Renaissance Rome

As part of the History of Architecture 1 B course, a series of lectures at the Department of Architecture of Roma Tre University, “Architecture, landscape and gardens in the Roman context”, will illustrate the topic of Historic Gardens in Rome.

On December 2nd Claudio Impiglia, a collaborator in the Department of Architecture of the Roma Tre University, summarizes the history of the naturalistic oasis of Portus, the theme of his doctoral thesis Prince John Torlonia (1873-1938) and the cult of the Picturesque: Architectures and landscapes of waters on the Porto estate in Fiumicino, further deepened in the context of the collaboration with the "Fondazione Portus" non-profit organization.
Olimpia Ratto Vaquer, PhD student in Art History and History of Architecture (ÉCOLE PRATIQUE DES HAUTES ÉTUDES - PSL and University of Florence), illustrates the theme of research on “Charles Percier: an architect among Italy and France ", financed by the Lazio Region and carried out in parallel with the theme of the doctorate on Antiquity in Giuliano da Sangallo's drawings: reanalysis and rereading of drawings and representations.

On December 9th, Rossana Nicolò, a lecturer in History of Medieval and Modern Architecture at the University of Tuscia, presents the theme of her doctoral thesis on The Belvedere of Innocent VIII in the Vatican, later increased by further research on papal commissions in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Giuseppe Morganti, president of the regional direction of FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano) Lazio, tells the theme of the exhibition he conceived and curated: The Palatine Hill and its secret garden. In the charm of the Horti Farnesiani (Rome, 21/3 - 28/10/2018). The theme is closely linked to his experience as an architect officer at the Archaeological Park of the Colosseum.

December 16th, Alice Legé, PhD student in Art History (Université de Picardie Jules Verne and University of Milan), based on two unpublished inventories, presents the little-known events of the disappeared Bindo Altoviti's villa, canceled from urbanization of the Prati district and linked to the themes dealt with in his thesis Les Cahen d'Anvers en France et en Italie.
The prospects for further study of Villa Altoviti are illustrated by Alessandro Cremona, historical curator of the art of the Villas and Historical Parks Office of the Capitoline Department for Cultural Heritage. As responsible for the design and management of maintenance and restoration activities of territorial areas, villas and historical parks of Rome, dr. Cremona presents - at the end of the conference cycle - the research methodology, linking historical-artistic, archival, iconographic investigations to the protection and conservation of heritage.

Nell’ambito del corso di Storia dell’Architettura 1 B, un ciclo di conferenze presso il Dipartimento di Architettura di Roma Tre nell’ex Mattatoio di Testaccio – Architettura, paesaggio e giardini nel contesto romano – illustrerà il tema dei giardini storici a Roma.

Lunedì 2/12 l’architetto Claudio Impiglia, collaboratore a contratto nel Dipartimento di Architettura Università Roma Tre, sintetizza le millenarie vicende dell’Oasi naturalistica di Portus, tema della sua tesi di dottorato Il Principe Giovanni Torlonia (1873-1938) e il culto del Pittoresco. Architetture e paesaggi d’acque nella tenuta di Porto a Fiumicino, ulteriormente approfondito nell’ambito della collaborazione con la “Fondazione Portus” onlus.
Di seguito, la dottoressa Olimpia Ratto Vaquer, dottoranda in Storia dell’Arte e in Storia dell’Architettura (ÉCOLE PRATIQUE DES HAUTES ÉTUDES – PSL e Università degli Studi di Firenze), illustra il tema della ricerca su “Charles Percier: un architetto tra l’Italia e la Francia”, finanziata dalla Regione Lazio e svolta parallelamente al tema del dottorato su L’antico nei disegni di Giuliano da Sangallo: rianalisi e rilettura dei disegni e delle rappresentazioni. 

Lunedì 9/12 l’architetto Rossana Nicolò, docente a contratto di Storia dell’Architettura medievale e moderna presso l’Università della Tuscia, presenta il tema della sua tesi di dottorato su Il Belvedere di Innocenzo VIII in Vaticano, poi incrementato da ulteriori ricerche sulla committenza papale nel XV e XVI secolo.
L’architetto Giuseppe Morganti, presidente della direzione regionale del FAI (Fondo Ambiente Italiano) Lazio, racconta il tema della mostra da lui ideata e curata: Il Palatino e il suo giardino segreto. Nel fascino degli Horti Farnesiani (Roma, 21/3 – 28/10/2018). Il tema è strettamente legato alla sua esperienza di funzionario architetto presso il Parco archeologico del Colosseo (già Soprintendenza Speciale per i Beni archeologici di Roma).

Lunedì 16/12 la dottoressa Alice Legé, dottoranda in Storia dell’Arte (Université de Picardie Jules Verne e Università degli Studi di Milano), basandosi su due inventari inediti, presenta le vicende poco note della scomparsa villa di Bindo Altoviti, cancellata dall’urbanizzazione del rione Prati e legata ai temi trattati nella sua tesi Politiques culturelles d’une famille d’entrepreneurs: les Cahen d’Anvers en France et en Italie.
Le prospettive di ulteriori approfondimenti su villa Altoviti sono illustrate dal dottor Alessandro Cremona, curatore storico dell’arte dell’Ufficio Ville e Parchi storici della Sovrintendenza Capitolina ai beni Culturali. Come responsabile della progettazione e direzione delle attività di manutenzione e restauro di aree territoriali, ville e parchi storici di Roma, il dott. Cremona presenta – alla conclusione del ciclo di conferenze – la metodologia della ricerca, legando alla tutela e conservazione del patrimonio le indagini storico-artistiche, archivistiche, iconografiche.

This volume examines the significance of pollution and cleanliness in the art, literature, philosophy, and material culture of the city of Rome from antiquity through to the twentieth century. Dirt, disease and pollution and the ways they are represented and policed have long been recognised by historians and anthropologists to occupy a central position in the formulation of cultural identity, and Rome holds a special status in the West as a city intimately associated with issues of purity, decay, ruin and renewal. In recent years, scholarship in a variety of disciplines has begun to scrutinise the less palatable features of the archaeology, history and society of Rome. This research has drawn attention to the city’s distinctive historical interest in the recognition, isolation and treatment of pollution, and the ways in which politicians, architects, writers and artists have exploited this as a vehicle for devising visions of purity and propriety. And yet, in spite of the volume of research into isolated instances of filth and cleanliness at Rome, there has been no comprehensive study of the history of pollution within the city. The challenge that remains, then, is to develop a more sophisticated analysis of developments over time in one geographical location, and to situate approaches to pollution in the city of Rome more broadly within cultural anthropology and the history of ideas.

The volume focuses on the theme of ‘Pollution and Propriety’ and the discourses by which these two antagonistic concepts are related. How has pollution in Rome been defined, and by what means is it controlled? To what extent is dirt culturally constructed (a position championed by Mary Douglas, but currently under challenge)? If dirt is dis-order/ ‘matter out of place’, how useful is it as an index of order or social and cultural system? How does Rome’s own social and cultural history affect the way states of dirt and cleanliness are formulated? Does purity always accompany political, physical or social change? How different are pagan and Christian approaches to pollution and propriety at Rome, and do these approaches change over time from ancient to medieval to modern? Does Rome’s reputation as a ‘city of ruins’ determine how it is represented? What makes images of decay in Rome so picturesque? What do approaches to dirt at Rome tell us about contemporary value systems?

Pollution and Propriety brings together scholars from a range of disciplines in order to examine the historical continuity of dirt, disease and hygiene in one environment, and to explore the development and transformation of these ideas alongside major chapters in the city’s history, such as early Roman urban development, the Roman Empire, early Christianity, decline and fall, the medieval city, the Renaissance, the Unification of Italy, and the advent of Fascism. This volume sets out to identify the defining characteristics, functions and discourses of pollution in Rome in such realms as disease and medicine, death and burial, sexuality and virginity, prostitution, purity and absolution, personal hygiene and morality, criminality, bodies and cleansing, waste disposal, decay, ruins and urban renovation. It also studies the means by which that pollution was policed and controlled. By combining literary and visual material on pollution, this volume integrates areas of academic enquiry that are normally separated in scholarly research in order to identify underlying cultural patterns. Its common theme is the enduring concern for purity in its various forms, as well as the concern for the environment that is evident throughout the history of the city.

This volume will be of interest to students and scholars working in archaeology, anthropology, art history, classics, cultural history and the history of medicine, as well as anyone interested in the history, society and culture of Rome. It provides a compelling context for examining general theoretical approaches to pollution and purity, which have experienced a resurgence of interest in academic and popular circles in recent years in the form of projects, publications and exhibitions.  In doing so, the volume evaluates the applicability of these models to Rome, as well as using Rome as a test study for evaluating the models themselves.