Lombardy to London: Byzantium and the ‘bent banana’ by Jonathan Shepard

IE School of Humanities hosted a special lecture as part of its Visiting Scholars Program on Segovia Campus. Renowned historian Jonathan Shepard delivered the talk Lombardy to London: Byzantium and the ‘Bent Banana’, followed by a Q&A session with students and faculty.

Jonathan Shepard previously served as University Lecturer in Russian History at the University of Cambridge and is currently a Research Associate at the Faculty of History at the University of Oxford. His work includes major publications such as The Cambridge History of the Byzantine Empire and several co-edited volumes on medieval political and cultural history.

The lecture explored the historical region sometimes referred to as the “Bent Banana,” stretching from Central-North Italy to Flanders and the English Channel, and examined its connections with the Byzantine Empire. The session highlighted how fertile territories, thriving urban communities and growing commercial networks fostered dynamic political and economic relationships across medieval Europe.