One consequence of the ‘spatial turn’ in history and the social sciences is a growing interest in the location of protest. In the 21st century, its location in squares is impossible to miss. Was this true in early modern Europe as well? The revolt of Naples in 1647 is an obvious example that springs to mind, since it began on Piazza Mercato. All the same, this lecture will argue that squares were less important in this respect than they became after 1789, because the repertoire of protest changed, from armed revolt to – more or less – non-violent demonstrations.
Peter Burke is Emeritus Professor of Cultural History, University of Cambridge and Fellow of Emmanuel College. He is currently working on the history of knowledge in both the early modern and late modern periods.