01435 - History of the City and of Territory

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student  is able to understand the phenomenon of European urban development between the Eighteenth and Twentieth centuries, can identify the main phases of the urban, economic and social transformation that took place in that period and is able to read urban geography and territorial of the continent. He/She's also able to recognize the main forms of representation of the pictorial landscape from the Fifteenth to the Nineteenth century and to rebuild, referring to the contents of the main laws for the protection of natural beauties, the path taken by the Italian state administration from the unification till today.

Course contents

The course intends to offer the main tools to understand the evolution of space and urban society in the contemporary age, keeping in mind both the urbanistic elements, the social one, and the environmental one, meaning the interaction between man and territory that it hosts its activities. In this regard, the evolution of the European and Italian territory in contemporary times will be examined,and on local scale too. Specific phenomena will be studied, such as reclamation, road infrastructure and services, the relationship between plains and Appennine areas, the development of the territory, especially in the twentieth century, and its representation.

Readings/Bibliography

For those students who attend the course, the specific bibliography  will be provided at the beginning of the lessons, bearing in mind the possibility of integrating it with a written essay on a topic.

For non-attending students, the study of three texts is required, the first two to be chosen from the following list:

Marzio Barbagli, Maurizio Pisati, Dentro e fuori le mura. Città e gruppi sociali dal 1400 ad oggi, Bologna, Il Mulino, 2012.

John NcNeill, Qualcosa di nuovo sotto il sole. Storia dell'ambiente nel XX secolo, Torino, Einaudi, 2002.

Federico Paolini, "Ambiente. Una storia globale (secoli XX-XXI), Roma, Tab edizioni, 2020.

P.M. Hohenberg, L.H. Lees, "La città europa dal Medioevo a oggi", Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1992.

Leonardo Benevolo, La città nella storia d’Europa, Bari Laterza, 1993.

Emilio Sereni, Storia del paesaggio agrario italiano, Bari, Laterza, 2010: i capitoli VIII, IX e X (pp. 325-483).

Arturo Lanzani, Città, territorio, urbanistica tra crisi e contrazione, Mlano, FrancoAngeli, 2022.

 

Another one from the following list:

Gabriella Corona, Simone Neri Serneri (a cura di), Storia e ambiente. Città, risorse e territori nell'Italia contemporanea, Carocci, 2007.

Simone Neri Serneri, Incorporare la natura. Storie ambientali del Novecento, Roma, Carocci, 2005.

Carla Giovannini, Giovanni Ricci, Le città nella storia d'Italia. Ravenna, Roma-Bari, Laterza, 1985.

Angelo Varni (a cura di), Lo scorrere del paesaggio. Il trasformarsi della pianura romagnola dalla preistoria al ‘900, Faenza, Edit, 2997 (gli ultimi due saggi: pp. 143 – 311).

Alberto Malfitano, Il governo dell’acqua. Romagna Acque – Società delle Fonti dalle origini a oggi (1966-2016), Bologna, Il Mulino, 2016.

Tito Menzani, L'attività di bonifica nel territorio romagnolo. Percorsi di sviluppo in 150 anni di Italia unita, Imola, La Mandragora, 2011.

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons

Assessment methods

The exam is oral, and includes a verification of basic knowledge with attention to the ability to understand the problems faced during the lessons; the knowledge of the discipline in its historical development will be verified, the ability to frame the objects studied in their context, and to discuss them critically. The quality of oral expression and the ability to construct a logical-argumentative speech will also be taken into account.


The final evaluation will follow the following indications:


- insufficient grade: lack of basic knowledge and inability to produce a correct interpretation of the texts and / or problems -


- sufficient grade (18-22): possession of basic knowledge; mainly correct interpretation, but conducted with imprecision and little autonomy.


- good grade (23-27): possession of intermediate level knowledge; fully correct interpretation, but not always precise and autonomous.


- excellent grade (28-30 cum laude): possession of high level knowledge; interpretation of problems not only correct but conducted with autonomy and precision. Excellent oral expression skills.





In particular:
- For those attending, in addition to the forms of active participation in exercises and discussions during class hours, a final check is provided on the day of the exam. The final test will first of all concern the knowledge acquired during the course and can be prepared and studied directly on the notes taken and acquired during the lessons. During the final exam the student will have to demonstrate knowledge of the main stages in the history of the cities and the territory, from the medieval city to today. The comparison will mainly focus on the evolution of the city before and during the industrial revolution, on its infrastructural, hygienic, urban and social problems, as well as on methodological-historical issues linked to the sources. Since there is the possibility for attending students to write a paper on a topic agreed with the teacher, whoever makes this choice will be evaluated in their ability to analyze, write, and present their research.



- For non-attending students, the knowledge of the history of the city and of the territory provides the ability to correctly frame in their historical context the emblematic events and cases that allow to reconstruct the evolution of urban settlements and their influence on the surrounding area. It is also requested to highlight the essential issues addressed in the volumes of your choice, bringing emblematic cases of evolution of certain territorial or urban areas.

Teaching tools

Maps, images and sources commentary.

Office hours

See the website of Alberto Malfitano