The course provides a historical overview of the evolution of the concept of "museum" in modern and contemporary ages, starting from the mid-eighteenth century to the present day. Previous collections of ecclesiastical, aristocratic, private and scientific-nature world are recalled as fundamental for the birth of the "Museum" institution; gradually, its educational, representative, universalistic and ideological purposes in Europe and in United States; the different types of museums, their relations with the public and their recent transformations, both from a conceptual and architectural point of view.

Students:
- know and understand the development frame of museum spaces;
- develop a critical sense, observing the recent transformations in the artistic fitting field;
- can gather the changes that have occurred in this sphere and the motivations that produced them.

The evolution of the Museum in the last two centuries is the topic of that monographic course. The meaning, the history, the recent evolution of the Museum will be treated with particular attention to the Italian and European innovations, from the end of XVIII century until the present day, in the age of globalization, through the contributions of the American and Eastern new museums also. But special attention will be given to the Italian innovations. The museum in Italy, mainly thanks to the great museographical lesson of the architects of the Fifties of the last century ( Franco Albini, BBPR Studio, Carlo Scarpa and others ), is therefore the confluence point of many aspects of the architectural and design debates in the last two centuries: the adaptation of historical or industrial buildings into exibition spaces. The most important topics will be indeed: the private collectors at the beginning of modern era ( from the Medici in Florence to the Cardinal Federico Borromeo in Milan, from Settala in Milan to Wallace and John Soane collections in London ); the transformation of historical, royal, religious and aristocratic  palaces into Museums in Europe ( Uffizi, Musei Vaticani, Louvre, Brera  ); the new "public" Museum ( British Museum, London); the "new" architecture for the Museums ( Glypthothek, Munich; Altes Museum, Berlin ecc. ); the National Museums; the didactic Museum and the born of the History of Art ( Bode Museum, Berlin ); the House Museum; private collectors and new museums between Europe and America at the end of XIX century and the beginning of XX century ( women collectors: Potter Palmer, Gertrude Stein; Peggy Guggenheim ); the innovations in architecure in America, F.L. Wright ( Guggenheim Museum, N.Y. ); the revolution in Museums in Paris and the new designers ( Renzo Piano:Beaubourg, Gae Aulenti: Gare d'Orsay ); the Museum as a center of cultural activity ( Los Angeles, Getty; Wien, MuseumQuartier ); new architects and the Museum as independent work of art ( Gehry, Chipperfield, ecc. ); museum and temporary exhibitions; eco-museums, virtual museums, museums and landscape; the Musem today, its tools and laws ( ICOM, italian and european laws ). A basic knowledge of italian is required.    

There are no pre-requisites for attendance.

The evaluation of the student will be based on his knowledge of the main themes traeted during the course through the lessons, the seminars and eventualli the visits to some of the most important milanese or italian museums ( that can be eventually done by the student even indepentently ), and especially through the study of at least two of the books listed below. The italian students can select one of the suggested two books in italian, while the Victoria Newhouse's book is obligatory for all the students.

The book is in italian but with long abstracts of the various essays in english. The down-load from the Publisher website is also possible: www.buponline.com

There are many others more recents editions up date of that book.

The book ( third up date edition ) is suggested for italian students or for english speaking people who know italian language. The down-load of the book is possible: www.marsilioeditori.it