HISTORY OF THE CITY AND THE TERRITORY
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Bibliography
- Delivery method
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
General knowledge of European geography and of European history of the centuries mentioned above. It is not compulsory, but the knowledge of the history of different European countries literatures could be an important support to understand many of the topics delivered.
Final examination: oral test consisting in three questions, on general topics on the total chronological period considered and geographic spaces discussed (e.g. Branda palace at Castiglione Olona; the developement of Paris; the urban changes in Berlin). The score is expressed with a 30-point scale that can be divided into failing (0 to 17) and passing (18 to 30 cum laude) grades. The final mark is based on a general assessment on the answers to the three questions (they all have the same value), revised considering the global knowledge of the student.
The fundamental principles are: the knowledge acquired, the ability in visual reading (with special care of the historical criteria and data and not the emotional ones), including a critical judgment (with references to the contemporary cultural heritage), the communication skill using the proper language, the correct positioning in space and time, both limited and unlimited, of phenomena, events and objects, the ability with the proper comparisons on the base of a measured structuralism.
The course of Storia della Città e del Territorio belongs to the group of humanistic courses which feature the degree course in Communication Science.
In the course students will learn how to discuss both the historical and urban development of the first ideal city of Modern Times, Castiglione Olona (Varese) and the comparative evolution of the most important European towns. They will be considered in the interlinking urban development, monumental sites, strategies of symbolical definition.
Among the expected learning outcomes we point out:
the knowledge of basic specialized lexicon of the urban field;
the comparative capability of connecting, geographical spaces and the chronological context;
the capability of reading an urban stratigraphy.
The following topics will be delivered during lessons:
General issues of historical topography;
Castiglione Olona as ideal city;
Paris;
London;
Madrid;
Lisbon;
Wien;
Budapest;
Prague;
Kracow
Berlin;
Copenaghen;
Moscow and St. Petersburg;
Istanbul.
The following textbook is required to be studied:
A. Spiriti, Castiglione Olona. La prima città ideale dell’Umanesimo, Milano 2018.
Further bibliography on European towns will be recommended by the teacher, considering individual interests.
Educational supports available on the e-learning platform: slides presented during lessons in PPT format. They will be available after each lesson.
The course will be delivered with frontal lessons, with a total amount of 48 hours. They will be all conducted by the tenured professor of the course, with the support of PPT presentations, encouraging interaction between the lecturer and students. At the end of each lesson students can ask professor for clarifications and further explanations of the topics proposed.
Trips in Lombard territory will be planned by the teacher.
The attendance of lessons is highly recommended to take advantage of all the interdisciplinary connections (political history, historic geography, history of literature, etc.) and critical interpretations of the phenomena which will be proposed by the teacher lesson by lesson and which cannot be fully acquired by studying he textbooks.
Office hours at the professor’s office (Collegio Cattaneo,Via Jean Henry Dunant, 7 Varese). You are required to request an appointment by sending your e-mail to andrea.spiriti@uninsubria.it. The appointment will be scheduled within one week.
Before and after lessons it is always possible to have informal consultations or to request an appointment with Prof Spiriti.