I am a historian of early modern science, religion, and political economy, specialised in northern Europe. I obtained my doctorate in history at the University of Oxford in 2022, and then worked there as a British research council postdoctoral fellow. I also held various short-term fellowships in the USA, Italy, Sweden, and the Netherlands. I am an associate fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
I am a currently a European research council postdoctoral researcher at Jyväskylä within the ERC-Consolidator project 'De-centring political economy in the eighteenth century: rethinking growth, wealth, and welfare in the Swedish Empire' led by Ere Nokkala. In this project, running until 2028, I am working on the links between improvement, political economy and colonial expansion in early modern Sweden.
More details about my research, along with open access links to my publications can be found on my personal website: www.roydipiazza.com
Research interests
My academic research, writings, and interests span the following fields:
• History of early modern science, medicine, and religion
• History of political economy and colonialism
• Natural history and environmental history
• History of the body, race, and sexuality
• History of literature and satire
• European history, Nordic and French history
Research projects
I am currently focusing on two main projects:
• I am working on a monograph investigating the links between the culture of improvement, political economy and colonialism in early modern Sweden. This monograph builds on my previous research on natural science, religion, and political economy in northern Europe (see Publications).
• I am also working on a new biography of the Swedish nobleman, philosopher and mystic theologian Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772). I have written and lectured about various aspects of Swedenborg's life and thought, and I have a broader interest in currents related to his ideas and posterity.
