Latin Dominions in the Greek Territories (13th-17th Centuries): Literature and Material Culture

Literature and material culture in the Greek world during the late medieval and early modern periods reflect the dynamic encounter of cultures, religions, and mentalities, leaving behind a rich repository of information. Within this context lies the role of Venice as a long-standing Latin dominant power in the eastern Mediterranean, alongside other Latin powers such as Genoa and the Knights Hospitaller in the Dodecanese. Particularly in territories under Venetian rule, most notably Crete, which functioned as a major crossroads of intercultural exchange, the coexistence of the native population with the Latin rulers was not confined to the production of countercultural literature arising from doctrinal differences between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. Rather, it evolved more harmoniously through the synthesis of local Byzantine and Italian traditions, giving rise to the so-called Cretan Renaissance, with original expressions in literature, the arts, and objects of everyday life.

The intercultural character of the Greek world is likewise reflected in its material culture, whether in everyday artefacts, such as ceramics and metalwork, or in painting and architecture. The wealth of archival material significantly enhances research findings on both well-known and previously obscure individuals and events that shaped intellectual and daily life in the region. Current research, pursued within a continuous interdisciplinary framework that integrates historical, philological, and archaeological approaches, places particular emphasis on the activity of Greek manuscript copyists and the study of ceramic artworks.