The course of Storia dell’Architettura / History of Architecture has one privileged object of study: the application of the historical method and critical discourse, as developed between 19th and 21st century, to the analysis of architecture, the city and of built environment.
Two are the main goals. The first is the construction of a lexicon of keywords, which enables the understanding and interpretation of architectural and urban phenomena in the long-term Western history. The second is the understanding of the complexity of the processes, the identity of the different actors and the multiplicity of cultural reasons (technological, economic, social, political) that have produced the architectures and cities in the West.

The course of Storia dell’Architettura / History of Architecture develops a dual structure of inquiry and knowledge. In the foreground are, on the one hand, the facts and, on the other, the interpretation of these facts.
First, the course focuses on a series of architectural and urban case studies, suitable to highlight some crucial themes, issues and concepts in the history of architecture. Secondly, through the analysis of written and iconographic documents, the course analyses and compares the different interpretations of these facts, as produced by a variety of social actors involved in the construction and/or reception of the built environment (architects, engineers and builders, clients and other users, critics and journalists), at different times.
Thus, at the end of the course, the students will be able to manage two essential cultural qualities, built in parallel: the analytic knowledge of the architectural and urban facts, but also the synthetic ability to distinguish the various interpretations, produced along a wide spectrum of time by a plurality of protagonists, and consequently shape their own original view.

A solid historical culture and a good familiarity with written English are essential requirements to deal with the course. In addition, it must be taken for granted the basic knowledge and skills acquired in the courses of History of Contemporary and Modern Architecture, during the bachelor’s degree.
Furthermore, as the course of History of Architecture will be thoroughly held in English as for both lessons and bibliographies, a good competence in the language is strongly recommended: good listening and reading comprehension skills are, more than needed, indispensable.

As an essential component of the education in the humanities, the course of History of Architecture aims at fostering the students’ familiarity with the analytical, critical and speculative cultures, produced by and destined to the architectural domain. Therefore, the course is divided into two parts.
On the one hand, 30% of lectures will focus a number of keywords, quite recurrent while analysing different architectures of all ages and civilizations. Thus, an essential vocabulary of architecture will be built and experimented, browsing words (and notions) like character, client, classic, construction, design, distribution, modern, monument, ornament, or style. The scope will be the visual and critical education of the student, who will be asked to read, understand and interpret the built environment according to these principles, crossing the boundaries of time and space, national histories and cultural identities.
On the other hand, 70% lectures focus a monographic subject of study: monuments and monumentality as a pivotal issue in the history of architecture and cities. After a general overview of the main theoretic issues regarding memory, commemoration, and space, a number of case studies are explored, selected in a wide chronological spectrum of time.

Nowadays, architecture is also a question of learned communication of concepts and ideas to specialist and non-specialist audiences: therefore, the exercise of framing ideas on historicised buildings and cities will be helpful in the forthcoming students’ professional practice or academic research. Thus, the course of History of Architecture is conceived as quite a traditional university course, articulated in lectures where a special part is played by supporting devices, such as photos, videos, and extra texts.
As homework, students are asked to elaborate the concept of one possible monument, both sculpturally and architecturally designed, made to celebrate and/or commemorate someone or something of their own choice.

Basic references for the course are provided by the following textbooks:
- Leland M. ROTH, Understanding Architecture: Its Elements, History, and Meaning, Boulder: Westview Press, 2007. [ISBN: 9780-8133-9045-1].
- Adrian FORTY, Words and Buildings: A Vocabulary of Modern Architecture, New York: Thames & Hudson, 2000 [ISBN: 0500341729].
More bibliographical indications, about specific case studies, will be given during the course.

The final grade will be made of two parts, the first one proceeding from the evaluation of the individual work on monuments and monumentality (to be delivered at least 15 days before the exam) and the second one proceeding from a written test (consisting of three open questions, to be answered in English, Italian or any other language shared by the teacher and student).
Through these two steps, the knowledge of the bibliography (textbooks and specific readings), the completeness of the critical literature on the selected subject, and the quality of participation during the in-class lectures will be verified.