Faculty spotlight: Irene Zanini-Cordi

Irene Zanini-Cordi is an associate professor in Florida State University’s Department of Modern Languages and Linguistics, part of the College of Arts and Sciences. Her research focuses on 18th and 19th-century and contemporary Italian literature. In 2024, she received a Venetian Research Program grant from the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation in support of her newest book on social networking in the 18th century. Zanini-Cordi also received the 2024 FSU Undergraduate Research Mentor Award for her dedication to the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program.

Tell us where you’re from and what brought you to FSU.

I’m from a small town in northern Italy, a short train ride from Venice. I majored in English and Czech at the University of Venice. As an undergraduate, I was awarded many scholarships, including a Fulbright, and lived in the Czech Republic, England and the U.S. I was accepted in the Comparative Literature Program at the University of California Berkeley, where I later earned my doctorate in Italian Studies and served as a lecturer. I lectured briefly at UC Santa Cruz before accepting a position as assistant professor of Italian studies at FSU in 2005.

What inspired you to choose your field of study?

My passion for reading and researching led me to explore Renaissance texts as well as contemporary ones, and my humanities background facilitated transhistorical and interdisciplinary studies with focus on women writing, opera, art, fashion, popular culture and media. My interest in the workings and power of social networks brought me to focus on the culture of the 18th-century Enlightenment period, a time of great interdisciplinary fervor, dialogue, and innovation in Europe and in Italy. The idea of a Renaissance-era lonely genius, like Leonardo Da Vinci, is somewhat of a myth because they never really worked alone; they thrived in a network of cultural and social interactions. Important works and discoveries are built upon the knowledge of others and with the cooperation of many.

Tell us about your area of research.

My in-progress monograph focuses on Italian women who hosted literary salons in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Before that time, unlike their French or British counterparts, the very few Italian women who wrote and published could not rely on a female writing tradition. I show how these “salonnières” used social networking to advance their own cultural standing and legitimize their new public role. In their social gatherings and through a vast network of correspondence, salonnières surrounded themselves with learned men who fostered their education. They transitioned from muses to writers and cultural mediators, facilitated writers’ and artists’ connections, and even supported them financially. My co-authored book, Courting Celebrity (UTP, 2023), tells how a humble gardener’s daughter from the 18th-century skillfully used social networks to craft her public persona and monetize her celebrity.

What should the public know about your research?

In today’s world, where everything is interconnected and co-dependent, yet we seem lonelier and more isolated than ever, understanding the power and innerworkings of sociability is paramount. The culture of sociability within Enlightenment salons, with its emphasis on sharing and diffusion of ideas and discoveries through new media, is highly relatable to present concerns and is among the strengths of my research.

What inspires you as a faculty member?

Without a doubt, sharing my knowledge and experiences with my students. I relish seeing students learning Italian language and culture and, most of all, growing as human beings through meaningful classroom interactions. In line with my research, I favor a dialogical and experiential teaching approach and offer students learning opportunities that translate into practical career skills.

What is your best memory from working at FSU?

Last year, I mentored four wonderful undergraduates as part of UROP. We studied 18th-century salon sociability via social network theory, and we formed our own small salon enlivened by working dinners around home-made Italian food. Students applied their newly acquired knowledge through grant-writing, poster presentations, conference participation, and a co-authored peer-reviewed academic article for the Journal of Eighteenth-Century Studies. The experience culminated in the production of “Sip & Connect: Social Networking Italian Style” a 16-episode podcast available on Spotify.

Who are your role models?

My graduate advisers at UC Berkeley. They created opportunities and experiences that allowed their students to grow as scholars and teachers. They built community and established connections instrumental in fostering students’ careers. Following this example, as a mentor, I aim to help my students define their own goals and facilitate their achievements.

Tell us about your upcoming projects.

I’ve been awarded a Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation grant to conduct archival research for a new book project “Visualizing Social Capital: Isabella Teotochi Albrizzi's ‘Ritratti’.” It can be considered a study on the birth of the influencer figure. It focuses on the writings of a famous 18th-century Venetian salonnière – an influencer of the past. It analyzes her use of media and social networking to create a “public profile.” I’m also excited to oversee the Italian Language House. Beginning this fall, and joining Arabic and Japanese, a group of five Italian language students will reside in Ragans Hall and be immersed in Italian language and culture with a resident native speaker. Students will practice the language in an informal environment and benefit from bonding with like-minded peers. Cultural activities like cooking classes, music and film nights will create community and provide a taste of Italy. Residing in the language house enhances cross-cultural communication skills and facilitates international career opportunities. We’re already recruiting residents for the 2026-2027 academic year, so I invite interested students to get in touch!

What is one thing you hope your students learn from you?

Be open to making new connections and experiencing new things, express kindness to yourself and others, and be resilient and committed to your goals while also exercising flexibility. I want my students to leave my class with critical-thinking skills so they can analyze and evaluate information, build arguments based on solid evidence and logical reasoning, and present these effectively through various media.