"A true work of nineteenth-century scholarship, drawing together the origins of medievalism, orientalism, positivism and nineteenth-century French nationalism through a critical and wide-ranging reading of the works of Gaston Paris." —Timothy Baycroft, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Sheffield"By applying a historian's perspective to the work of Gaston Paris, DiVanna casts new light on nineteenth-century debates about 'scientific' techniques and their role in the evaluation of medieval texts. Situating Gaston Paris against the scholarly and nationalistic currents of his time, she reappraises nineteenth-century methodologies and calls into question conceptual structures in use by medieval scholars today." —Elizabeth Emery, Professor of French, Montclair State University"Reconstructing the Middle Ages sheds light on a somewhat unknown history: the foundation of medieval studies in the late nineteenth century which witnessed the birth of different academic disciplines. Isabel DiVanna illustrates compellingly the intricate connections inside academia, as well as the contemporary politico-cultural backdrop, which deeply influenced medieval studies at its birth. This book introduces a stimulating interdisciplinary approach to the nineteenth-century critics of medieval literature, and offers an invaluable account to the study of the history of ideas." —Ji-hyun Philippa Kim, Assistant Professor of French, The City University of New York