On February 1, 2024, the 2024 lecture series of the Istituto Nazionale di Studi Romani was inaugurated in Rome (Sala Promoteca Campidoglio). On this occasion, Maria Antonietta Visceglia, professor emerita from the University of Rome La Sapienza, delivered her lectio magistralis titled "Nepotismo papale e gender tra Rinascimento e Controriforma."
The opening of the XCVIII Academic Year was conducted by Gaetano Platania, the president of the Istituto Nazionale di Studi Romani and emeritus professor at the University of Viterbo. In his speech, he presented the history of the institute and drew attention to this year's rich program, which can be found on the institute's website. He highlighted the successful collaboration with the Vilmos Fraknói Roman Historical Research Group, emphasizing the upcoming jointly organized international conference titled "PROTAGONISTI E COLLABORATORI, Studiosi provenienti dall’Europa centro-orientale presso gli archivi della Santa Sede tra il 1881 e il 1918." He also mentioned the recent successful conclusion and results of the international symposium "I Collegi per stranieri a Roma 1750-1915."
During her presentation, Maria Antonietta Visceglia discussed the situation of female relatives of popes from the 15th century onwards. She addressed the circumstances of the popes' children, who could not live within the Vatican walls and were often forced into politically motivated marriages to strengthen the power of the church. She provided specific examples from the biographies of Lucrezia di Borgia, Donna Olimpia, Vittoria Farnese, and Maddalena de Medici.
