Ateneo - UPO

The course consists of two parts that provide an overview of heritage management from a historical perspective. The first part will in fact be dedicated to the history of tourism in the modern and contemporary age, the second to public and digital history.

Everyone will prepare for the exam by reading:
1. P. Battilani, Vacanze di pochi vacanze di tutti. L’evoluzione del turismo europeo (Bologna: il Mulino, 2009);
2. Eric G.E. Zuelow, A History of Modern Tourism (London, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016), cap. 1-6;
3. Storia di Vercelli in età moderna e contemporanea, a cura di E. Tortarolo (Torino: Utet, 2011);
4. Storia della Valsesia in età moderna, a cura di E. Tortarolo (Vercelli: Gallo editore, 2015);
5. Gabriella Gribaudi, La memoria, I traumi, la storia. La guerra e le catastrofi nel Novecento, Roma,
Viella, 2020;
6. Marcello Ravveduto, Giampaolo Salice, Enrica Salvatori, Storia digitale pubblica, Milano, Pearson,
2026 (only in e-textbook format).
Those who cannot attend and participate in the lessons will also prepare for the exam by reading:
Emanuele Ertola, Tracce fasciste. L’eredità materiale del Ventennio, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 2026.
Further readings will be listed among the materials uploaded on the course's DIR page.

The course aims to provide advanced analytical tools to understand the evolutionary stages and dynamics of tourism in both a local and global context and to understand the historical dimension of cultural categories linked to tourism phenomena, as well as public and digital history.
At a basic level, the objective of the course is to provide students with an overview of the concepts of public history, oral history, memory and digital history and their interactions, the knowledge of the main historical junctions and the different typologies of modern tourism, of the events of tourism development in relation to the main social, cultural and institutional events of specific contexts, both local and global, the acquisition of methodological tools for reading, analysis and criticism of tourist phenomena of the past up to the development of forms of mass tourism and the acquisition of the specific language of university-level scientific literature, and that of historical-tourism analysis in particular.
The second aim is to provide, through the seminar part, an opportunity to exercise one's research skills and to use the notions learned in the first part of the course in a concrete way by analyzing a specific case.
At an advanced level the objective of the course is to provide an in-depth knowledge of the historiographical debate on public history and of the tools that are used in digital history, both for research and in connection with public history, in-depth knowledge of techniques and methods of analysis of tourist practices in the long term, the ability to insert the development of tourist practices and flows into the broader historical, cultural and technological context in which they have established themselves, evaluating their impact and interactions in different contexts and the ability to express critical judgments on the topics discussed, also resulting of a personal re-elaboration, and to illustrate the required contents through a fluent, precise presentation and with appropriate use of specific terminology. The advanced objective of the seminar part of the course is to acquire a critical knowledge of the concepts and tools used to study the episodes of public history and digital public history that will be discussed in the various seminar meetings.
For this course, didactic teaching corresponds to 2 CFU, interactive teaching to 0.5 CFU and self-learning activities to 9.5 CFU.

For the first part of the course, the one relating to the history of tourism, a general knowledge of the main events relating to modern and contemporary European and world history is necessary.
For the second part, that of public and digital history, there are no prerequisites.

The course will mainly consist of frontal lessons: the teachers will illustrate the thematic cores of the course starting from the topics that are necessary to carry out the seminar part. The frontal lessons will be carried out with the use of media tools and audio/visual supports. The first module includes educational visits to city museums and cultural institutions. Throughout the course of the lessons, at the end of the frontal lesson and at reception, the teacher of the second module will discuss with the groups the choice of topic for the seminar part and give advice and indications. The last three meetings will have a seminar character: each group will present a case of analysis and the whole class will be invited to ask questions and comments, comparing the various cases.

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/servicesstudents-physical-or-learning-disabilities. Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects.

As for the indicative reading list: the volume "Storia di Vercelli in età moderna e contemporanea" is out of print, therefore the pdf of the considered chapters will be made available (see the area Dir of the course). A complimentary and personal copy of "Storia della Valsesia" will be provided to all attending students; the pdf of the considered chapters will be made available. To those unable to attend a different mode of getting the volume can be arranged via email (irene.gaddo@uniupo.it)

The exam requires passing two separate tests, each dedicated to one of the modules, at the end of which the teachers will produce a final grade.
For the first module the exam will consist of an oral test of at least 20 minutes with reference to: a) turning points and issues in the history of tourism in a global perspective; b) cultural transformations and cognitive elaboration of the world in modern and contemporary times in relation to their effects on tourism phenomena; c) structural and typological evolution of tourism in the Piedmontese case between the 18th and 21st centuries.
Students are therefore asked to demonstrate:
1.KNOWLEDGE
- Knowledge of fundamental events and main points in the history of modern tourism.
- Knowledge of the various types of tourism practices and of the links with specific cultural contexts and with the dynamics of globalization.
SKILLS
- Acquisition of fundamental notions for the analysis of tourism practices and trends.
- Acquisition of interpretative tools on tourism development, both at a local and global level.
3. SOFT SKILLS
- Ability to present with clarity and argumentative effectiveness the themes developed during the course, using the appropriate terminology.
The individual aspects will be given the following value in assessing the achievement of learning objectives: 1. 40%; 2. 40%; 3. 20%.
For the second didactic unit the assessment of the student's results will take place during both the seminar portion and the final oral exam. For the seminar portion, not only will each student's presentation be evaluated, but also their engagement during the other presentations and participation in the discussion to compare the different cases and find a comprehensive understanding. The final grade will be determined as follows:
60% oral exam
30% presentation
10% seminar participation.
The assessment will be based on the following elements:
- A general understanding of concepts and events as a set of notions without a conceptual connection between them, with the use of inappropriate language in the oral discussion, will be considered sufficient. A presentation of one's own case study alone without interaction in the seminar portion will be considered barely sufficient. Corresponding grade: 18-22
- A more in-depth but not detailed understanding of concepts and events, with the use of generally appropriate language for the topic being discussed, will be considered fair. Interaction in the seminar portion with the cases presented by other participants, making comparisons and cross-references with one's own case study, will be considered fair. Corresponding grade: 22-26.
- A thorough understanding, demonstrating a good understanding of the relationships between different phenomena and the ability to independently use the concepts learned, applying them to different events, will be considered satisfactory. It will be considered fully satisfactory if the student demonstrates the ability to discuss the texts they have read with independent judgment, identifying the author's point of view and engaging in critical dialogue. Interaction during the seminar portion that demonstrates a willingness to develop a general interpretation of the phenomenon, including all case studies, will be considered excellent. Corresponding grade: 27-30 cum laude.

The lessons will take place according to the following general scheme:
1. Presentation. The journey into the ancient and medieval ages
2. The modern age (I): explorations and new worlds
3. The modern age (II): empires and mental geographies between East and West
4. The training trip and the Grand Tour
5. The great economic, social and cultural transformations and the birth of tourism
6. Tourism, evolution of transport, mass society
7. Colonialism, gender tourism, environment
8. Tourism and territory between the modern and contemporary age (I): the case of Piedmont
9-11. Tourism and territory (II): the case of the Vercelli area
12-13. Tourism and territory (III): the case of Valsesia.
2-3pm. Two educational trips are planned in Vercelli, on dates that will be communicated in class and in the Dir area.
16. General introduction to the course: themes and practical issues. What are history and memory.
17. The First World War and mass memory.
18. The public use of history from the Historikerstreit to the Italian “Civil War”; the political use of history in Italy: southernism, foibe, Marxism and manuals.
19. “Places of memory” and monuments.
20. Origins, methodology and history of oral history.
21. Oral history research topics; Two examples of analysis of oral sources: Lina Kostenko and the memory of the Chernobyl accident.
22. Public History and historical communication. The concept of Heritage.
23. Advent of information technology and birth of Digital Humanities.
24. Approaches and historiography of digital history.
25. Historical sources in the digital environment.
26. Big projects, technologies to be used.
27. Two examples: the history of hackers and the use of generative AI in history.
28-30 Seminar reports.
Integration of the gender dimension.
The course also dedicates space to the study of the gender dimension, in particular in lessons 17 and 21.

At a basic level:
Knowledge and understanding:
- Knowledge of the fundamental events and main junctions in the history of modern and contemporary tourism.
- Knowledge of the variety of tourism phenomena and their connections with specific cultural contexts and with the dynamics of globalization.
- Demonstrate knowledge and ability to understand issues relating to public, oral and digital history in contemporary society. Demonstrate knowledge of the fundamental stages in the development of the historiography of these three sub-disciplines. Understanding the connection between digital history and public history.
- Applied knowledge and understanding:
- Demonstrate ability to understand and discuss issues concerning public and oral history in contemporary society. Know the main tools of digital history.
Skills:
- Acquisition of some fundamental notions of analysis of the historical development of tourism phenomena.
- Acquisition of interpretative tools of tourist practices and flows at both a local and global level.
Soft skills:
- Ability to present the course topics with clarity and argumentative effectiveness, using appropriate terminology

At advanced level:
Knowledge and understanding:
- Global and unitary understanding of the path undertaken with acquired theoretical-methodological skills and interpretative skills.
- Active and confident competence in the terminology of the discipline, combined with excellent expression.
- Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the evolutionary stages of the three subdisciplines covered, being able to understand differences and interactions, referring both to the main authors of historiography and providing concrete examples.
Applied knowledge and understanding:
- Demonstrate the ability to use the tools used in the seminar part to analyze an example of public history or digital public history and demonstrate the ability to discuss it by comparing it with the other cases studied by the other seminar groups.
- Ability to independently rework the course contents and develop interdisciplinary connections.

These learning outcomes are consistent with what is foreseen in the SUA of the Study Course, framework A4.b2 (particularly for the Historical Area).