Medieval Art studies in the Republic of Letters: Mabillon and Montfaucon’s Italian connections between travel and learned collaborations

The Italian journeys of Jean Mabillon (1685-1686) and Bernard de Montfaucon (1698-1701), monks of the Congregation of St. Maur and fathers of diplomatic and palaeography, had a significant role in the early modern advancement of studies on Medieval art and antiquities. As regards their acquisition of art-historical information and direct experience of monuments, the position of Italian erudites was relevant. This is particularly clear with Mabillon's surveys in churches, catacombs, archives and private collections made with the essential help of Italian scholars and through the exchanges of art-historical data between the French monks and several Italian colleagues, such as emerged from their correspondence. As a result, this article aims to illustrate this process and outline a context of mutual influences between French and Italian traditions of scholarship.