Ph.D contract (M/W), “The formation of the intellectual milieu at the court of the popes of Avignon (1309-1334)”

2 Sep 2023
Job Information

Organisation/Company

CNRS

Department

Centre de recherches historiques

Research Field

History » Ancient history
History » Archaeology
History » Medieval history

Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Country

France

Application Deadline

22 Sep 2023 – 23:59 (UTC)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

35

Offer Starting Date

1 Nov 2023

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by an EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

The PhD Student will join the “Anthropologie historique du long Moyen Âge” research group, Centre de recherche historique (UMR 8558), Ecole des hautes études en sciences sociales (Paris), under the supervision of Etienne Anheim, Professor, co-supervised with Elisa Brilli, Professor, Director of the CMS, University of Toronto, as part of the “The Autonomization of Intellectuals in the Middle Ages” Project, Joint PhD Program CNRS-University of Toronto.
The AIMA (The Autonomization of Intellectuals in the Middle Ages) project deals with the « myth » of the autonomy of intellectual professions and professionals. This question is a major one in the supposed transition from the Middle Ages, which regarded intellectual professions as parts of the Christian ordo in earlier phases, to the Renaissance but is still very much influential on contemporary representations of knowledge and knowledge-professionals. AIMA will foster an interdisciplinary approach to this problem thanks to the creation of a new interdisciplinary team, including two co-principal investigators and two doctoral students. In particular, AIMA will promote the dialogue between the research in progress by E. Brilli (UofT, Centre for Medieval Studies [CMS]) and E. Anheim (CNRS/EHESS, Anthropologie Historique du Long Moyen Age [AHLoMA]) on the history of the making of the “intellectual” as an autonomous figure in the Western tradition by exploring its medieval and Christian background.

In the context of the AIMA project (see below), the thesis will be devoted to the study of the intellectual milieu emerging at the court of the popes of Avignon in its early years. While intellectual life at the court of Avignon has been the subject of numerous studies for the mid-fourteenth century, focusing on major figures such as Petrarch and Pope Clement VI, the formation of this social and cultural milieu between the time Clement V settled in Avignon in 1309 and the death of his successor John XXII in 1334 has been little studied. We hypothesise that it was during this period that a number of key features of the intellectual culture of Avignon, one of the cradles of humanism in Europe, were shaped. In particular, we would like to focus on the social trajectories, culture and possible literary productions of the many authors of Italian origin who settled in Provence at this time, such as Petrarch’s father, Ser Petracco, a friend of Dante, and on their links with the political and administrative world of the Curia. This will provide an opportunity to understand how an ‘intellectual milieu’ came into being in concrete terms, and to examine its relative autonomy, both as a social group and from the point of view of the individuals who made it up. The dissertation will require research in libraries and archives in France and Italy (mainly Paris, Avignon and Rome). A background in history, philology or Latin is recommended, as well as a good knowledge of historiography and social science methods.

Requirements

Research Field

History

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Research Field

History

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Research Field

History

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Languages

FRENCH

Level

Basic

Research Field

History » Ancient history

Years of Research Experience

None

Research Field

History » Archaeology

Years of Research Experience

None

Research Field

History » Medieval history

Years of Research Experience

None

Additional Information

Website for additional job details

https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Offres/Doctorant/UMR8558-ETIANH-001/Default.aspx

Work Location(s)

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

Centre de recherches historiques

Country

France

City

PARIS 06

Where to apply

Website

https://emploi.cnrs.fr/Candidat/Offre/UMR8558-ETIANH-001/Candidater.aspx

Contact

City

PARIS 06

Website

http://www.crh.ehess.fr

STATUS: EXPIRED