Università Roma Tre

Topic and Scope of the Course
This course provides an introduction to the history of modern and contemporary architecture in Eu-rope and North America, from the 15th century up to now. Lectures will explore the relationships be-tween historical developments in architecture and wider changes in the social, technological and aesthet-ic realms. In this sense, the study of architecture will serve as a window into broader aspects of art histo-ry. Simultaneously, however, the course will examine architecture as a unique medium, with its own visual codes, spatial forms and material structures. Emphasis will be placed on learning to look at build-ings and architectural representations in a deeper way. Textbook readings will help to introduce some of the basic issues while primary texts will supplement textbook readings.
Enjoying Rome, the class will focus on the Urbe’s development, through some guided tours around the city center. Specifically, the course will consider the following themes: Leon Battista Alberti and Fil-ippo Brunelleschi (XV century); Bramante, Raphael, Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, Michelangelo and their pupils (early modern); Counter Reformist architecture (Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, Giacomo Della Porta, Palladio); Baroque architecture (Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Francesco Borromini and Pietro Cortona) and late baroque architecture in Rome (Carlo Fontana and Carlo Rainaldi) as well as in the rest of Italy (Filippo Juvarra, Bernardo Antonio Vittone, Nicola Salvi, Luigi Vanvitelli and Ferdinando Fu-ga). Finally, last lectures will discuss contemporary architecture: from the Industrial Revolution to Post Modern, including Art Noveau, the avant-garde, the Viennese Secession, Walter Gropius, Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, Hugo Häring, Hans Scharoun, Alvar Aalto, Italian Rationalism and Fascism archi-tecture.

Libri di testo (obbligatori per tutti)

1. Lotz, Wolfgang. 1995. “Architettura in Italia. 1500-1600” (a cura di Deborah Howard). Milano: Rizzoli.
2. Wittkower, Rudolf. 1958. “Arte e architettura in Italia. 1600-1750”. Torino: Einaudi.
3. Muntoni, Alessandra. 1998. “Lineamenti di storia dell’architettura contemporanea”. Roma/Bari: Laterza.


NB. Si considerino valide le edizioni successive dei precedenti testi elencati.
NB. Le pagine effettive da studiare saranno indicate nel programma analitico.