Benedetta CASTIGLIONI

Actual position

Associate Professor in Geography, Department of Historical and Geographical Sciences and the Ancient World, University of Padua (since December 2011).

National scientific qualification for the role of full professor

In charge for University Third Mission by the Department Director

Member of the Board of the PhD course in “Historical, Geographical and Anthropological Sciences”, Universities of Padua, Venice and Verona

Representative of the University of Padua for UNISCAPE (Network of universities for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention)

Member of the Scientific Committee of the Regional Landscape Observatory, Regione del Veneto

Previous positions and responsibilities

Consultant of Council of Europe (Spatial Planning and Landscape Division, Directorate of Culture and Cultural and Natural Heritage) for the implementation of guidelines concerning education on landscape (2007-2010)

Consultant for the Veneto regional administration for the implementation of the Atlas of landscape unities, in the context of the landscape and spatial regional planning process (2007-2009)

2005 - 2011 - Assistant Professor in Geography, University of Padua

2004 – 2005 - Coordinator of European project Cultura 2000, “Karstic Cultural Landscapes.

Architecture of a unique relationship people-territory”, Civic Museum of Montebelluna TV, www.3kcl.net

2002 - 2004 - Research position at Department of Economics University of Udine, European Project REGALP: Regional Development and cultural landscape change: the example of the Alps. Evaluating and Adjusting EU and National Policies to Manage a Balanced Change

1996 – 1999 - PhD in Human and environment, Department of Geography, University of Padua, XI cycle

Research topics and projects

Main research topic is landscape, with special attention to the relationship between people and landscape, the social questions concerning landscape and the possibility of using landscape as a ‘intermediary’ and a ‘tool’. The research concerns mainly the Veneto area, both the "Urban Spraw" of the plain and hills and mountains, in particular on the following issues: 

• theoretical and methodological questions concerning landscape studies, in a social perspective
• educational values of landscape; awareness raising, popularization
• analysis of landscape social perception and representation
• landscape democracy and justice
• landscape as heritage
• tourism landscapes
• energy landscapes
• landscape in population studies, with special concern for immigration processes and multicultural contexts

On these topics I have been involved in several research projects, and in following as a supervisors
master thesis and PhD thesis.