Religious Practices, Boundaries, and Institutions. Historiographical Debates and New Perspectives in Early Modern Italian History

This introduction to the monographic issue highlights the methodological shift inspired by the “global turn,” which has reshaped traditional research fields by emphasizing interconnectedness across cultural and religious contexts. It examines how Italian religious historiography has engaged with global frameworks while maintaining a dialogue with its national traditions. The discussion addresses pivotal historiographical debates. The first section of the essay provides a general overview of religious history in Italian historiography since the late 1990s, followed by a more detailed exploration of the most recent historiographical developments and debates.