Mario Sassi

Dr. Mario Sassi earned his MA and PhD in Italian from the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in medieval literature with a focus on Latin, Italian, and French texts. His research explores the intersection of the supernatural and religious narratives in medieval culture, particularly through exempla and preaching texts. His current book project investigates the role of the supernatural in medieval religious texts, shedding light on how these elements shaped societal beliefs and religious practices.

As a Visiting Assistant Professor of Italian at Williams College, Dr. Sassi teaches a diverse range of courses that engage students with Italian language, literature, and history. His recent and upcoming courses include Elementary and Intermediate Italian, History of Italy in Movies (Fall 2024), Dante and the Medieval World (Spring 2024), Of Angels, Demons, and Dragons: The Supernatural in Medieval Texts (Spring 2025). He also guided students in Independent Studies on the History and Reception of Fascism and the Arbëreshë in Italy.

Before joining Williams, Dr. Sassi taught at the University of Pennsylvania and the Summer Program in Grado (Italy) with DePauw University, where his courses included studies on Dante’s Divine Comedy, as well as a range of Italian language and culture classes at various levels.

Research and Publications
Dr. Sassi’s scholarship is deeply rooted in medieval studies, with a particular emphasis on the role of exempla in vernacular religious texts. His publications, which include peer-reviewed articles and a co-edited volume, explore themes of preaching, the plague, and vernacular religious miscellanies. Key works include:

“The Black Death in the Assempri of Filippo degli Agazzari” (forthcoming)
“Help, Plea, Punishment: The Virgin Mary in the Italian Legends of the Late Middle Ages” (forthcoming)
“Vernacular Religious Miscellanies of Exempla: The Case of UPenn Ms. Codex 331” (Manuscript Studies, 2023)
“Strategies of Interpretation in French and Italian Exempla” (Medieval Sermon Studies, 2022)
“The Language of a Preacher: Cavalca, Passavanti, and the First Steps toward a National Vernacular” (Rivista di storia e letteratura religiosa, 2022)

He is interested in the interactions between language and creativity, publishing on medieval Italian language and manuscripts. Additionally, he studies medievalism in contemporary pop culture, including in video games, films, and TV shows. In addition to his academic publications, Dr. Sassi is the Managing Editor of Bibliotheca Dantesca and has contributed several online editions through the Accademia dell’Arcadia’s Laboratorio Carte d’Arcadia project.

Public Engagement and Digital Humanities
Dr. Sassi is deeply committed to public engagement, especially in bringing medieval Italian literature into contemporary media. He has guided students in public video readings of Dante’s works for Dantedì (the annual celebration of Dante Alighieri). He has organized the first edition of the Italian Festival at Williams College, featuring lectures, food, and opera performances. These events have fostered cross-disciplinary dialogue and cultural engagement, drawing together students, faculty, and the local community. Dr. Sassi has also contributed to video and podcast projects discussing Dante’s influence on modern media, furthering the public understanding of medieval literature’s relevance today.

In the digital humanities sphere, he has extensive experience managing social media and digital content for various academic initiatives. Dr. Sassi has run the social media accounts for the Italian departments at Williams College and the University of Pennsylvania, engaging with diverse audiences and promoting Italian cultural studies. He has also served as a team member for Digital Scriptorium 2.0, a project aimed at creating an accessible online database of medieval manuscripts, and contributed to social media outreach for the Italian Paleography project at The Newberry Library.

Service and Awards
Dr. Sassi is an active member of the Dante Society of America, where he co-founded the Graduate Group and served as Liaison to Graduate Members. His contributions to the field have been recognized with several awards, including:

Presidential Service Award, Dante Society of America (2023)
Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation Graduate Editor for Digital Scriptorium 2.0 (2022–2023)
Penfield Research Award and Salvatori Research Award (2021)
Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching by Graduate Students, University of Pennsylvania (2019–2020)
Frederic C. Lane Dissertation Grant, Medieval Academy of America (2021)

Dr. Sassi has also participated in the Mellon Foundation Summer Institute in Italian Paleography at the Newberry Library, furthering his expertise in manuscript studies and Italian medieval texts.