Dr. Emanuela Vai

Biography

Emanuela Vai is a historian specializing in Renaissance and Early Modern Italy, as well as the Mediterranean world. An interdisciplinary scholar, she works at the intersection of musicology, material culture, art, architectural history, and digital humanities. Vai's methodological approach combines the analysis of historical materials from archives with digital humanities tools such as 3D virtual modeling and GIS platforms. She investigates the relationship between musical instruments, soundscapes, space, and the senses in early modern social life. As Head Research (Humanities) and Senior Research Fellow at Worcester College, University of Oxford, she leads the conservation and research aspects of the Bate Collection at the Ashmolean Museum. Additionally, she is the founder and academic lead of the Digital Humanities Sensory Heritage Network at TORCH, an interdisciplinary team exploring the use of digital tools in heritage studies. Vai's work has been funded by various prestigious institutions including the British Academy and the EU Commission. Her research interests include musical instruments, soundscapes, art history, and the impact of material culture on Renaissance social life. She is currently the Principal Investigator on a project titled 'Fantastic Musical Instruments Global Renaissance'.

Research Interests

Experience