Italy Chapter

The Italian Chapter was established in 2023 as an outcome of the Lynx Summer School “Dissonances. Re-interpreting and re-assessing difficult heritage” (IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca). The chapter brings together scholars from different geographical areas who either work in Italy or work on Italian heritage from a critical, interdisciplinary, or comparative perspective.  

While it is a regional-based chapter, we wish to contribute to global heritage research by tackling some of the region’s historically based topics and issues like difficult and totalitarian heritage, architecture and nationalism, overtourism’s effects on cities, the role of culture in international relations and conflict, the evolution of cultural and memory policies, art-based practices for decolonising imaginaries, the contribution of artists, curators and activists in heritage-making and community engagement, critical approaches to museums and their collections.

The chapter aims to promote critical heritage studies in Italy, where the authorized heritage discourse still heavily impacts heritage politics and management. Thus, we aim to provide new perspectives for both heritage managers and practitioners and stimulate a mutual discussion. Participation is encouraged from across a range of diverse disciplines, practices, and sectors, ranging from museum studies, built heritage conservation and management, humanities and social sciences at large, addressing tangible-intangible, cultural-natural, and non-human aspects of heritage.

This Chapter promotes the critical and practice-based study of heritage-related issues in Italy and supports networking, dialogue, and the exchange and sharing of research and information between chapter members who undertake research, teaching, professional practice, and social activism in the public sphere. The chapter organizes online seminars, newsletters and facilitates joint research projects among its members. The chapter is also planning to contribute with a Panel to the ACHS Galway Conference 2024. 

Members of the Italian Chapter will be notified about related Chapter activities like workshops, conferences, publications, projects collaborations, calls for papers etc via a dedicated newsletter. If you are a member of ACHS, you can become a part of the Italian Chapter by selecting “Italian Chapter” under “Chapters” in your Member Profile in the ACHS Member Directory.

If you are interested in getting involved in shaping our future programme of events and sharing information, ideas, comments please contact the Italian Chapter Coordinators: Francesca Leonardi, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Italy (francesca.leonardi@alumni.imtlucca.it), and Ginevra Ludovici, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Italy (ginevra.ludovici@imtlucca.it),  Giulia Avanza, Fondazione Santagata for the Economics of Culture, Italy (giulia.avanza@fondazionesantagata.it ).