From 12–14 November 2025, our 35th ICARUS Convention took place in Venice, Italy, graciously hosted by our new members at the State Archive of Venice. 

Across three days, our speakers explored how archives increasingly serve as bridges between past and present - advancing shared digital infrastructures, experimenting with AI and automation, and strengthening cross-border research communities. The keynote by Prof. Dr Dominique Stutzmann set the tone, reflecting on AI’s growing impact on medieval studies and the essential role of archivists in ensuring authenticity.

Additionally, the programme showcased cutting-edge work in HTR, machine learning, TEI editions, sustainability strategies, community outreach, and new approaches to visual, industrial, and 3D heritage. Note: Recordings of the presentations will be made available in due time.

On the final day, we were rewarded with a privileged visit to the impressive holdings of the State Archive - find some photos on our website:

Before the start of the public part of the 35th Convention, the ICARUS members met for their annual General Assembly. Led by President Birgit Kibal, we jointly reflected on past and future activities, shared news about our online platforms and project involvements, apart from financial reports and analyses. But one unanimous decision stood out: the nomination and election of Prof. Dr. Antonella Ambrosio (University of Naples Federico II) as vice president of our association.

Antonella will further enhance our executive board, adding her specific expertise in the field of didactics and education in connection with the archival sciences and historic research.

Welcome and happy to have you on board (of the board 😁) 

Born from a course he taught at the University of Notre Dame, Gallo’s guide brings a field long rooted in continental Europe into wider reach. Drawing on Paulius Rabikauskas S.J.’s classic Diplomatica Generalis and enriched with contemporary insights, the 98-page handbook offers a clear and practical overview of medieval documents, from script and seals to forgery detection, chronology, and papal records.

Beautiful manuscript images from the Biblioteca Ambrosiana give readers direct visual entry into medieval documentary culture, making the book an ideal starting point for students, archivists, and historians alike. Published under a Creative Commons license, it is freely available online - opening the doors of Diplomatics to a broader international audience.

AI4LAM stands for Artificial Intelligence for Libraries, Archives and Museums. It is an international, participatory network that brings together libraries, archives, museums and other heritage / cultural heritage organisations, along with AI researchers and technologists. AI4LAM’s stated mission is to help cultural heritage institutions organize, share, and advance their knowledge and use of AI. They aim to do collectively what would be difficult in isolation: accelerate adoption, share learnings, and collaboratively build tools and best practices. An approach that is very similar to ICARUS’ path, which is why we are proud to become members of this initiative!

Our president Birgit Kibal will be present at the AI4LAM annual conference, “Fantastic Futures 2025” in London, 3-5 December 2025. Following the topic of “AI Everywhere, All at Once” the conference will kick-off on Wednesday with a series of on-site workshops focussing on a variety of topics, continuing on Thursday and Friday with plenary sessions, which are open to online participants via live stream.

Registration for online participation is still open, and we encourage you to listen in on one or the other speeches, where possible. Find more information about the programme and registration on the conference website:

We’re excited to share that the project DiDip and the Commission Internationale de la Diplomatique (CID) will co-host the next major conference on Diplomatics, titled “The Methodology of Diplomatics”, to be held 22–24 July 2026 at the University of Graz, in honour of the 200th birthday of scholar Theodor Sickel (1826–1908).

For this conference, submissions are invited on a wide range of topics: from historical developments of diplomatic methodology, to case studies showing how older or new methods fare when applied to different material, and to explorations of novel digital approaches suitable for diplomatics.

If you are working on charter analysis, digital archives, editorial methods, or the intersection of historic diplomatics and digital humanities, this promises to be a landmark event for the discipline and an excellent opportunity to contribute to shaping its future.

Read more about the call for papers and corresponding instructions, deadlines etc. on the conference website: