Course program
The course aims to provide students with the critical and cultural tools necessary to understand the rediscovery of antiquity in Rome and the formation of the first public and private collections between the fifteenth and seventeenth centuries. The most extraordinary discoveries, capable of influencing the tastes and fashions of subsequent eras, will be addressed from a diachronic perspective, as will the formation of the main collections and collections of marbles and the formation of the first museums, with particular reference to Rome. These lines of inquiry will be intersected with figures of scholars who were instrumental in the development of the discipline as a historical science.
Prerequisites
A basic knowledge of Greek and Roman art history is recommended.
Books
A. Cavallaro, Introduzione. Il Quattrocento
A. Cavallaro, I luoghi delle antichità, Case, cortili e giardini di collezionisti romani tra XV e XVI secolo, pp. 19-41;
B. Palma Venetucci, Dallo Scavo al Collezionismo
F. Haskell - N. Penny, L'antico della storia del gusto
C. Parisi Presicce, Antichità sul Campidoglio, in I marmi Torlonia
Frequency
Classes are live. Course attendance is optional, but strongly recommended
Exam mode
The assessment test will be oral, aimed at verifying the achievement of the learning objectives.
The oral exam is divided into two parts.
I. Basic knowledge of the history of the rediscovery of antiquity and the characteristics of collecting between the fifteenth and twentieth centuries, to be studied in the recommended texts for the exam;
II. Monographic course. Candidates will be asked to give a critical presentation of one or more Roman collections. Slides (already presented during the lessons and provided to students on the Classroom platform) may be examined, and candidates will be required to recognize the works examined, providing a description and dating them. Candidates will also be required to discuss the acquisition choices of the creators of the collections, as well as the display choices inside or outside their homes (palaces or villas). The final assessment will be based on the knowledge acquired and, to a large extent, on the candidate's individual critical thinking skills.
The exam will take place in the professor's office, by appointment to be made on the Infostud platform.
In line with the University's recommendations, there is no difference in the syllabus or assessment methods between attending and non-attending students.
Lesson mode
The course will consist of hours of classroom lectures, supplemented by some visits to the main Roman museums, for a total of 42 hours.
Course attendance is optional, but strongly recommended.
