Department of History

Paul Aste

Ph.D. Student
Research Interests Early Medieval monasticism; local priests; popular belief; identity and belonging.

Biography

My interests lie in the Pyrenees and adjacent regions from the sixth into the ninth centuries. Particularly, I want to explore moments of dialogue between prescriptive authority and local practice, especially as they were expressed across architecture, liturgy, and discourse. To that end, I am currently interested in the work and life of the Septimanian abbot Benedict of Aniane, and his intersecting role as both a prominent figure at the Carolingian court, and an individual heavily influenced by his region.