, such as lexicons and digital editions.
CeSIM’s purpose is to encourage the work of young researchers and foster access to the study of the various disciplines and topics specific to the history of medieval thought. The centre therefore offers to advanced students, doctoral students and post-docs, an educational program that includes series of thematic seminars on an annual basis held by scholars from other universities, both national and international ones, and research seminars dedicated to specific projects held by the members of the centre.