CONTEMPORARY HISTORY OF VENICE

This course aims to examine the modern and contemporary history of Venice, in order to comprehend the role played by the city in a global perspective and to offer critical tools to better understand the challenges and difficulties that Venice is facing nowadays (depopulation, privatization, environmental and tourism-related issues).

At the end of the course, students will be able to retrace the history of Venice from 1797 to nowadays, to relate it with the main world's history events and to recognise the most important urban changes that happened in this period.

This course does not require any former knowledge.

Dealing with the modern and contemporary history of Venice means to deal with the global history as well, and with the relationships between the city and other European countries. Amongst the contents of this course there will be at least the following topics, integrated with in-depth analysis from time to time:
• the fall of the Serenissima and the Napoleonic period and reforms;
• the Austrian occupation and reorganisation. Strada nova and the Ponte della libertà;
• the XIX century's revolutions: Daniele Manin, Niccolò Tommaseo and the Italian Venice;
• the process of industrialisation and Porto Marghera;
• the fascist period and the Greater Venice;
• the postwar period, the protests of 1968 and the labour movement;
• the socialist crisis, global challenges and Massimo Cacciari;
• the beginning of the XXI century, the political and economic scandals, the cruise ships ("Grandi navi"), the difficult relationship with the mainland.

The reference text for this course is R. J. B. Bosworth, "Italian Venice. A History", New Haven and London, Yale University Press, 2014.
Other reading material will be provided throughout the course.

Group presentation and oral examination.
The test will focus on the topics illustrated during the course.

Frontal lectures. Individual and group activities. Presentations. One field trip.

English

Even if attending the course is not mandatory, attendance is strongly encouraged. Students that are unable to attend are asked to contact the teacher by email.

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Natural capital and environmental quality" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development