I was born and raised in Naples, Italy. In 1983 I came to the United States to pursue my doctoral work, which I finished in 1988. I taught for one year at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Since 1989 I have taught at Georgetown, where I am now Professor of History, and currently also Director of Undergraduate Studies.
My research has focused on the social and economic history of early modern Italy, especially the South. I teach European history at the survey level, and the Renaissance and early modern periods at the upper level. I have developed and taught courses on the Renaissance, Italian history, Iberian history, European historiography, music and theater in early modern Europe, and the development of individuality in European culture.