TOME XXX-2 – Mélanges Antonio Rigo

With Antonio Rigo, a conversation rarely follows a predictable course: one moves naturally from international politics to the latest developments in Byzantine studies. What is striking is the speed with which he calls to mind facts, readings, and references, and the way he brings them together and relates them to one another, gradually and subtly shifting his interlocutor’s point of view.

His writing proceeds in much the same way: it reconstructs complex dossiers, puts to the test interpretations previously taken for granted, and guides the reader, through closely reasoned argument, towards increasingly compelling conclusions. His reading encompasses both the work of the most established scholars and lesser-known contributions, doctoral dissertations, and research in progress. There is scarcely a publication with which he is unfamiliar and which he is not generously willing to share.

The same attitude informs the way he supervises students’ research, particularly that of master’s students and doctoral candidates. Discretion and reserve are characteristic of him, not as a form of distance but as a constant measure in his relationships; within this framework, collaborations with students and colleagues develop over time into lasting friendships, built through shared work, repeated encounters, and a trust that grows stronger without ever needing to be declared.