Research
My research takes a highly interdisciplinary approach to investigate fundamental social, ethical, and legal issues that concern our contemporary society through the lens of Renaissance humanism.
The Ethics of Loyalty: Justice, Trust and the Pursuit of Certainty in the works of Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472)
My doctoral thesis examines Alberti’s framework for the moral law in De iure (1437)—his concise Latin treatise on legal ethics—which presents an approach to judicial punishment based on the spirit and intent of the law with strong philosophical overtones. The work comprises Alberti’s response to the request of the criminal justice official, Francesco Coppini of Prato (c. 1400-64), for advice on determining legal judgements and punishments. My thesis offers the first comprehensive interrogation of Alberti’s conception of the moral law, and the function of justice and loyalty within that normative framework. It analyses Alberti’s determination of loyalty (‘fides’) as the foundation of justice and the law, and its role in his ethical architecture. Concepts and terminology on ethics, justice and the law in Alberti’s work are borrowed from Aristotle, Cicero, and Quintilian. Nevertheless, Alberti’s ability to repurpose those classical concepts, and his emphasis on perspective and contextual elements in his legal theory, represented a new direction in comparison to the legal conventions for criminal punishment at the time, which imposed set penalties for certain crimes, irrespective of the circumstances of the case.
My research addresses the social dynamics of justice and loyalty, analysing Alberti’s principles for governance in interpersonal relationships. His guidance in the vernacular dialogue, I libri della famiglia (c.1433-43), centres around the moral instruction and supervision of dependants, heavily influenced by Xenophon’s Oeconomicus. The same methodological principles for establishing loyalty and social justice are systematically applied to the political domain in De iciarchia (c.1465-70), which sets out a blueprint for state governance with the aim of maintaining social harmony and a stable political order.
I further investigate the role of reputation (‘fama’), as a mechanism for social governance in society, and the detrimental effects of rumour (‘fama’) and slander (‘calumnia’) on the long-term stability of society. I consider the mechanisms through which rumour and slander operate and their association with anger and injustice within Alberti’s moral framework.
I am a graduate in Modern Languages (Italian) from Balliol College, University of Oxford, where I studied for my BA Hons degree and Master of Studies degree in European Literature with research on the works of Leon Battista Alberti. I continued my studies in the field of law to qualify as a lawyer, specializing in intellectual property, social media, privacy and technology matters. I practiced at an international law firm, advising on multi-jurisdictional regulatory projects, including submissions to government consultations on data privacy and social media regulation, and advising social media platform operators on commercial and regulatory matters.
My intellectual interests centre on justice, trust, loyalty and certainty in social and economic networks, taking a comparative approach to consider innovative solutions to contemporary challenges. I am regularly invited to speak at international academic and industry conferences on justice, loyalty and social punishment, and publish articles in international journals and publications. I also have a strong interest in public engagement and impact outreach, presenting talks and writing extensively for industry and public-facing journals aimed at wider audiences.
Academic activities
I am the Co-convenor and Treasurer of the Italian Research Seminar series of the University of Oxford Italian Sub-faculty. I lead the program for organizing visiting academics and distinguished scholars to present their work to the sub-faculty and to stimulate discussion.
Selected Publications
Articles
‘Redefining originality in Alberti’s ‘mosaic’ for judicial determination in De iure (1437)’, Albertiana, 27.1 (n.s. 10), 2025
‘Martin McLaughlin and his Studies on Leon Battista Alberti: Perspectives on a Legacy’, Modern Language Review, 105.4, October 2025
Seminars and Conference Papers
‘Betrayal, Slander and the Restoration of Justice: Alberti's Rules for Governance’, University of Oxford Italian Research Seminar, 11 May 2026
‘Reputation as social capital: the economy of ‘fama’ in I libri della famiglia (1433-43)’, University of Oxford Italian Research Seminar, 16 June 2025
‘The Elements of Justice in Leon Battista Alberti’s De iure (1437)’, The 16th Annual Harvard-Brown Graduate Student Conference in Italian Studies: Chiasmi 2025, 4 April 2025
‘Innovative Designs for Justice: Leon Battista Alberti’s De iure (1437)’, Renaissance Society of America Annual Meeting 2025, 22 March 2025
‘Leon Battista Alberti’s theory on cultivating loyalty in the civil context’, University of Oxford Italian Research Seminar, 10 June 2024
‘The Ethics of Loyalty: decoding the loyalty gene in the works of Leon Battista Alberti (1404-1472)’, University of Oxford Italian Research Seminar, 12 June 2023
Awards & Scholarships
University of Oxford Isaiah Berlin Fund Scholarship
University of Oxford Medieval and Modern Languages Faculty Graduate Grant
Balliol College Graduate Project Award
Fondazione ‘Centro Studi di Leon Battista Alberti’ Scholarship
Balliol College Brassey Prize
Balliol College Brassey Scholarship
Teaching
College Lecturer in Modern Languages (Italian), Keble College 2026
University of Oxford, Final Honours School of Modern Languages, Paper IIA (Italian Translation) Classes
University of Oxford, Final Honours School of Modern Languages, Paper III (Pre-Modern Italian Translation) Tutorials
University of Oxford, Final Honours School of Modern Languages, Paper VII (Literature 1430-1635) Tutorials
University of Oxford, Final Honours School of Modern Languages, Paper VII (Literature 1430-1635) Lecture series