27154 - Art Seminar (1)

Learning outcomes

Art seminars complement the traditional academic courses.

By the end of this seminar students will:

- Know and understand some relevant historical, analytical and conceptual aspects of the Arts

- Master the fundamentals of methodologies developed in different fields of art research

Course contents

The theory of Renaissance architecture. The treaties

This seminar is intended to provide students with a direct knowledge of the main Renaissance literature on the theoretical rules of architecture. Students, divided into groups, shall study extracts from the most important Renaissance Architecture treaties, present them critically in class and discussion them with their colleagues. Among others, the treaty of Vitruvio, Leon Battista Alberti, Sebastiano Serlio, Vignola and Palladio will be treated.

Each group will write an essay summarizing the content of the various presentations. The essay shall be submitted by the Saturday of the penultimate week of the seminar. Lectures will be held at the Archiginnasio's Library and the University Library.

Lesson one – Introduction and organization of the groups

Lesson two – Lecture at the Archiginnasio’s Library

Lesson three – Vitruvius, De Architectura

Lesson four – Presentation of the students

Lesson five – Presentation of the students

Lesson six - Leon Battista Alberti, De Re Aedificatoria

Lesson seven – Presentation of the students

Lesson eight – Presentation of the students

Lesson nine – Sebastiano Serlio, Il terzo libro. Le Antichità di Roma

Lesson ten – Presentation of the students

Lesson eleven – Presentation of the students

Lesson twelve – Vignola, La regola delli Cinque Ordini d’Architettura

Lesson thirteen – Presentation of the students

Lesson fourteen – Presentation of the students

Lesson fifteen – Conclusions and final discussion

Readings/Bibliography

In addition to the treatises in the syllabus, all available online in fac-simile and PDF, the following bibliography is recommended.

P.N. Pagliara, Vitruvio da testo a canone, in memoria dell’antico nell’arte italiana. III Dalla tradizione all’archeologia, a cura di S. Settis, Torino 1986, pp. 3-85.

H.W. Kruft, Storia delle teorie architettoniche, Roma Bari 1999, pp. 3-106.

F.P. Fiore, Trattati e teorie d’architettura del primo cinquecento, in Storia dell’architettura italiana. Il primo cinquecento, a cura di A. Bruschi, Milano 2002, pp. 504-521

A.A.V.V., Teoria dell’architettura, Köln, London 2003, pp. 8-117

Teaching methods

Lectures, visits to the rare book collection of Archiginnasio and the University Library, class presentations and discussion of the groups’ works.

Assessment methods

Students will be evaluated considering the weekly class presentations and the quality of paragraphs to be written each week. Both in the presentation and in the essay, students are required to demonstrate the acquisition and possession of the fundamentals of the topics treated and of the methodological approach adopted.

Final assessment criteria:

This seminar is not valid in order to obtain credits, it provides a passed/fail grade. To pass it, students are required to present the research results with their group each week, actively participate in class discussion and write the part of the essay assigned.

Teaching tools

Various audiovisual tools (audio CDs, image projections and digital movies).

Office hours

See the website of Francesco Benelli