History of Art

The five-year Undergraduate Course in Art History offers a series of advanced courses that explore the study of artworks, the texts concerning them, the historical and institutional events connected to them, and the cultural debates they have inspired from the medieval period to the contemporary era. As stipulated by the Statute, students attend these courses alongside those offered by the University of Pisa. The curriculum includes lectures, seminars and educational visits to urban contexts, monuments, museums and temporary exhibitions. Through these activities, students are encouraged to develop intellectual curiosity and critical thinking. The goal is to help them gain a comprehensive, culturally grounded and interdisciplinary perspective on art history. This is achieved through the careful reading and analysis of textual sources, the direct study of artworks in terms of their materiality, historical function and formal characteristics, and by addressing broader topics in historiographical and critical discussions. The curriculum includes courses in Medieval and Renaissance Art History, Contemporary Art History, and Museology, Art Criticism and Restoration. Additional courses, taught by Italian and international specialists, are offered annually.