The subject of the Course, for the first year of the Specialistic Course in Interior Design, is the history of the Modern Museum, from the mid- XVIII Century until now, focusing the transformation from the private aristocratic collections into Museums open to the public and, therefore, some attention will be done also to the pre-history of the Modern Museum, with basic considerations on the ecclesiastical and private collections of antiquities and religious items from XIV to XVII Century. The main attention, however, will be on the creation of the Universal Museum, the National Museum, the Municipal Museum, tipologies that all occur during the XIX Century, calling for a radical change in the concept of Museum in Europe. From  Napoleon in Paris and Milan, to Wilhelm von Bode in Berlin, many actors will be considered and not only man of culture and artists, but also politicians and governors.

The Museum will be seen, therefore, as a political and ideological manifestation of power and political prestige. At the turn of that Century, the scene opens also to the United States, where radical changes occur thanks to the Universal Exibithions, like that one held in Chicago in 1893. House-Museums, private american women collectors, creation of Modern and contemporary art Museums will be also considered, together with the new architectural  settings, from Frank Lloyd Wright to Libeskind and Gehry. Attention will be reserved also to the lik between exibithions and permanent arrangement, starting with the italian school of Museography in the Fiftiees of XIX Century, with the work of Carlo Scarpa, Albini, BBPR studio and others. Finally, will be offered a panaoramic view of the radical changes which did occur in Europe after the revolution of 1968, and the radical changes of the Museum: from the open spaces-Museum, to the Ecomuseum to the virtual Museum, to the Narrative Museum to consider the very recent Museums built in Paris, London, Barcelona, Berlin and Athens.

The knwoledge of italian and american laws on the Cultural Heritage, and definitions of what a Modern Museum is, according to the ICOM definitions, will be requested as the visist to the most important milanese Museums, through special seminars and laboratories. The class is in english but a basic knowledge of italian is requires as to read at least a book in italian.

Lo studente sarà valutato sulla base delle conoscenze acquisite durante le lezioni, le visite ai Musei e lo studio di tre testi obbligatori, due in inglese e uno in italiano a scelta fra i cinque indicati sopra. 

Students will be evaluated on the basis of their knowledges acquired during the course and their visits to the Milanese Museums, and the study of three books, two in english and one in italian, selected between the bibliography quoted above.