Gertrude Bell
Archaeology and Intelligence in the Middle East
International Roundtable | September 18, 2026 – Florence, Italy
One hundred years after her untimely death, Gertrude Bell is celebrated in her multifaceted character.
Born in 1868, Gertrude Bell became one of the key figures in the Middle East: archaeologist and keen traveler, her interest in the history of Mesopotamia, and her uncanny ability of capturing the atmospheres of ancient ruins as well as of tribal societies, made her way through the office of Winston Churchill.
Gertrude Bell’s reports and advice were instrumental for British politics in the Middle East, specifically for the determination of Iraq’s boundaries.
Bell instituted the Archaeological Museum in Baghdad and promoted the first laws about the Cultural Heritage of the region.
The Roundtable aims to present the many cultural and political aspects of Bell’s work, analyzing her publications and the projects that have been promoted throughout the century 1926-2026.
INTERNATIONAL ROUNDTABLE
Gertrude Bell
FROM OXFORD TO BABYLON
Archaeology and Intelligence in the Middle East
September 18, 2026
Florence (Italy)
THE CONFERENCE IS ORGANIZED BY
CAMNES
(Center for Ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern Studies)
With the support of
LdM (Lorenzo de’ Medici: the Italian International Institute)
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SCIENTIFIC COORDINATION & ORGANIZATION (in alphabetic order)
Stefania Berutti (CAMNES)
Marina Lo Blundo (Parco Archeologico di Ostia Antica)
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REGISTRATION
The workshop is free and open to all, and does not require any registration. For more information and full program please visit CAMNES.
About LdM Gallery
The LdM Gallery is a project by Istituto Lorenzo de’ Medici, an interdisciplinary space where academic research and artistic experimentation meet within a professional setting.