Una mappatura digitale delle confraternite

Giampaolo Salice

2025-01-01

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Abstract

This article explores the meaning and potential of a digital mapping of the confraternal phenomenon, questioning its value as an analytical tool beyond purely descriptive or visual purposes. Starting from the observation of the fragmentation of scholarship and the dispersion of sources and research outputs, the study argues that these issues can be productively addressed through the integration of historical research and computational tools. Using the case study of Cagliari, the article proposes and tests a methodological approach that employs digital mapping as a heuristic and interpretative device. The historical complexity of confraternities is thus understood not only as a challenge, but also as a resource for addressing broader methodological and epistemological questions related to the study of this multifaceted associative form of the early modern period.