Ennio Napolitano is a visiting postdoctoral fellow at the Orient Institute Beirut (OIB). He received his PhD in Islamic Art and Archaeology from the University of Bamberg with a dissertation on Arabic inscriptions and pseudo-inscriptions in Italian Art funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation. He holds an MA degree in Islamic Studies and a BA degree in Transcultural studies, both from the University of Naples "L'Orientale".
His current research focuses on the cross-cultural dynamics of Arabic scripts in border areas, especially in their disguised form. His publications include articles on recurring themes concerning the interpretation of Arabic inscriptions and the transmission of debased Arabic and pseudo-Arabic inscriptions in the European medieval cultural contexts, in painting, sculpture, and ceramics.