Roberto Sabatino Lopez
Encyclopedia
Roberto Sabatino Lopez also known as Robert S. Lopez, was an Italian-American historian of medieval European economic history. He taught for many years at Yale University
as a Sterling Professor
of History.
Lopez, a native of Genoa
, Italy, received a doctorate from the University of Milan
in 1932 and taught medieval history at various universities in Italy until 1939, when he fled Benito Mussolini
's regime to come to the United States. Hoping to find employment at an American university, Lopez enrolled in the graduate history program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which awarded him a Ph.D in 1942.
From 1942 to 1944 Lopez worked in the Italian section of the Office of War Information in New York. There he met his future wife, Claude-Anne Kirschen. He afterwards maintained that his successful courtship of her was his supreme wartime accomplishment. They married in 1946 and had two sons, Michael and Lawrence.
After the war, Lopez was hired as an assistant professor at Yale, where he rose through the academic ranks to full professor, and finally, Sterling Professor of History. At Yale, Lopez helped create the graduate program in Medieval Studies and trained a number of distinguished medieval scholars, among them David Herlihy
, Edward M. Peters, and Patrick J. Geary
. He retired from the faculty in 1981 after 35 years at Yale.
Lopez's main contributions to the field were in the history of trade and commerce in the medieval Mediterranean. He was particularly interested in showing the dynamism and creativity of medieval towns and economic networks, which were frequently compared unfavorably to those of the Renaissance
and early modern period
. In his best-known book, The Commercial Revolution of the Middle Ages (1971, with numerous reprints), Lopez argued that the key contribution of the medieval period to European history was the creation of a commercial economy, centered at first in the Italo-Byzantine eastern Mediterranean, but eventually extending to the Italian city-states
and over the rest of Europe. Lopez noted that it was in fact the Renaissance period which was characterized by economic decline. Lopez's scholarship was underpinned by his expert knowledge of medieval agriculture, industry and especially coinage.
Lopez died from cancer in 1986. His library and papers were acquired by Arizona State University
.
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
as a Sterling Professor
Sterling Professor
A Sterling Professorship is the highest academic rank at Yale University, awarded to a tenured faculty member considered one of the best in his or her field...
of History.
Lopez, a native of Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, Italy, received a doctorate from the University of Milan
University of Milan
The University of Milan is a higher education institution in Milan, Italy. It is one of the largest universities in Europe, with about 62,801 students, a teaching and research staff of 2,455 and a non-teaching staff of 2,200....
in 1932 and taught medieval history at various universities in Italy until 1939, when he fled Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
's regime to come to the United States. Hoping to find employment at an American university, Lopez enrolled in the graduate history program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, which awarded him a Ph.D in 1942.
From 1942 to 1944 Lopez worked in the Italian section of the Office of War Information in New York. There he met his future wife, Claude-Anne Kirschen. He afterwards maintained that his successful courtship of her was his supreme wartime accomplishment. They married in 1946 and had two sons, Michael and Lawrence.
After the war, Lopez was hired as an assistant professor at Yale, where he rose through the academic ranks to full professor, and finally, Sterling Professor of History. At Yale, Lopez helped create the graduate program in Medieval Studies and trained a number of distinguished medieval scholars, among them David Herlihy
David Herlihy
David Herlihy was an American historian who wrote on medieval and renaissance life. Particular topics include domestic life, especially the roles of women, and the changing structure of the family...
, Edward M. Peters, and Patrick J. Geary
Patrick J. Geary
Patrick J. Geary is, effective January 1, 2012, Professor of Medieval History at the Institute for Advanced Study and Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Medieval History at UCLA. He was educated at Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, and received...
. He retired from the faculty in 1981 after 35 years at Yale.
Lopez's main contributions to the field were in the history of trade and commerce in the medieval Mediterranean. He was particularly interested in showing the dynamism and creativity of medieval towns and economic networks, which were frequently compared unfavorably to those of the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
and early modern period
Early modern period
In history, the early modern period of modern history follows the late Middle Ages. Although the chronological limits of the period are open to debate, the timeframe spans the period after the late portion of the Middle Ages through the beginning of the Age of Revolutions...
. In his best-known book, The Commercial Revolution of the Middle Ages (1971, with numerous reprints), Lopez argued that the key contribution of the medieval period to European history was the creation of a commercial economy, centered at first in the Italo-Byzantine eastern Mediterranean, but eventually extending to the Italian city-states
Italian city-states
The Italian city-states were a political phenomenon of small independent states mostly in the central and northern Italian peninsula between the 10th and 15th centuries....
and over the rest of Europe. Lopez noted that it was in fact the Renaissance period which was characterized by economic decline. Lopez's scholarship was underpinned by his expert knowledge of medieval agriculture, industry and especially coinage.
Lopez died from cancer in 1986. His library and papers were acquired by Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
.
Books by Robert S. Lopez
- Medieval Trade in the Mediterranean World (edited with Irving W. Raymond) (1955; 2nd ed. 1969)
- The Tenth Century: How Dark the Dark Ages? (1959)
- The Birth of Europe (1966)
- The Three Ages of the Italian Renaissance (1970)
- The Commercial Revolution of the Middle Ages (1971)
- Byzantium and the World around It: Economic and Institutional Relations (1978)
- The Shape of Medieval Monetary History (1986)
Further reading
- Harry A. Miskimin, David Herlihy and A.L. Udovitch (eds). The Medieval City: Studies in Honor of Robert S. Lopez. Yale University Press, 1977.
- Archibald R. Lewis, Jaroslav Pelikan and David Herlihy. "Robert Sabatino Lopez". Speculum 63:3 (1988): 763-65.
External links
- Robert S. Lopez (1979). "The Birth of Medieval Banking"
- New York Times obituary
- Survey of Lopez's career and scholarship (at Arizona State)