Simone Picchianti

University of Cagliari (Italy)

Fashioning in gold and steel: the science and art of Giuliano Ferraccini, Medici swordsmith

2025–⁠2026: Fall

Simone Picchianti earned his Master’s degree in History of Culture and Mentalities from the University of Florence in 2015, with a thesis in history and art history focused on the creation of the Camino de Santiago in Spain. He subsequently specialized in the study of arms and armor, collaborating with major Florentine institutions such as the Stibbert Museum, the Bargello Museum, and the Uffizi Gallery. He later worked with the “Luigi Marzoli” Arms Museum in Brescia and, on an ongoing basis, with the Royal Armory in Turin. Within these institutions, his work has encompassed both exhibition design and artifact research, with particular attention to the preparation of materials for temporary exhibitions. His research has focused not only on the production techniques and stylistic features of arms and armor, but also on their broader social implications.

In 2024, he completed a PhD in History of Societies, Institutions and Thought at the University of Trieste, with a dissertation combining historical, economic, and political analysis. His research focused on the economic management of the Florentine Republic during the early Renaissance, offering a new perspective on the rise of the Medici family.

He is currently engaged in a postdoctoral position at the University of Cagliari, where he is studying the economic and accounting practices of a Tuscan abbey (Badia a Settimo near Florence) from the late 14th to the late 15th century.

Over the course of his academic career, he has published more than twenty scholarly articles and is the author of two volumes on collections of arms and armor.

More information: https://unica.academia.edu/SimonePicchianti