Learning outcomes

The course focuses on a particular class of ancient monuments: theaters, amphitheatres and circuses.
The course aims to:
- contextualize the artistic events into the historical and socio-economic situation of the Greek and Roman age;
- show the diachronic development of techniques, styles and cultural choices;
- use an interdisciplinary methodological approach in the interpretation of the ancient art;
- historicize the transformations of ancient monuments in order to understand their effects to the present age.

Program

Prerequisites
basic knowledge of the Greek and Roman ancient art
Course programme
The course offers an in-depth study on the ancient theaters, amphitheatres and circuses. In the first part of it, these buildings will be studied through integrated analysis of literary, epigraphic, topographic, archaeological, artistic sources, to highlight their specific functions, location, planimetric features, decorations, ideological purposes. Furthermore, the course will consider the persistence, abandonment and reuse of these ancient buildings over the centuries, to understand their history and the outcomes in today's cities.
In the second part of the course, will analyze some significant examples of these buildings of the Cisalpina area and particularly of the ancient Aquileia. Visits to some of them will be organized.
Didactic methods
The course includes frontal lectures and some visits to archaeological sites.
The PowerPoint of the lessons are available on line.
Learning assessment procedures

Reference texts
Teaching aids provided by the teacher (PowerPoint lessons) and other texts presented in class.

For those who want fill gaps on the Greek and Roman art: T. Hölscher, L’archeologia classica. Un’introduzione, "L'Erma" di Bretschneider, Roma 2010, chaps. 4-6, 9-22.

Examination Methods

Oral exam, a part of which (60% of the final evaluation) will focus on an in-depth study of a particular building (theater, amphitheater or circus) chosen by the candidate (paper and brief Power Point presentation)