Ateneo - UPO

HISTORY OF CULTURAL HERITAGE; DISCUSSION ABOUT HERITAGE FROM THE LOCAL TO THE GLOBAL SCALE. SOCIAL HISTORY AND MATERIAL CULTURE: COLLECTING PRACTICES IN THE MODERN PERIOD.

First part:
-C. Tosco, “I beni culturali. Storia, tutela e valorizzazione”, Il Mulino, Bologna, 2014.
-K. Pomian, “Collezione”, in “Enciclopedia Einaudi”, Torino 1978, vol. III (Città-Cosmologie), pp. 330-364.
Second part (all the chapters and articles indicated below, available on DIR):
-O. Raggio, “Mito, storia e storia dell'arte. Note di visita ad una mostra genovese”, in «Quaderni storici» 104 (2000), pp. 541-547.
-O. Raggio, “Statue antiche e lettere di cambio. Gusto e credito a Genova nel Seicento”, in «Quaderni storici», 110 (2002), pp. 405-423.
-O. Raggio e R. Ago, "Premessa", in "Consumi culturali nell'Italia moderna", monographical issue of «Quaderni storici», 115 (2004), pp. 3-10.
-O. Raggio, "Variazioni sul gusto francese. Consumi culturali a Genova nel Settecento", in «Quaderni storici», 115 (2004), pp. 161-194.
-O. Raggio, “Dalle collezioni naturalistiche alle istituzioni museografiche”, in “Storia della cultura ligure”, a cura di D. Puncuh, IV, pp. 309-378 (“Atti della società ligure di Storia Patria”, n.s. XLV (CXIX), 2005, II).
-O. Raggio, “Storia culturale, sociabilità aristocratica ed esperienze individuali”, in “Sociabilità aristocratica in età moderna. Il caso genovese: paradigmi, interpretazioni e confronti”, a cura di R. Bizzocchi, A. Pacini, Pisa University Press, Pisa, 2008, pp. 17-26.
-O. Raggio, “Oggetti nella storia. Perché la storiografia è importante (tra storia e archeologia)”, in «Quaderni storici», 155 (2018), pp. 863-878.
-O. Raggio, “Invito a nozze. Condivisione e competizione”, in R. Cevasco, V. Pescini, R. Hearn (a cura di), “Situating foodways and foodscapes. Dalla tavola al terreno”, Genova University Press, Genova, 2023, pp. 25-43.

The course focuses on category of heritage, and its meanings and transformations in different periods and contexts, with particular attention to the relationship with collections, in an interdisciplinary way (history, art history, natural sciences, anthropology); the course discuss meaning of collecting and cultural consumptions in early modern and modern period, and of the relationship between "culture" and heritagization. The course has the following objectives at a basic level: -Knowledge and understanding: acquiring the general knowledge about the history of cultural heritage, and the ability to study autonomously the historiography on this topic; -Expression of judgments: knowing how to analyze at a basic level the history of cultural heritage, and that of its “objects”; -Communication skills: ability to communicate, at a basic level, the history of cultural heritage; -Study skills: ability to approach the historiographic literature and the sources of the history of cultural heritage. The course has the following objectives at an advanced level: -Knowledge and understanding and their applications: acquiring a full knowledge of the history of cultural heritage, and the critical ability to study autonomously the historiography on this topic; -Expression of judgments: knowing how to analyze autonomously and in a critical way the history of cultural heritage, and that of its “objects”; -Communication skills: ability to communicate, to a large public but also with a scientific language, the history of cultural heritage; -Study skills: ability to critically approach the historiographic literature and the sources of the history of cultural heritage.

Basic historical knowledge (modern and contemporary history).

Frontal lessons; critical reading of the bibliography, critical analysis of the main historiographic themes, methodologies and of the historical sources, and discussion of main topics, with particular attention to teaching methods. At the request of attending students, during the lessons it will be possible to do individual presentation of part of the textbooks.

Part of bibliography and other texts will be provided on DIR – Didattica In Rete. Students are therefore advised to register on DIR, where notices and communications will also be posted.
Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services-students-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the teacher to define the examination modalities, concerning didactic aspects.

Oral exam, about 20 minutes. The questions will assess: the student's ability to contextualize the topics learned in time and space; the acquisition of an organic vision of the disciplinary issues; the ability to use them into a coherent and correct exposition, also with a scientific language; the personal critical elaboration of the topics. The exam is divided into 3-4 questions and concerns on the indicated bibliography, as well as for students attending, on the topics discussed during the lessons. The questions will concern: the main issues of history of cultural heritage (Pomian’s article and Tosco’s book), and the insights concerning the history of collecting and cultural consumptions, and the history of the objects as heritage (Raggio’s articles). Vote, expressed in thirtieths, takes place on the basis of the following parameters: 1) knowledge of the fundamental notions of bibliography and, for attending students, of the topics covered during the lessons (20 points out of 30); 2) reasoning skills critic on the topics (5 points out of 30); 3) ability to express and communicate, and to use a scientific language (5 points out of 30). The exam will be successful if the sum of 18/30 is reached or exceeded. It will be evaluated as excellent: an accurate knowledge of topics, articulated synthesis and criticism skills; excellent expressive mastery. It will be evaluated as fairly good: knowledge of topics that is not entirely punctually, and the use of correct but not completely scientific language. It will be evaluated as adequate: basic knowledge of the program that does not go beyond the brief presentation of the issues, the inability to express a critical approach, and the use of a language not entirely correct and appropriate. It will be valuated as inadequate: obvious gaps in the study, inability to orient themselves within the issues and use of incorrect and inappropriate language.

The course will focus on the definition of the term "cultural heritage", and on its variations in different periods and contexts (one part will be devoted to a discussion of the Italian case-study). The link that collections of objects have with the history of cultural heritage, and with many disciplines (history, art history, natural sciences, anthropology) will be analyzed. The topics of the course will be constantly analyzed in connection with the current applications in history research and teaching methodology, also through the exemplification and development of didactic exercises. • The concept of cultural heritage. • The concept of collection and that of heritage: a historical approach. • The history of heritage and protection: I. From the dimension of the sacred to the first interventions of protection in Roman period. • The history of heritage and protection: II. From the Middle Ages to the French Revolution. • The history of heritage and protection: III. The nineteenth century. • The history of heritage and protection: IV. The twentieth century: from the concept of monument to that of cultural heritage. • Protection and its tools: international cases and Italian peculiarities. • The debate on the concept of enhancement. • The history of collecting and cultural consumptions (early modern and modern period), and the history of the objects. In the second part of the course, examples concerning gender and the practice of collecting between the old regime and the 19th century will be explored (women, culture and collecting in Genoa).

To achieve sufficient knowledge and skills, the student has to demonstrate: Knowledge: -to know chronology, themes and categories of the history of cultural heritage in modern and contemporary period, and its interdisciplinary applications. -to know the main problems concerning the discussion about cultural heritage, and the dynamics of protection and enhancement. -to know the general features of the historiographical discussions on the themes of the history of collecting and cultural consumptions, the history of the objects as heritage, and the relationship between "culture" and heritagization. Competence: -ability to analyze issues of the history of cultural heritage in a critical way. Transversal skills: -ability to clearly communicate issues discussed during the lessons, with a proper language and with a scientific terminology. To achieve an advanced level, the student must also demonstrate that he/she has: -an organic vision of the topics; -capacity for personal and critical processing of the topics; -ability to deepen theoretical and methodological issues of history in general, and in particular concerning heritage studies.