Francisco J. Cintrón Mattei, the 2027 Millicent Mercer Johnsen Rome Prize Fellow in Medieval Studies, is a PhD candidate at the University of Notre Dame’s Medieval Institute. He is currently completing his dissertation, titled The Christian Imamate of Al-Andalus: Law, Society & Christian Community in the Islamic West, which examines the legal literature of Christians in Muslim Spain and Portugal (Al-Andalus). His research explores the social, cultural, and legal history of the Mediterranean, with a particular focus on Christian-Muslim relations. More specifically, his work traces the history of Christian adaptation to Islam in the Middle Ages by examining Arabic translations of Christian religious texts, chiefly canon-law codes.
A former visiting researcher at the Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia in Madrid, Francisco’s work has been supported by the J. William Fulbright Foundation, the Gerda Henkel Foundation, and the Nanovic Institute for European Studies. His publications include a chapter in Canon Law and Christian Societies between Christianity and Islam (2024) and an article in Hispania Sacra (2024).
What project will you be embarking upon during your time at the Academy?
I will be finishing my dissertation, which explores the social and cultural transformation of the Mediterranean under early Islam and the role of Arabic in preserving early Christian traditions. My dissertation is a close study of a single manuscript (El Escorial, MS Ar. 1623), an Arabic translation of a Latin canon-law code produced in Al-Andalus around 1050 CE. This manuscript is the sole surviving Arabic translation of the Collectio Hispana and thus a rich source of information about the Latin Church in Al-Andalus.
While at the AAR, I will be consulting other Arabic translations of Christian texts, mainly other canon-law codes, written by members of the Eastern Churches (Copts, Melkites, East Syrians, etc.) and now housed in the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana. I intend to analyze and compare how their translators used Arabic terms and Islamic idioms to express Christian concepts. By comparing word choices, I can better assess the role of translation itself in the transmission and development of Christian legal traditions in an Islamic setting. I believe that reading these sources comparatively will provide a greater sense of both the shared experiences and unique histories of the various churches of the medieval Islamic world.
What aspects of the city and Academy life are you most interested in exploring?
I’m excited to experience Rome alongside the Fellows and the Academy community, especially through the guided Walk & Talks. Everyone here knows Rome differently, so we all ask very different questions about the city. As a medievalist, I am invested in the city’s churches and religious sites, as well as the repurposing of ancient materials (spolia) in later buildings. Naturally, for visual artists, architects, and composers, these sites spark very different ideas about space, aesthetics, purpose, and meaning. It is these new perspectives on Rome, its past and its present, that I am most interested in exploring.
I’m equally excited about the opportunity to look beyond Rome’s premodern history and to witness its modern and contemporary art scene. Through studio visits with Fellows, gallery openings and exhibitions, and trips to other academies, I am getting to know Rome as the vibrant cultural center it is today.
What encounters, experiences, or moments in your first days at the Academy have inspired, surprised, or encouraged you thus far?
In general, the community’s emotional generosity has moved me the most. There is a heartfelt openness to sharing here that I find moving: quick chats about work over coffee or between pool matches turn into sustained conversations about life and faith, family and politics, or art and history. These moments happen so often and so casually, yet they offer an intimate glimpse into the people behind our projects and the personal motivations that shape our work in ways our fields often don’t allow. I have found this environment deeply inspiring.
Walking through the artists’ studios, hearing about their creative processes, and watching their projects unfold prompt me to reflect on our disciplines and how we approach our respective crafts. These experiences have encouraged me to think more expansively about my dissertation, and I sense they will have a lasting impact on how I approach my research and writing.