Museums and cultural heritage. History of collecting and of the museums. Rules, regulations and recommendations. ICT and cultural heritage. Cataloguing. Planning and management of museum activities. Conservation and valorisation. Elements of museography. Economics and communication of culture.
Giovanni Pratesi, Francesca Vannozzi (a cura di) I valori del museo. Politiche di indirizzo e strategie di gestione. FrancoAngeli, Milano 2014, 184 p.
Adalgisa Lugli (a cura di) Museologia. Jaca book, Milano 1992, 109 p.
Codice dei Beni Culturali e del Paesaggio http://www.beniculturali.it/mibac/export/MiBAC/sito-MiBAC/Contenuti/Norme-e-Pareri/Evidenza/visualizza_asset.html_1095508472.html
Atto di indirizzo sui criteri tecnico-scientifici e sugli standard di funzionamento e sviluppo dei musei http://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/atto/serie_generale/caricaDettaglioAtto/originario?atto.dataPubblicazioneGazzetta=2001-10-19&atto.codiceRedazionale=001A8406&elenco30giorni=false
La carta nazionale delle professioni museali http://www.beniculturali.it/mibac/multimedia/UfficioStudi/documents/1261134207917_ICOMcarta_nazionale_versione_definitiva_2008%5B1%5D.pdf
Manuale europeo delle Professioni museali
http://www.icom-italia.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ICOMItalia.ManualeEuropeoProfessioniMuseali.2005.pdf
Gli standard catalografici dei Beni Naturalistici: struttura dei dati e norme di compilazione.
http://www.iccd.beniculturali.it/index.php?it/473/standard-catalografici
Giovanni Pratesi, Fausto Barbagli (a cura di) Museo di Storia Naturale dell'Università degli Studi di Firenze. Guida alla visita delle Sezioni. Polistampa, Firenze 2009, 328 p.
Learning Objectives
The aim of the course is to provide an exhaustive view on the meaning and role of museums in contemporary society as well as on the overall strategies of management, conservation and valorisation of scientific and naturalistic cultural heritage.
The knowledge acquired should be transferable in the professional field also through the development of an appropriate autonomy of evaluation combined with appropriate communication skills.
Prerequisites
The teaching of scientific museology is part of an advanced stage of training and therefore requires general and specialist knowledge about the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage.
Teaching Methods
The course is divided into lectures and lectures held directly in museum contexts - with the co-presence of directors or conservators - to deepen and analyze specific operational and applicative aspects.
Further information
Students are required to visit one of the museums belonging to the Museum System of the University of Florence. Access to these museums is absolutely free for students.
Type of Assessment
The exam consist in an oral test integrated with the presentation of a report prepared by the student on a museum reality or on one of the topics dealt with during the course.
The following evaluation parameters will be adopted: critical reasoning skills; dialogical display of the acquired knowledge; exhibition quality and competence in the use of specialist vocabulary.
Course program
Museums and cultural heritage. Definition of museum according to ICOM, UNESCO and the Cultural Heritage and Landscape Code. The museum and its mission: conservation, education (communication), research.
Documentation centres, educational centres, experimentation centres, science centres. Art and science: the two cultures. Categories and types of museums. Living" museums: botanical gardens, zoological gardens, aquariums. Business museums. Ecomuseums, widespread museums and museum networks.
History of collecting and museums I: from prehistory to medieval collections.
History of collecting and museums II: from Renaissance to contemporary collecting.
Standards, regulations and guidance documents: an overview of standards and regulations and examples of applications. Code of Cultural Heritage and Landscape (Legislative Decree 42/2004 in implementation of Law 137/2002) and subsequent additions (Legislative Decree 156/2006; Legislative Decree 62/2008; Legislative Decree no. 83 of 31 May 2014; Law no. 110 of 22 July 2014). Guideline on technical-scientific criteria and standards for the operation and development of museums (Legislative Decree no. 112/98 art. 150 paragraph 6). Consolidated text of provisions on cultural assets, institutions and activities (Tuscan Regional Law no. 21 of 25 February 2010). Decree Law no. 83 of 31 May 2014, containing the new measures on the protection of cultural heritage, the development of culture and the relaunch of tourism.Decree Law 20 September 2015, n. 146. Decree 7 February 2018 "Organization and functioning of the State Museums". Decree no. 113 of 21 February 2018 "Uniform levels of quality for museums". The national charter of museum professions and the European manual of museum professions.
ICT and cultural heritage: the applications of information and technology for the valorisation of cultural heritage. RFID technology; matrix codes; NFC technology; iBeacon technology; VLC technology.
The principles and levels of cataloguing. The role of ICCD. The SigecWeb. Cataloguing of Cultural Heritage: tracks and rules for the compilation of Naturalistic Heritage cards. Structure of the sheets. Transversal paragraphs and specialized paragraphs. Value and values of naturalistic assets.
Planning and management of museum activities: the case study of the Museum System of the University of Florence.
The museum environment: risk factors and elements of museum technology. Museum showcases: functions and typologies. The parameters relevant to the evaluation of performance. Lighting technology: photometric quantities; illuminance and colour temperature (the Kruithof curve). The case study of Botticelli and Ghirlandaio's works at Villa La Quiete.
Conservation issues: case studies. Methods of mitigation of seismic vulnerability of objects exhibited in museums.
Elements of museography: from container to contents. The evolution of exhibition methods from the 15th to the 20th century. The role and functions of the museum in the 21st century. Conceptual schemes of organization of an exhibition.
Economy and communication of culture: models, strategies and modes. Museums, web, social networks and newsletters. Museums and value systems. Accountability, reporting and social report.
Museums & museums: meetings with directors and curators.