Education
Anna Pellegrino graduated in Humanities, with a specialisation in History, from the University of Florence in 1997, with the highest honours (110/110 cum laude). In 1998, she was awarded a postgraduate fellowship for study abroad at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris, where she continued her academic training, obtaining in 1999 the Diplôme d’études approfondies (DEA) in Histoire et Civilisation (title of the mémoire: Le métier entre réalité et représentation : La Fraternité artisane d’Italie 1861-1914; directeur d’études: Maurice Aymard; rapporteurs: Alain Dewerpe and Alain Cottereau), with the highest grade awarded under the institution’s regulations: Très bien.
In the 1999–2000 academic year, she enrolled in the second year of the doctoral programme at EHESS in Paris. In July 2000, she was awarded a scholarship for the PhD in History and Civilization at the European University Institute (EUI) in Fiesole, which she completed in 2004 with a dissertation entitled La città più artigiana d’Italia: Firenze 1861-1929, supervised by Gérard Delille, with Maurice Aymard (EHESS) as external supervisor.
In June 2001, she also obtained the diploma of the “F. Melis” Specialisation Course on Economia e arte, secc. XIII-XVIIIat the “F. Datini” International Institute of Economic History in Prato.
Academic Career
After holding a research contract at the University of Florence (1997–1998), in 1998–1999 she was awarded a postgraduate fellowship at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris. She subsequently held a scholarship for the PhD in History and Civilization at the European University Institute in Fiesole (2000–2004).
From 2005 to 2007, she held a research fellowship at the Associazione Duccio Bigazzi per lo studio dell’impresa e delle culture del lavoro, based at the Fondazione ISEC in Milan, Istituto di ricerca per la Storia Contemporanea, and during the same period she was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Padua, Department of Historical, Geographical and Ancient Studies (DiSSGeA). At the same Department, she subsequently held research fellowships for several years (2009–2011; 2011–2014; 2015–2016).
During the same years, she was a research fellow at the Maison des Sciences de l’Homme in Paris (MSH, 2007–2008) and a research assistant at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (EHESS), at Professor Maurice Aymard’s Chair of Histoire moderne et contemporaine.
In 2008, she was awarded a “Ville de Paris” fellowship at the Laboratoire d’Histoire des Techniques et de l’Environnement of the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM, 2008–2009).
In 2011, she was a visiting researcher (chercheuse étrangère invitée) for eleven months at the Laboratoire Identités-Cultures-Territoires (ICT, EA 337) of Université Paris Diderot 7 (now Université Paris Cité). At the same laboratory, she subsequently obtained the status of Chercheuse associée, which she continues to hold. She is currently also a Chercheuse associée at the Laboratoire d’Histoire des Techniques et de l’Environnement of CNAM.
In October 2014, she was a visiting scholar at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain) within the international project The Sites of Art (HAR2010-19406), while in 2016 she was a visiting scholar at the Universidad de Alicante (Spain) within a bilateral Historia económica project between the Departments of Padua and Alicante.
In December 2013, she obtained the Italian National Scientific Qualification (Abilitazione Scientifica Nazionale) for the position of Associate Professor in sector 11/A3 (Contemporary History).
In February 2014, she obtained the Italian National Scientific Qualification for the position of Associate Professor in sector 13/C1 (Economic History).
In February 2022, she obtained the Italian National Scientific Qualification for the position of Full Professor in sector 11/A3 (Contemporary History).
Teaching Activities
Since 2016, she has taught within the Degree Programme in Cultural Heritage (L-1) at the DBC. She taught History of the City and Territory (2016–2019), Contemporary History, and Social and Cultural History of the Contemporary Age (from 2019 to the present). Since 2023, she has taught History Education at the Teacher Training Centre of the University of Bologna. She organises and coordinates advanced seminars in her fields of study.
From 2019 to 2024, she was coordinator and head of the teaching laboratory Italia/Italie. Patrimonio culturale, identità nazionale e patrie locali fra XIX e XX secolo. Documentazione storica e tecnologie digitali and, since 2025, of the teaching laboratory Guerra e Patrimonio culturale. Tutela, ricostruzione e recupero della memoria tra fonti digitali, materiali e documentarie, within the European Jean Monnet Action project HEURITAGE.
In addition to the University of Bologna, she has carried out classroom teaching at the University of Padua, the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers in Paris, and Université Paris Diderot 7. She has also given seminars at the following universities and research centres: University of Florence, University of Milano-Bicocca, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales and Maison des Sciences de l’Homme in Paris, Université Technologique de Belfort-Montbéliard, Université Paris Nanterre, Université de Bourgogne, Université de Lille, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and Universidad de Alicante.
Research Activities
Since January 2025, she has been coordinator of the European Jean Monnet Action – Erasmus+ project Arts and Politics. European Cultural Heritage Policies between Old and New Values (HEURITAGE) at the DBC.
She was Head of the Research Unit of the national project Medici e scienziati italiani nell’organizzazione internazionale del lavoro. L’Italia e la costruzione di un sistema globale per la salute e sicurezza al lavoro (1919-1999) – BRIC INAIL 2019, Id. 21 (2019–2021).
She was also Head of the Research Unit of the project Il patrimonio di esperienze e conoscenze in materia di salute e sicurezza sul lavoro: documentazione e valorizzazione del caso italiano nel contesto internazionale dall’inizio del XX secolo ai giorni nostri – BRIC INAIL 2016, Id. 34 (2016–2018).
Together with Giovanni Luigi Fontana, she was co-director of the project L’economia dell’eccellenza. L’artigianato italiano nei circuiti internazionali: saperi tradizionali, innovazioni tecnologiche e strategie comunicative (XIX-XX secolo), funded through a competitive call by Fondazione Cariparo of Padua.
She is a member of the Scientific Committee and a promoter of the project Pour un dictionnaire historique et critique des mondes du travail (DICOTRAV), promoted by the Association française d’histoire des mondes du travail (AFHMT) and the Società Italiana di Storia del Lavoro (SISLav).
Since 2022, she has been coordinator of the strand Image de l’Assurance entre XIXe et XXe siècle of the project Les cultures de l’Assurance XIXe-XXe siècle, directed by Raymond Dartevelle (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne) and Fatiha Cherfouh-Baïch (Université Paris Descartes).
She was a member (2022–2024) of the ANR project Enfermements. Histoire comparée des enfermements monastiques et carcéraux, within which the project Beau livre – Cellules de religieuses, maquettes et couvents féminins (XVIIIe-XXe siècle) was carried out, directed by Élisabeth Lusset and Isabelle Heullant-Donat (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne).
From 2019 to 2023, she was a member of the international project Littérature et culture matérielle XIXe-XXIe s., directed by Marta Caraion (Université de Lausanne – Fonds National Suisse, FNS).
From 2017 to 2019, she was a member of the international research group coordinated by Natalie Ponsard and Timoty Asplan of the European Labour History Network: Workers’ Writing in Europe (19th & 20th Century). Un contributo alla storia culturale del mondo del lavoro (2017–2019).
Between 2021 and 2023, she was the contact person for the Italian case of the project MISS. Made in SweatShops. Worker, Technology and Gender (Comparison Paris-Shanghai, Late 19th-Late 20th c.), directed by Audrey Millet (Researcher Fellow Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions, European Commission, University of Oslo).
In 2013–2014, she was a member of the research group of the international project The Sites of Art (HAR2010-19406), directed by Sofía Diéguez Patao at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
In 2011–2012, she participated in the bilateral project La circulation des ouvriers qualifiés (Université Paris Diderot 7 / University of Udine) with Manuela Martini, David Ndiaye, Lilian Hilarie Perez, Javier Grossutti and Alessio Fornasin, and in the interdisciplinary project Le rôle sociétal de l’entreprise en Europe du XIXe au XXIe siècle: science, technique, industrie (Université Paris Diderot – UMR 7533 LADYSS), coordinated by Petia Koleva.
She was also a member of several PRIN projects at the Universities of Padua and Bologna between 1999 and 2007.
She is currently coordinator, together with Nathalie Ponsard, Mike Sanders and Luisa Veloso, of the International Working Group of the European Labour History Network (ELHN-Amsterdam): Speak, Look, Listen! The Cultural Production of Work.
The results of her research have been presented and discussed at numerous international and national conferences and published in Italy and abroad: France, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Greece, England and Germany.
She serves as a referee for international and Italian journals in the fields of contemporary history, labour history, social history, the history of science and technology, and economic history, in particular for the journals Studi Storici, Passato e Presente, Ricerche Storiche, Storia e Futuro, Le Mouvement Social, Artefact. Technique, Histoire et Sciences Humaines, Nuncius. Journal of the Material and Visual History of Science, and Émulations. Revue de Sciences Sociales.
She has also served as a referee within the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions programme for the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS COFUND Programme).
In 2023, she was appointed by the Haut Conseil de l’évaluation de la recherche et de l’enseignement supérieur (HCERES, France) as an expert international in the 2017–2023 evaluation campaign of Parisian institutes of excellence, taking part in the evaluation of the Centre Alexandre Koyré (CAK) / Histoire des sciences et des techniques.
Institutional Activities
She was a member of the Evaluation Committee for the Erasmus+ Mobility for Traineeships Call (2016–2021).
She was a member of the Evaluation Committee for the Marco Polo Programme Call for research mobility incentives (2020–2024).
She was a member of the Academic Board of the PhD Programme in Cultural Heritage Studies (2020–2022).
She is a member of the DBC International Relations Committee.
She is a member of the DBC Editorial Committee for Web Strategy.
She is a member of the Advisory Committee of the DBC PhD Programme in Cultural and Environmental Heritage.
Membership of Scientific and Editorial Boards
In 2025, she was appointed a member of the committee of the D’Attorre Prize (Famiglia D’Attorre, Istituzione Biblioteca Classense, Fondazione Casa di Oriani, Fondazione Gramsci Emilia-Romagna, University of Bologna).
Since 2024, she has been a member of the Scientific Committee of the Fondazione di Studi Storici Filippo Turati in Florence.
Since 2024, she has been a member of the SISSCO Committee for relations and scientific initiatives with SISLAV.
Since 2023, she has been a member of the Scientific Committee of A òpra. Annali di Storia e studi della Fondazione Valore Lavoro.
Since 2023, she has been a member of the Scientific Committee of the Public History of Labour group (AISO-SISLAV).
Since 2021, she has been a member of the Scientific Board of the Laboratorio di Documentazione e Informazione (LUDI), based at the DBC.
Since 2017, she has been a member of the Comité scientifique of the “Histoire des Techniques” series, published by Classique Garnier in Paris and directed by Anne-Francoise Garçon, André Grelon and, now, also by Virginie Fonteneau.
In 2015, she was a member of the Selection Committee of Cantieri SISSCO 2015, together with Giovanni Orsina (Chair), Salvatore Adorno, Leonardo Rapone, Maurizio Ridolfi and Daniela Saresella.
In 2014, she was a member of the jury of the SISSCO ANCI STORIA Prize together with Guido Melis (Chair), Giancarlo Monina and Stefano Cavazza.
Since 2012, she has been a member of the Comité international of the journal ARTEFACT. Technique, Histoire et Sciences Humaines (CNRS EDITIONS – Centre Alexandre Koyrè, Paris).
Since 2011, she has been a member of the journal Ricerche Storiche and, since December 2015, a member of its Editorial Board.
Awards and Recognition
National SISSCO ANCI-STORIA Prize 2013 for the volume La città più artigiana d’Italia. Firenze 1861-1929, Milan, FrancoAngeli, 2012.
In 2017, she received funding from the Italian Ministry’s Fund for Basic Research Activities (FFABR 2017).
Membership of Scholarly Societies and Other International Collaborations
Anna Pellegrino is a member of numerous national and international scholarly societies. She is a member of the Società Italiana per lo Studio della Storia Contemporanea (SISSCO) and is among the founding members of the Società Italiana di Storia del Lavoro (SISLav).
She has been an active member of the Associazione Italiana di Storia Urbana (AISU), the Associazione Italiana per il Patrimonio Archeologico Industriale (AIPAI), the Società Italiana di Storia Economica (SISE), and the Società Italiana per lo Studio della Fotografia (SISF).
She has also been a member of and participated in the activities of the Association for the Study of Modern Italy (ASMI, UK).
She is a member of the Associazione degli amici di Ricerche Storiche and of the Association Artefact. Techniques, Histoire et Sciences Humaines (Centre Koyré, Paris).
She regularly collaborates with the Associazione italiana di Public History (AIPH) and the Associazione italiana di Storia orale (AISO).
Since 2004, she has been a member of the EUI Alumni Association.
Since 2025, she has been a member of the Association Française des Historiens des Idées Politiques.
Alongside her activities in scholarly associations, she has carried out scientific collaborations with various research centres and groups. She has collaborated with the Comité d’histoire des administrations chargées du travail de l’emploi et de la formation professionnelle (CHATEFP) at the Ministère du travail, de la Santé, des solidarités et des familles (FR); with the RECITS Laboratory of the Université Technologique de Belfort-Montbéliard; with the Franco-Italian Committee for Economic History (AFHE-SISE); with the research group Histoire du travail – Histoire ouvrière, coordinated by Nicolas Hatzfeld and Xavier Vigna at the École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales in Paris; and with the international research group Les expositions universelles en France. Public, tecnique, Patrimoine, coordinated by Lilian Hilarie Perez and Christiane Demeulenaere-Doyere, Paris Diderot/7, CNAM-EHESS Centre Koirè and Archives Nationales (Paris).
