Federica Botti

CURRICULUM VITAE

Federica Botti is Associate Professor at the Department of Cultural Heritage (Ravenna Campus – Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna). Her research focuses on Comparative Ecclesiastical Law and the legal protection of cultural heritage. Her main interests include the relationship between law and religion in Eastern Europe, the restitution of ecclesiastical cultural property, bioethics, and issues related to religious freedom and fundamental rights, with particular attention to topics such as euthanasia, female genital mutilation, surrogacy, and medically assisted reproduction. She is currently conducting research on the international protection of places of worship, the adaptive reuse of religious buildings, the legal notion of cultural genocide, the dynamics of cancel culture, and the safeguarding of intangible religious cultural heritage.

Education

• PhD in Bioethics, Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna
• International Doctorate in Canon Law & Law-Religion Relations, Université Paris-Sud 11
• International Summer School in Law and Religion, A.Y. 2004–2005, Prof. Marco Ventura, University of Siena
• School for Biotech Industrial Innovation Management – The second step: Securing the competitive advantage, Prof. Marco Ventura, University of Siena
• Law Degree (Laurea magistrale, old system), Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna

Academic Career

• National Scientific Qualification as Full Professor obtained on 17 March 2025.
• Tenure-track Researcher (RTDb), Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna [2020–2023].
• Fixed-term Researcher (RTDa), Chair of Ecclesiastical Law, School of Law, UNIBO [2015–1 November 2018].
• Research Fellowships (Assegni di Ricerca):

• Pre-Gelmini: Department of Legal Sciences, UNIBO [01/08/2008–31/12/2008]; renewal [01/08/2008–31/01/2010]; senior renewal [01/02/2010–31/07/2011].
• Department of Law, Ravenna Campus [01/03/2012–28/02/2013].
• Post-Gelmini: Department of Legal Sciences [01/03/2013–28/02/2014]; [01/06/2014–31/05/2015].

Teaching

• From A.Y. 2024–2025: “Pratiche religiose e diritto dei beni culturali immateriali di interesse religioso” (6h) – Master’s Program in Intangible Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna (coord. Prof. Matteo Paoletti)
• Since A.Y. 2020–2021: Cultural Heritage Law (30h) – BA in Cultural Heritage, Ravenna
• Since A.Y. 2021–2022: Religions and Human Rights (30h) – MA in International Cooperation on Human Rights and Intercultural Heritage, Ravenna
• Since A.Y. 2022–2023: Comparative Ecclesiastical Law and Human Rights (from 2025–2026: Intercultural Law) – BA in Mediterranean Societies and Cultures, Ravenna (30h)
• Since A.Y. 2022–2023: Cultural Heritage Law (30h) – MA in Archaeological, Artistic and Landscape Heritage, Ravenna
• Since A.Y. 2020–2021: Coordinator and instructor for the Forensic Training Lab on Antiquities and Artworks – MA in Archaeological, Artistic and Landscape Heritage, Ravenna
• A.Y. 2021–2022 to 2022–2023: Cultural Heritage Law (30h) – BA in DAMS (Arts, Music and Performing Arts), Bologna
• 2000–2018: Tutorial and thesis assistance for Ecclesiastical Law and Comparative Ecclesiastical Law, School of Law, Bologna-Ravenna (Prof. Giovanni Cimbalo)

Research Activities

Participation and Leadership in Research Projects and Networks

• Participation in the project «ERASMUS-JMO-2024-HEI-TCH-RSCH» – Jean Monnet Actions, acronym «HEURITAGE» [2024–2028] [funded].
• Participation in the European project «EU for Economic Development – Byllis (Albania)» [2021–2024] [funded].
• Member of PRIN project unit coordinated by Prof. Lucio Pegoraro: «Dal pluralismo giuridico allo Stato interculturale» [2020–2023] [funded].
• UN Consultant for the Albanian Ministry of Education and Sports, project «Support to Higher Education» [2017–2019].
• Member of the research group «DiReSom – Diritto e Religione nelle Società Multiculturali» [since 2017].
• Scientific coordinator of the course for non-EU religious ministers (Italian Ministry of the Interior) [2017–2018].
• Member of ADEC [since 2016].
• Participation in the UNIBO internationalization project «Diritti internazionali e globalizzazione» [2016].
• Collaboration with the Albanian Ministry of Culture for drafting the national cultural heritage law [2016].
• Participation in the project «Nuovi culti e libertà religiosa nei Paesi dell’Est Europa» [2014] [funded].
• Participation in the project «Ravenna porta dei Balcani» [2013] [funded].
• Participation in the project «Il diritto di disporre di edifici di culto» [2011] [funded].
• Ongoing collaboration with the Academies of Sciences of Bulgaria and Albania [2011–2020].
• Head of “Research Projects and eLearning” at the School of Law, Bologna [2008–2018].
• Research and legal drafting consultant for the COIS Consortium [2006–2018].
• Scientific coordinator of the websites http://licodu.cois.it and http://afrikadu.cois.it [since 2004].
• Participation in PRIN project «Africa e diritti umani» [2005–2007] [funded].
• Participation in project «Federalismo fiscale, sussidiarietà e neutralità dei servizi» [2003–2005].
• Contributor to comparative e-learning modules on euthanasia [2003–2004].
• Participation in research on church property law in Italy and Belgium [2003] [60% funding].
• Participation in research «Confessioni religiose e principio di sussidiarietà nell’UE» [2003] [MIUR 40%].
• Participation in PRIN project «Federalismo fiscale e principio di sussidiarietà» [2002–2004].
• Participation in research on regional legislation and religion after the Italian constitutional reform [2002–2003] [60% funding].
• Participation in multi-year research «Federalismo, Regionalismo e competenze in materia religiosa» [2001–2003].
• Preparation of eLearning project «Call Proposal DG EAC/23/05» for the European Union [approx. 2005].

Conference Presentations and Chairs (national and international)

• Presentation titled «La censura nell’arte tra diritto, religione e donne», Study Day for the project Genere e religioni, coordinator: Prof.ssa Elisabetta Marchetti, Department of Cultural Heritage, University of Bologna [4 April 2025]
• Presentation titled «Christian feminism as a point of convergence between women’s rights and religious rights», panel Dealing with paradigm shifts: the role of women in religions between traditions and law, coordinator: Prof.ssa Maria Cristina Ivaldi, European Academy of Religion - EUARE, Palermo [23 May 2024]
• Presentation titled «The protection of religious places from terrorist acts and cultural genocide», panel Legal notes on the margins of a new era for places of worship 4.0, coordinator: Prof. Alessandro Ferrari, European Academy of Religion - EUARE, Palermo [20 May 2024]
• Invited speaker at the conference «L’edilizia di culto. Percorsi interdisciplinari tra le questioni giuridiche emergenti», coordinator: Prof. Alessandro Tira, University of Bergamo, with a paper titled «Genocidio culturale e urbicidio. L’emergere di nuove esigenze di tutela degli edifici di culto» [6 December 2024]
• Invited speaker at the ADEC National Conference Relazioni familiari e libertà di religione. “Beni di rilievo costituzionale” a confronto, with a paper titled «La maternità surrogata: reato, peccato o libertà?», Messina [21–22 September 2023]
• Invited speaker at the seminar Minoranze religiose nel tempo e nello spazio, with a paper titled «Le minoranze religiose in Ucraina: un conflitto prima del conflitto», University of Trento, coordinator: Prof. Rossella Bottoni [4 April 2023]
• Invited speaker at the workshop «Pace e gestione dei conflitti religiosi», University of Pisa, coordinator: Prof. Pierluigi Consorti [23 February 2023]
• Invited speaker at the conference «Anima e Corpo: bioetica, minoranze religiose, nodi irrisolti e questioni emergenti», University of Trento, coordinator: Prof.ssa Erminia Camassa, with the paper «Bioetica e diritto nell’Est Europa ortodosso» [23–24 November 2022]
• Speaker at European Academy of Religion - EUARE, 4th Annual Conference “Religion and Change”, panel The Power of Religion in the Laws on Interpersonal Relationships, with paper: «Religious freedom, cultural heritage and identity in Eastern Europe. The cases of Montenegro and Kosovo», Münster [30 August – 2 September 2021]
• Invited participant at the conference L’UE del diritto tra compromesso e innovazione, as part of the Europe Next project, with paper: «Il contributo del diritto al processo di integrazione europea» [11 December 2020]
• Presentation titled «Porte chiuse, registri aperti. L’edilizia di culto e il diritto alla privacy si misurano con l’ordine pubblico», 5th Study Day Costituzione e fenomeno religioso, University Giustino Fortunato, Benevento [30 November 2018]
• Presentation titled «Islam et Union européenne», Conference L’Europe en devenir, University of Bologna, organized by Prof.ssa A.M. Soncini [29–30 October 2018]
• Presentation titled «Il fenomeno della radicalizzazione nell’area Balcanica», European Academy of Religion - EUARE, Annual Conference, panel Prof. Sabrina Martucci, University of Bari [8 March 2018]
• Presentation titled «The ‘gattopardesca’ (ir)reformability of religious law in matters of end of life», First Annual Conference - EUARE, panel Religious law in progress, Bologna [5–8 March 2018]
• Presentation titled «The Meaning of “Religion” for the former Socialist Countries in ECHR», EUARE – Ex Nihilo, Zero Conference, Bologna [21 June 2017]
• Presentation titled «Legea privind libertatea religioasă din România în faţa CEDO», International Conference Regimul juridic al libertății religioase în Uniunea Europeană, University of Bucharest [9 December 2016]
• Presentation titled «I beni culturali: linee guida dell’Unione Europea e dell’UNESCO per la legislazione nazionale», Seminar Tutela dei beni culturali come strumento di identità, University of Tirana [26 October 2016]
• Presentation titled «Per l’ANAC le fabbricerie sono organismi di diritto pubblico», ADEC National Conference Le proiezioni civili delle religioni tra libertà e bilateralità, Caserta [6–7 October 2016]
• Chair of the session «Il modello indiano e quello europeo», International Congress The Intercultural State: a new Eutopia?, Ravenna [21–22 March 2016]
• Presentation titled «Assessment of property rights of the Catholic Church in Central-southern Albania and procedures for restitution and/or compensation», International Conference on Albanological Studies, Vlora, Albania [10–11 November 2015]
• Presentation at the international conference «Le comunità religiose albanesi: una convivenza possibile», Ravenna [18–19 October 2012]
• Paper in French: «Possibilité et matière d’une “Intesa” entre l’État italien et l’Église Orthodoxe Roumaine», International Conference La Religion et le Droit et leur impact sur la société humaine, University Ovidius of Constanța [30 May 2007]
• Speaker at the Study Seminar L’Islam tra diritto comune e legislazione speciale, Bologna, with presentation: «Legislazione sull’edilizia di culto e competenze regionali: quale soluzione per l’Islam» [8 May 2003]
• Presentation titled «Sulla natura giuridica dei protocolli di intesa», Conference Europa delle Regioni e Confessioni Religiose, in collaboration with Universidad de País Vasco [2001]

Institutional Roles and Academic Responsibilities

• Deputy Coordinator of the Master’s Degree in “Beni archeologici, artistici e del paesaggio: storia, tutela e valorizzazione” [2025–].
• Member of: the Quality Assurance Committee for the LM BAAP and the L-1 “Beni Culturali” program; the Institutional Communication and City Relations Committee of the Department of Cultural Heritage (DBC); the Third Mission Committee of the DBC.
• TOLC Representative for the DBC [2021–].
• Member of the Ravenna Campus Council [2025–].
• Quality Assurance Committee Member for the BAAP Master’s Program [2021–].
• Quality Assurance Committee Member for the Cultural Heritage Bachelor’s Program [2024–].
• Member of the Third Mission Committee of the DBC [2021–].
• Delegate for Culture at the Ravenna Campus [2022–2025].
• Delegate for Students at the Ravenna Campus [2025–].
• Member of the Admission Evaluation Committee for the LM I-CONTACT program [2022–2025].
• Vice-Representative for UNIBO in the “Genere e religioni” Network [2022–].
• Member of the Technical-Scientific Committee for the “UNIBO per l’UNESCO” project, Ravenna Campus [2022–2024].
• University Representative for the “Society riPENSAci” project, Ravenna Campus [2022–].
• Responsible for bibliographic acquisitions for sector IUS 11 at the “A. Cicu” Law Library [2015–2018].

Editorial Committees

• Member of the Editorial Board of Revista General de Derecho Público Comparado [since 2020].
• Member of the Editorial Board of Daimon, Comparative Law of Religions – Quaderni di Diritto e Politica Ecclesiastica [since 2010].

Other Institutional Roles

• Reviewer for the VQR 2015–19 (Italian Research Evaluation).
• Occasional referee for: Quaderni di Diritto e Politica Ecclesiastica, Revista General de Derecho Público Comparado, Archivio Giuridico Filippo Serafini, Il Diritto Ecclesiastico, BioLaw Journal
• Member of the selection panel “ass-giu2021-5” for a research grant at the University of Pisa (UNIPI) [2022].
• Expert for the Flaminia Foundation within the AICS Tender “CULTURE 02/2021” – Valorization of Natural and Cultural Heritage [2021–].
• Campus contact person for Fondazione Alma Mater in the framework of the UNIBO for UNESCO initiative [2022–2024].
• Instructor (6 hours) for the Master in “Valorizzazione turistica e gestione del patrimonio culturale” [2022–2023].
• Instructor (8 hours) in the PhD Program in Cultural and Environmental Heritage on legal protection of cultural heritage [2022–2023].
• Lecturer in Comparative Ecclesiastical Law (IUS/11) and Ecclesiastical Law Module 2, School of Law, Bologna [2017–2018].
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• Technical-scientific officer (83%) at the “A. Cicu” Department of Legal Sciences, University of Bologna, responsible for commentary and publication of regional ecclesiastical law at http://feir.cois.it [2002 – 2003]