Ugo Balzani

Born in Rome on November 6, 1847, Ugo Balzani became known as an Italian historian with a strong interest in medieval and civic history. Sources consistently identify him as a Roman scholar, and his writing focused especially on Italy’s chronicles and the political world of the Middle Ages.

Balzani is remembered for works on Italian historical writing and on the struggles between the papacy and the Hohenstaufen emperors. He also helped make Italian history accessible to English-speaking readers through books published in translation or in collaboration, including studies of Italy and its early chroniclers.

He died in Rome on February 27, 1916. Although not widely known today outside specialist circles, he remains a useful guide to how earlier generations studied medieval Italy and the history of Rome.