MODERN ARCHITECTURE I

The course provides critical and methodological tools to understand the main themes of early modern architecture in the territories of the Serenissima between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. It addresses the relationship between architecture and its socio-cultural context, the formation and dissemination of architectural languages, and the main historiographical issues. The course is part of the core curriculum of the Modern track of the Master’s degree in History of Art and Conservation of Cultural Heritage.

At the end of the course, students will be able to:
• Knowledge and understanding
-Demonstrate knowledge of the main themes, key figures, and contexts of architecture in the territories of the Serenissima between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
-Understand the processes of formation and dissemination of architectural languages in relation to their historical, social, and cultural context.
• Applying knowledge and understanding
-Analyze architectural works and contexts using appropriate critical and methodological tools.
-Situate buildings and architectural phenomena within their historical and territorial framework.
• Making judgements
-Critically assess sources and the main historiographical interpretations.
-Develop independent interpretations of the architectural phenomena studied.
• Communication skills
-Present topics and issues of early modern architecture clearly and appropriately, using specialized terminology.
-Argue analyses and interpretations effectively in both written and oral form.
• Learning skills
-Use bibliographic and methodological tools for independent study.
-Pursue further learning autonomously in the field of architectural history.

Basic knowledge of the political, social and cultural history of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

The main topics of the course are:
-issues of periodization and the definition of the early modern period in the territories of the Republic of Venice; the notion of architectural culture; introductory remarks on history and historiography
-the relationship between architecture, its socio-cultural context, and patronage; the civil, religious, and military functions of architecture
-the formation and dissemination of architectural languages between the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries; the circulation of models between Venice, the Stato da Mar, the mainland, and other contexts
-key figures and works: architects such as Giorgio di Sebenico, Mauro Codussi, Jacopo Sansovino, Michele Sanmicheli, Andrea Palladio, etc.
architectural typologies: religious, civil (palaces and villas), and military architecture
-sources, treatises, and the main historiographical issues related to the architecture of the Serenissima

Ennio Concina, Storia dell'architettura di Venezia, Electa, 1995.
Ennio Concina, Temo Novo, Marsilio, 2006.
Storia dell'architettura nel Veneto. Il Cinquecento, eds. D. Battilotti, G. Beltramini, E. Demo, W. Panciera, Marsilio, 2016.
L'architettura del Rinascimento. Storia e geografia, ed. F. Mattei, Carocci, 2026.

A more specific bibliography will be distributed at the beginning of the course.

To access the oral exam, students may choose between two options:

Option 1:
Participation in group work, specifically the preparation of a virtual exhibition that will be the subject of a group discussion. Each student will contribute with an individual research project, agreed upon at the beginning of the course, to be submitted in written form to the instructor. This written work will be part of the final evaluation process.
The exhibition text must be a maximum of 4,000 characters, including spaces (excluding bibliography and illustrations). Illustrations should be placed at the end of the text, accompanied by a list of illustrations. Final bibliography required.

Option 2:
A short paper discussing a topic agreed with the instructor.
The paper should be 10,000 characters, including spaces (excluding bibliography and footnotes).Illustrations should be placed at the end of the text, accompanied by a list of illustrations. Final bibliography required.


The final oral exam will consist of three types of questions:

A set of three multiple-choice questions on topics covered during the lectures

One open-ended question on a topic discussed in class

A discussion of the student's individual research project (exhibition entry or short paper)

oral

The lecturer has a duty to ensure that the rules regarding the authenticity and originality of exam tests and papers are respected. Therefore, if there is suspicion of irregular conduct, an additional assessment may be conducted, which could differ from the original exam description.

Grading Scale for Exams:

A. Scores in the range of 18–22 will be assigned for:

Sufficient knowledge and understanding of the exam texts and related topics

Limited ability to use relevant information and formulate independent judgments

Sufficient communication skills

B. Scores in the range of 23–26 will be assigned for:

Fair knowledge of the exam texts and related topics

Fair ability to use relevant information and formulate independent judgments

Fair communication skills

C. Scores in the range of 27–30 will be assigned for:

Good to excellent knowledge and understanding of the exam texts and related topics

Good to excellent ability to use relevant information and formulate independent judgments

Fully adequate communication skills

D. “Honors” (lode) will be awarded to students who demonstrate excellent knowledge and understanding of the exam texts and related topics.

The course is organized in a seminar format and includes lectures with image projections by the instructor, as well as student presentations.
Students who choose to work on the group virtual exhibition will present it in class to enable group discussion.
The course also includes practice in writing an exhibition entry or short paper, as described above.

Given the seminar format of the course, attendance is highly recommended, also for students who do not participate in the group project.

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