Born in Rome, I am a professor of cultural history at the National University of Singapore. I held visiting appointments at Université Paris Diderot VII, Humboldt University, UC Berkeley and Cornell University. I have published widely on the cultural history of Thailand (with a focus on material culture) and on heritage conservation in Southeast Asia including the books, Monastery, Monument, Museum: Sites and Artifacts of Thai Cultural Memory (2017), Thailand the Worldly Kingdom (2007), Lords of Things: The Fashioning of the Siamese Monarchy's Modern Image (2002), The Politics of Ruins and the Business of Nostalgia (2002). My articles have appeared in the Journal of Social Archaeology, Journal of Social History, and Modern Asian Studies among others. My abiding interest in classical architecture and Roman history underlies my research project at the Italian Academy.