Anna Bennett is a historian of early modern Europe and the world, specializing in social and cultural history. Her research explores how material culture shaped spiritual beliefs and offers insight into the lives of marginalized people in the past. Her award-winning article, 鈥淏agatelle or Stregamenti: The Spiritual Potential of Material Objects and Spaces in Late Rinascimento Venice, 1580-1630,鈥 appeared in the Fall 2020 issue of the Journal of Women鈥檚 History. She is currently writing on the domestication of magic and acts of ritual reading as sources of empowerment for Venetian women.
Dr. Bennett teaches courses on medieval and early modern Europe, microhistory, and topics such as the histories of witchcraft, the body, and leisure. Her classes emphasize close reading of primary sources and discussion of big historical questions. She is affiliated with the Gender and Women鈥檚 Studies program and seeks to integrate interdisciplinary approaches into her scholarship and her classroom.
Education
Ph.D, University of Miami
M.A., University of Rhode Island
B.A., Berry College
Courses Taught
History of Fun and Leisure in Premodern Europe
History of Witchcraft in Europe and the Atlantic World
Europe in an Age of Encounters: Early Modern Microhistories
History of Early Modern Europe, 1450-1800
Introduction to Medieval History
History of Sexuality and the Body in Premodern Europe
Conflict and Collaboration
First Year Foundations
Areas of Expertise
Social and cultural histories of early modern Italy, Europe, and the Mediterranean
Histories of women and gender
Material culture studies
Publications and Articles
鈥淏agatelle or Stregamenti: The Spiritual Potential of Material Objects and Spaces in Late Rinascimento Venice, 1580-1630,鈥 The Journal of Women鈥檚 History, Vol. 32, No. 3 (Fall 2020): 115-138.Link:聽
Accomplishments
Georgia State University Success through Advancing Teaching Excellence (STATE) Summer Teaching Institute Fellow (2023)UM Center for the Humanities David John Ruggiero Dissertation Award, 鈥淭he Magic of Things: Matter, Spirit, and Power in Venice, 1580-1730.鈥 (2021)Venetian Research Program Grant, Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation (2019)
Research Interests
Histories of witchcraft and magic
Material religion
Histories of the body and sexuality
Early modern Venice and its empire
Environmental humanities