The course focuses on the major cultures, events, key figures and works in the architectural and urban history of Torino, from
antiquity to the present, with some specific attention to the contemporary age. Nevertheless, it can be strongly suggested to all
other foreign students visiting the Politecnico di Torino, who can get additional credits in the humanities within their curricula.

The course intends to make the students familiar with the context where they are studying and supposed to live and work for a
number of years. Moreover, they will be asked to deep into one specific town, where historical events and protagonists, facts and
figures can be detected on site. Thus, students will be asked to develop their abilities to understand the history of the city and
architectures of Turin, within their cultural and intellectual context. In particular, they are expected to learn how to define a
general framework of key figures and events and compare some consolidated critical and interpretative approaches about them.
Moreover, they will be asked to acquire a general knowledge of the basic iconography and build up a commonly shared repertory of
images and icons, architectures and buildings.

The course intends to provide the students with an introduction to the city of Turin and its neighbourhood, regarded as a possible
case study not only in the architectural and urban history, but possibly in the whole cultural history, as the city and some of its
buildings have been the places where things happened (and still happen) and people lived (and still live).
The course has two major characteristics: on the one hand, it is focused on the history of the town and its architectures and, on
the other, it is thoroughly and exclusively held in English. Therefore, a basic knowledge of the architectural and urban planning
terminology would be needed in English. Some general acquaintance with Italian history, art and architecture will be appreciated.

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.
The course alternates general outlines, dedicated to the architectural and urban history of Torino, with more specific focuses,
dedicated to the analysis of what can be regarded as the image, either conventional or not, that the city multiple narratives have
been producing for the last decades. Namely, these focuses will be the starting point for the preparation of the paper that each
student is asked to prepare for his/her final exam: students will be asked to plan a number of thematic tours of the city, to be
presented in a final Powerpoint.

The course will be articulated in three different and complementary parts:
1. 18 e-lectures are delivered in streaming, at the Portale della Didattica: students are supposed to “attend” these e-lectures
quite carefully, on their own;
2. 13 walking tours are scheduled, according to the calendar also published on the Portale della Didattica: students are supposed
to join the tours, having already “attended” the corresponding e-lecture.
Personal notes, photos and videos, as well as discussions with active participation will be strongly encouraged during the walking
tours.
3. As homework, students are asked to elaborate one Powerpoint presentation (consisting of 25 self-produced photos and/or
videos, with basic captions), describing one itinerary through some architectural highlights of Torino of their own choice, but not
coinciding with one of the walking tours.

Textbooks:
1. Anthony L. Cardoza, Geoffrey W. Symcox, A History of Turin, Torino: Einaudi, 2006 [Italian edition available].
Reference books:
1. Michele Bonino, Giulietta Fassino, Davide Tommaso Ferrando, Carlo Spinelli (eds.), Torino 1984-2008: Architecture
Atlas, Torino: Urban Center Metropolitano, 2008 [Italian edition available].
2. Valerio Castronovo (ed.), Storia illustrata di Torino, Milano: Sellino, 1992.
3. Vera Comoli Mandracci, Torino, Roma - Bari: Laterza, 1983.
4. Vera Comoli, Carlo Olmo (eds.), Torino Architectural Guide, Torino - London: Allemandi, 2000 [Italian edition
available].
5. Vera Comoli, Rosanna Roccia (eds.), Progettare la città. L’urbanistica di Torino tra storia e scelte alternative, Torino:
Archivio Storico della Città di Torino, 2001, pp. 28-29, 47-48, 103-104, 164-165, 204-205, 267-268, 326-328.
6. Giulietta Fassino, Carlo Spinelli (eds.), Torino contemporanea. Guida alle architetture / Contemporary Turin: Guide to
Architectures, Torino: Urban Center Metropolitano, 2011 [bilingual edition].
7. Davide Ferrero, Beatrice Coda (eds.), Ventisei itinerari di architettura a Torino, Torino: Società degli ingegneri e degli
architetti in Torino, 2000 [Bilingual version available].
8. Storia di Torino, Torino: Einaudi, 1997 and ff..
More bibliographical indications, about specific case-studies, will be given during the course.

The final grade will be the average of two partial grades, proceeding from:
1. the individual Powerpoint presentation, to be delivered at least 15 days before each one’s favourite date of the exam
2. one written test, scheduled in the dates of the exam: it will consist of three open questions, to be answered in either English,
Italian, Spanish, Catalan or Portuguese.
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 walking tours will be verified.