Catherine Ferrari
Major Field
Early Modern Europe
Minor Fields
Medieval Europe, Modern Europe, Early America
Advisors
Research Interests
Catherine is interested in the relationship between early modern kinship, politics, and the law as well as in the political and legal strategies of early modern noblewomen. Her work considers law courts as political sites where nobles jockeyed for reputation, influence, and wealth against other powerful families. She focuses on the ways that women exploited high stakes inheritance lawsuits to enhance and defend their political status at the princely court of the Duke of Savoy.
Courses Taught
- HIST 101: European History: Antiquity-1600
- HIST 102: European History since 1600
- HIST 205: Absolutism and Enlightenment
Publications
Ferrari, Catherine. “The Widow, the Gambler, and the Unruly Witnesses: Witness Testimony and Political Agency in a Family Lawsuit in Early Modern Piedmont.” Sixteenth Century Journal. Forthcoming.
Ferrari, Catherine. “The Compagnia di San Paolo in litigation over women’s charitable contributions.” In Assistance, protection et contrôle social dans les États de Savoie et les États voisins. Aspects d’histoire sociale à partir des sources juridiques et judiciaires. Nice, France: Serre Éditeur. Forthcoming.
Ferrari, Catherine. “Kinship and the Marginalized Consort: Giovanna d’Austria at the Medici
Court.” Early Modern Women Journal vol. 11.1 (Fall 2016): 45-68.