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Here are the 50 latest additions to the database.
Italian academies, 1530-1700: a themed collection database
http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/ItalianAcademies/
This website provides access to a bibliography of the British Library’s exceptional collection of material from the Italian Learned Academies of the late Renaissance and early modern periods. During the period covered, the Academies had a vital role in the intellectual culture of Italy and beyond, yet the only comprehensive work available to scholars (Michele Maylender’s ‘Storia delle Accademie d'Italia’) is over 50 years old and in “needs to be in many cases corrected, and updated in the light of more recent research”. This database aims to rectify this, creating an integrated catalogue of all material in the British Library relating to the Academies. The website describes the project as well as providing a link to the database. The project has been funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
Added: 2009-11-26More details
Pietro Metastasio : drammi per musica
http://www.progettometastasio.it/
The "Pietro Metastasio: drammi per musica" ["Pietro Metastasio: musical dramas"] project makes available online full-text of musical dramas produced by Pietro Metastasio (1698-1782). Twenty-six librettos in various editions - amounting to a corpus of one hundred and forty-one versions - are accessible. Metastasio often adapted or rewrote the same texts according to various criteria, including the suggestions received by his patrons. The "Didone abbandonata", for example, appeared in nine different editions between 1724 and 1780. The database can be searched or browsed. Texts are listed in both alphabetical and chronological order. An index of names and lexicon section, providing a list of occurrences, are additionally available, both helpfully linked to the corresponding librettos. A guide gives helpful guidance on how to use the database. The website - available in Italian only - would be of interest to researchers studying Pietro Metastasio's work and musical production.
Added: 2009-07-11More details
Istituto ellenico di studi bizantini e postbizantini di Venezia
http://www.istitutoellenico.org/
The website of the Venice Hellenic Institute makes available online valuable resources relating to the history of the Orthodox community resident in the lagoon city. From the Byzantine era onward, Greek merchants were active in Venice. In 1498 a Greek Orthodox Confraternity was founded with the approval of the Venetian authorities. The site offers information on the Hellenic Institute, established in 1953, its library, archive and museum of icons. A selection of devotional images can be viewed online. A description is given of the premises in which the Institute is housed, the "Collegio Flanghinis", and the Church of Saint George of the Greeks. The multimedia section "Scrittura e miniatura" ("Script and miniature in the manuscripts of the Hellenic Institute in Venice 12th-14th cent.") enables users to access facsimile electronic reproductions of manuscripts from the Institute collection. Three thematic sections are presented: the Byzantine book (dedicated to illuminated manuscripts, religious and secular, and to scribes and illuminators); types of script in the manuscripts (dedicated to Byzantine script and writing); examples taken from Codex no. 5, a codex preserved at the Hellenic Institute. Images can be enlarged and are accompanied by explanatory texts. Additionally, users can listen to an audio version of the text. In the case of the Codex no. 5 the entire manuscript has been reproduced and users can turn through the 193 leaves. A magnifier option enables closer inspection of sections of the leaves. The "Script and miniature in the manuscripts of the Hellenic Institute in Venice 12th-14th cent." is available in Greek, English and Italian, and provides additionally a relevant bibliography. The main pages of the website - in Italian only - also contain information on events and publications organised or produced by the Institute.
Added: 2009-07-11More details
Centro internazionale di studi di architettura Andrea Palladio
http://www.cisapalladio.org/
This is the website of the Centro Internazionale di Studi di Architettura Andrea Palladio (CISA) [Andrea Palladio International Centre of Architectural Studies]. Founded in 1958 and located in Palazzo Barbaran da Porto, Vicenza, Italy, the Centre is a research institute dedicated to the work of the architect Andrea Palladio (1508-1580) and history of architecture generally from antiquity to the 20th century. The website offers a detailed biography of the Padua-born architect and description of his development and the emergence of his personal architectural style. The design and building of countryside villas and city palaces (three major ones located in Vicenza, including the Palazzo Barbaran da Porto) are discussed. A list of relevant publications, additionally numbering facsimiles editions and scholarly journals, is available for perusal. The section "Palladio and the Veneto" offers valuable resources to researchers and students. Users can access a sizeable selection of images, including plans and architectural drawings, of palaces and villas designed by Andrea Palladio and located in the Veneto region. For each building several images are provided together with a description, an outline of their history and bibliographical references. Images are indexed alphabetically and by subject. A helpful interactive map permits users to retrieve images by locations too. An "Exhibition archive" section makes available images and texts from past exhibitions held at the Centre. Virtual tours of the exhibitions, featuring 360 degree viewing of exhibits thereby enabling users to experience the exhibitions themselves. The "Annali di architettura", the official journal published by the Centre, can be downloaded as PDF files. The Centre houses a photo library and a library. Its collection, comprising over 32.000 volumes, focuses on the history of art and architecture and includes 2.000 rare or precious editions. The library's catalogue is available online. The Centre organises seminars and conferences, details of which are presented on the site.
Added: 2009-07-10More details
Abbazia di Montecassino
http://www.montecassino.it/
The website "Abbazia di Montecassino" ["Montecassino Abbey"] is a highly graphic site containing a sizeable number of images and other resources covering the history and role of the Benedictine Abbey of Montecassino, located in the Campania region of Southern Italy. The site outlines the major events in the Abbey's history from foundation by Saint Benedict in 529 to its reconstruction in 1964, following the destruction of 1944. In the course of its history, the Abbey was destroyed or severely damaged on a number of occasions, most notably by the earthquake of 1349 and heavy bombardment in 1944. For each event explanatory text is available together with images and, in the case of the 1944 destruction, additional film footage. A virtual tour enables users to explore the Abbey, moving through its floor plan to the various parts of the building. Texts and images are available including 360 degree viewing. Additionally, users can listen to a selection of monastic chants as performed by the chorus of Abbey monks. A section is dedicated to Saint Benedict (ca. 480 - ca. 547) founder of the Abbey, and the Rule which governs the monastic life of the Benedictine order. The life of Saint Scholastica (480-547), Saint Benedict's sister, who lived in the vicinity of the Abbey, is also recounted. The Diocese and to-day monastic life at the Abbey are described. Additionally, the site offers information on religious events and the "Terra Sancti Benedicti", a historical procession held in March each year during the Benedictine celebrations at Cassino and Montecassino. The site and its resources are accessible in both Italian and English.
Added: 2009-07-10More details
Centro studi casa natale Maria Montessori
http://www.mariamontessori.it/
This is the website of the "Centro Studi Casa Natale Maria Montessori" ["Native Home Maria Montessori Studies Centre"] dedicated to the Italian educationalist Maria Montessori (1870-1952) and her advocacy for a new method of education, now internationally renowned as the "Montessori method of education". The website presents a short description of her family home in Chiaravalle, near Ancona in the Marche region, and of the museum which it now houses. A selection of photographs and images of a few exhibits are available to view online. The website presents an index of works by Maria Montessori and a list of pedagogical publications held in Centre's library. A section is dedicated to the "Montessori method of education" and to the theory and practice aiming at assisting children's development and learning process. The Centre stated mission is to promote and disseminate Maria Montessori's work and ideas. The Centre produces topical publications, brief outlines of which are available on the site.
Added: 2009-07-05More details
Museo bodoniano
http://www.museobodoni.beniculturali.it/
This is the website of the "Museo Bodoniano" [Giambattista Bodoni Museum] in Parma, Italy. The Museum is dedicated to Giambattista Bodoni (1740-1813) and his work as printer and typographer. The website presents a short history of the Museum and a description of its collections, which include rare samples of Bodonian editions, correspondence, typographic types, punches and matrices. Additionally available is a bibliography of works related to the institution. A section of the website includes a biography of Giambattista Bodoni and an extensive bibliography. The Museo Bodoniano, inaugurated in 1963 to mark the 150th anniversary of Bodoni's death, is the oldest Italian museum of printing. The Museum is a corporate member of the Association of European Printing Museums (AEPM) and the "Associazione Italiana dei Musei della Stampa e della Carta [Italian Museums of Printing and Paper Association]. The website - available in Italian only - offers detailed information on past and forthcoming related events and exhibitions.
Added: 2009-07-05More details
Roma nel Rinascimento
http://www.romanelrinascimento.it/
This is the website of "Roma nel Rinascimento" ["Rome during the Renaissance"], an association aiming to promote the study of Rome, its social structure and cultural development, in the late late Medieval period and the Renaissance (beginning of the fourteenth century to the second half of the sixteenth). Amongst topics which constitute the core of the Association research interest are: a comprehensive census of unpublished materials, including manuscripts and epigraphs; the studying of the printers and book traders operating in Rome during fifteenth century and the beginning of the sixteenth; the study of the pontificate of Pope Martin V (1417-1431), Sixtus IV (1471-1484) and Alexander IV (1492-1503). The Association produces various publications - a list of which can be accessed online - including a series of facsimile reproductions of fundamental texts on Rome and its history. The website enables users to access the database "Onomasticon", an index of names appearing in chronicles and narratives dating from the fifteenth century to the Sack or Rome of 1527. Additionally available are: the "Indice bio-bibliografico di Roma nel Rinascimento" ["Bio-bibliographical index of Rome during the Rinascimento"] a name index of individuals as appearing in the various publications of the Association and the "Indice del corpus borgiano" ["Index of the Borgian corpus"] containing an index of names and places based on the publications produced by the Comitato Nazionale "Incontri di Studio per il V Centenario del pontificato di Alessandro VI". The website presents information on past and forthcoming events organised by the Association.
Added: 2009-07-05More details
Interactive Nolli map website
http://nolli.uoregon.edu/
This is an interactive website for Giambattista Nolli's famous 1748 map of Rome, said to be... "widely regarded by scholars as one of the most important historical documents of the city ever created". The website was created by the University of Oregon, and features six full-text scholarly essays on aspects of the map, as well as a Flash-based interactive Nolli Map Engine, enabling a viewer to zoom into fine details on the map, and to filter the map by types of features. Essays include: 'The Forgotten Landscape of Rome: The Disabitato'; 'The Walls of Rome'; 'Rioni: The Districts of Rome'; 'The Nolli Map as Artifact'; and 'The Nolli Map and Urban Theory'. This may be a useful tool for those interested in the history or Rome, or in antiquarian cartographic approaches and techniques.
Added: 2009-07-01More details
Archivio di stato di Roma : progetto Imago II
http://www.cflr.beniculturali.it/Imago/index.html
Produced by the Archivio di Stato di Roma, the Imago II Project website is an excellent resource, providing access to digital reproductions of some of the most heavily-used and important fonds in the Archive. At time of review, eight fonds have been digitized, comprising: the Alessandrino land registry; the Urban land registry; the Gregorian land registry; the Old land registry maps; Parchments; Precious volumes; Notaries and Tesoreries. Explanatory texts introduce each fond, presenting a description of documents included, while a more general guide to the collection of the Archivio di Stato di Roma is available in PDF. Users can search or browse each fond. Digital facsimiles are of outstanding quality and images can be enlarged to enable better viewing. The Alessandrino land registry, for example, makes available a strong and rare collection of more than 400 aquarelle maps and fine images of the Roman countryside. The Gregorian land registry section presents a selection of reproductions of maps surveying the Papal States taken from the 1835 land registry of Pope Gregory XVI. It comprises in excess of 1.400 images. Free registration is required to access the database and the digital facsimiles. A short bibliography on the Project and its achievements is available for consultation. The website has been listed on the Unesco Archives Portal.
Added: 2009-06-25More details
History tour : Borsa Italiana
http://www.historytour.it/
Created to celebrate two-hundred years of the foundation of the Italian Stock Exchange in 1808, this website presents an interesting excursion through the history of the Milan-based financial institution. Three interconnected thematic sections enable users to access valuable resources and information on the history of the Italian Stock Exchange, from its inception to the present day. Each section includes reproductions of documents of relevance, which can be downloaded as PDF files. Also available are photographs and video clips, including, for example, a visit of Benito Mussolini to the newly-completed Stock Exchange building in 1932. The "Geographical Tour" section is dedicated to the numerous other Stock Exchanges which operated in different Italian cities, including Trieste. The Stock Exchange in Trieste was the earliest to be founded and would become part of the Italian system only following the annexation of the city to Italy in 1918. Several photographs on display show their premises in Rome, Florence, Venice and other locations. The "Thematic Tour" presents information on people who held various high-office during the period 1808 to 1991 and on the so-called "Palazzo Mezzanotte", the current building in Milan where the Stock Exchange is based. Additionally, the website makes available a bibliography, focussing on the history of the financial institution and a glossary of terminologies used.
Added: 2009-06-25More details
Storia e futuro : rivista di storia e storiografia
http://www.storiaefuturo.com/
"Storia e Futuro: Rivista di storia e storiografia" ["History and Future: Journal of history and historiography"] is an online journal dedicated to the study of history and historiography. The journal focusses on the social, economical, political and cultural changes of contemporary societies. Based at the Department of Historical Studies of the University of Bologna, the publication draws on the contributions of established historians and academics. The journal is subdivided into several sections. Full-text of all articles present can be downloaded as PDF files. Texts are in Italian, but abstracts in English are available too in addition to short biographies of contributors. Current and all past issues can be accessed and an internal search engine allows users to explore the journal's contents. A regular section is dedicated to history and photography as a historical resource. Books reviews and announcement of forthcoming publications are available under the heading "Scaffale". Users can subscribe to a mailing list and the site offers information on events of relevance taking place in Italy and elsewhere. The depth and broadness of themes covered and the quality of contributions make this journal a valuable reading for scholars and researchers in history and associated fields.
Added: 2009-06-14More details
ImaGo online
http://www.imago.rimini.unibo.it/
ImaGo online is a website produced by the University of Bologna which aims at creating a database of unpublished photographs originating from private collections and covering a wide range of topics, though focussing of social history. The database - which at time of review included 19.400 images with forthcoming additions envisaged - can be searched or browsed by means of fourteen different headings it has been subdivided into. Topics listed include: work; politics, customs and holiday. Several essays on ImaGo are accessible from the homepage, each describing a specific aspect of the photographic archive and its content. An interesting section is dedicated to weddings and includes photographs dating from 1884 to 2003. Another to "Families in changing Italy", which contains photographs from the years 1954 to 1978. These sections are accompanied by explanatory texts, essays and helpful bibliographies. Additionally, the site allows users to access a few video interviews completed as part of a research project focussing on changes in everyday life in a small town situated in the Marche region. Listed are several publications relating to the topics as covered by the website and details of events, past and forthcoming. ImaGo online emphasizes the value of photographs as historical documents which can be treated as primary evidence by scholars and researchers.
Added: 2009-06-13More details
Mobility and identity formation : an interdisciplinary approach to the 'Italian case'
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/italian/seminars/ahrcworkshopseries
This is the website for a series of four 2007 AHRC-funded interdisciplinary workshops centred around the experience of migration from Italy to other countries from the beginning of the last century to the present. The website includes a brief programme of each workshop, which included topics such as "Private Places in Open Spaces: Italians Representing their Life in Colonial Africa" and "Italian Ethnic Identity as a Construction: Immigrants and Their Offspring in the United States". The website also includes a very useful resource guide to Italian, which provides an introduction to the subject as represented in film and literature, together with artistic and sociological responses as well as details of three migration-related databases.
Added: 2009-06-12More details
Fabritio Caroso's il Ballarino (1581)
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/caroso/
This is the website of the project involved in translating Fabritio Caroso's ‘Il Ballarino’ (1581), a dance manual. The project aims to scan, transcribe, translate and reconstruct the dance manual. ‘Il Ballarino’ was written as two books, the first being a list of steps and instructions for performing them, and the second being instructions and music for dances using those steps. Both books are included in this translation. The manual contains 77 dances. There is an introduction to the project, images from a facsimile of Il Ballarino, a scanned copy of the facsimile which one can download in its entirety as a PDF file (21 megabytes), a transcription with options to view the raw text and the ‘clean’ text, a translation and transcriptions and notes of music. The website also contains articles about the subject and a scanned copy of Florio’s 1611 Italian/English dictionary.
Added: 2009-06-11More details
Italian Renaissance manuscript collection
http://ccdl.libraries.claremont.edu/collection.php?alias=irm
This website, from the Claremont Colleges Digital Library, provides invaluable online access to a number of primary source correspondences from the Italian Renaissance. While the website itself is available in English, the letters are in Italian and no further information is supplied. Users without a knowledge of Italian, or early modern palaeography, may find the resources somewhat difficult to use as a result. Nonetheless, the website can be searched by keyword; or it can be browsed by author (including a number of the Medici family), by location, by subject (i.e. the information contained in the individual letters) and by general time period. The letters are arranged together (into recto and verso) and the website is very easy to navigate and use. The images themselves are of a very high quality.
Added: 2009-05-29More details
La storia siamo noi : la televisione da conservare
http://www.lastoriasiamonoi.rai.it/
This is the website of "La Storia siamo noi: la televisione da conservare" [History is us: television to be preserved], a popular and well-regarded television programme, produced by the Radiotelevisione italiana (RAI) and directed by Gianni Minoli, a reputable journalist. The site makes available videos, photographs, articles and biographies relating primarily to Italy and Italian history. Coverage of more general topics and other historical events are present too however. Accessible are full-length videos of some of the television programmes as broadcast by the RAI. Each episode covers a specific theme, such as: the Italian Resistance; political terrorism; the Italian feminist movement. An archive section offers access to past programmes and videos, including, for example, the first television news broadcast by RAI on the third of January 1954. A chronological section allows users to browse events listed by the year. An internal search option is available too. The television programme and content of the site, though aimed at the general public, are well-structured and informative and would be of interest to scholars and researchers too.
Added: 2009-05-25More details
Basilica papale di San Francesco Assisi
http://www.sanfrancescoassisi.org/
This is the official website of the Basilica Papale di San Francesco Assisi [Papal Basilica of Saint Francis Assisi]. The Basilica is home to an Order of Friars Minor Conventuals. The website presents a detailed biography of Saint Francis (1182-1226), including excerpts from the work of Thomas of Celano, the biographer who met the Saint during his lifetime. A section is dedicated to the celebrated hymn "Cantico delle Creature", written by the Saint. Further sections refer to Saint Chiara of Assisi (1194-1253) and to the 1223 celebration of the Nativity, thought to be the first such, which took place in the Franciscan hermitage at Greccio, in the Lazio region. Additionally, the site gives a description of the Basilica, the Holy Convent, the Museum, the Library and the Musical Chapel. Each description is accompanied by a selection of images allowing users to appreciate, for example, some of the frescos decorating the interior of the Basilica. An additional section is dedicated to the Franciscan Sanctuary of Rivotoroto, where the "Holy Hovel", the original humble dwelling-place of the Saint, is located. The site, being created by the Franciscan Order, also includes liturgy of some prayers and supplications to the Saint. Past and forthcoming events are listed and contact details provided.
Added: 2009-05-23More details
Tutta l'opera del Caravaggio : una mostra impossibile
http://www.caravaggio.rai.it/
Launched on the occasion of an exhibition held at Castel Sant'Elmo, Naples, in 2003, the website "Complete works of Caravaggio : an impossible exhibition" makes available high-resolution digital reproductions of works by the renowned painter Michelangelo Merisi (1572-1642), better known as Caravaggio. The exhibition itself did not feature the original paintings (this, given the scale of the project, would probably have been impossible, hence the title of the exhibition), but instead digital reproductions of Caravaggio's masterpieces. According to the organisers, however, the digital facsimiles are not intended to replace the original artworks, but represent an outstanding teaching tool. The website provides access to a great wealth of material on Caravaggio and his work. Users can take a virtual tour of the exhibition and access high-quality copies of around seventy Caravaggio's paintings, which can be enlarged for better viewing. Amongst the works reproduced are: "Head of Medusa", "Judith and Holofernes", "Conversion of Saint Paul". A biography describes in detail the life and the artistic production of the painter. An archive section offers access to reproductions of texts and documents, audio, and videos related to Caravaggio. Videos includes excerpts from documentaries and from Dario Fo's show "Caravaggio al tempo di Caravaggio". Audios offer in-depth descriptions of selected paintings presented by Claudio Strinati, superintendant of the museums of Rome. A section of the site is dedicated to Caravaggio and music. A virtual exhibition catalogue provides information on the works on display, including details of the institutions where original paintings are preserved.
Added: 2009-05-17More details
Anni stregati
http://www.fondazionebellonci.it/test/home.html
This website is dedicated to the "Premio Strega" [Strega Prize], the most prestigious Italian literary award. The Strega Prize, launched originally in 1947, is awarded annually to a work of fiction by an Italian author. The website - produced by the Bellotti Foundation and funded by the Italian Ministry of Culture - presents a rich array of material on the subject of the Prize and its significance within the context of Italy's historical, social and economic development. The site is divided into six thematic sections: The Fascist years; The Second World War, the Resistance and the Shoah; Representing Southern Italy; Italy during the economic boom; Work and industry; Family life. Each section comprises articles, photographs and video clips. More detailed pages are dedicated to the individual works of fiction awarded the Strega Prize as included in one of the six categories. For each author a short biography and a bibliography is available. The history behind the inception of the Award is outlined and a photo gallery of the many writers, scholars, editors and artists who have been part of the jury panel (the so-called "Amici della domenica") can be viewed. Users can access a detailed list of the various winning entries, in chronological order. The list, most helpfully, includes details of the other works entered into the competition for each year, and provides a short resumé of major Italian and international events. Additionally, available are details of films based on some of the winning novels, including casts and directors' names. The resources and materials presented by the site would benefit both researchers and students with an interest for Italian studies and the process of mutual influence between cultural and social changes and literary production.
Added: 2009-05-16More details
Vocabolario toscano dell'arte e del disegno opera di Filippo Baldinucci
http://baldinucci.biblio.signum.sns.it/baldinucci/
This website - produced by the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa - offers access to the full-text of the Vocabolario toscano dell'arte e del disegno [Tuscan dictionary of art and drawing], originally published in Florence in 1681. The dictionary - work of Filippo Baldinucci (1624-1697), a member of the Accademia della Crusca - represents the first example of an Italian dictionary of technical and artistic terminology. Based on the second edition of the Vocabolario degli Accademici della Crusca, dated 1623, the Vocabolario Toscano enjoyed great popularity to the 19th century, with several ensuing editions being produced. The dictionary represents an important development in the history of Italian lexicography. The full-text of the entire work has been reproduced and users can either search or browse its entries. A facsimile of the frontispiece of the original edition has been reproduced and the prefatory text is also available. An index allows users to browse through selected subject sections of the dictionary. The site offers a curatorial introduction and explanatory text outlining the history of the Vocabolario, complete with a bibliography. A guide to consulting the dictionary and to the browsing options available assist users to fully exploit this online resource, which would be of value to both art historians and to those with an interest in the development and establishment of the Italian language.
Added: 2009-05-16More details
Carlo Pisacane
http://www.pisacane.org/
The website "Carlo Pisacane" was launched in 2007 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Expedition of Sapri, the ill-fated attempt - led by the revolutionary Carlo Pisacane - to instigate a popular uprising in Southern Italy against the Bourbon regime. The site presents an historical outline of the expedition and a biography of its leader. Various documents related to the endeavour can be downloaded as PDF files, including: Carlo Pisacane's moral testament, which he wrote just before taking sail from Genoa in 1857; the Expedition's plan; a transcription of the cipher code used to maintain secrecy, and Carlo Pisacane's proclamation to the people of Salerno. A section of the website is dedicated to other events which occurred during the Italian Risorgimento and the process of Italy unification, each accompanied by related documents. A photo gallery presents various images subdivided chronologically. Users can additionally listen to a selection of popular songs from the time. The website represents a good introductory resource to an important episode in Italian history and the Risorgimento, providing an overview of the event and access to text of original documents.
Added: 2009-05-10More details
Welcome to Danteworlds
http://danteworlds.laits.utexas.edu/
Danteworlds is a website produced at the University of Texas at Austin, and it is "...an integrated multimedia journey - combining artistic images, textual commentary, and audio recordings - through the three realms of the afterlife (Inferno, Purgatory, Paradise) presented in Dante's Divine Comedy". This free website contains "an abridged version of the original commentary contained in The Complete Danteworlds: A Reader's Guide to the Divine Comedy (2009) and Danteworlds: A Reader's Guide to the Inferno (2007), both published by the University of Chicago Press". Using the multimedia sections of the website requires the installation of an Apple Quicktime Web browser plugin. Some introductory pages also require the Flash browser plugin. Study questions also accompany each section. This is an outstanding and well-designed interactive multimedia website, which will aid anyone in the study of the Divine Comedy.
Added: 2009-05-04More details
Primary sources on copyright in five jurisdictions 1450-1900
http://www.copyrighthistory.org/
This website is “a digital archive of primary sources on copyright from the invention of the printing press (c. 1450) to the Berne Convention (1886) and beyond”. Funded by the AHRC, this ambitious and extensive database includes digital images and commentary for key texts in the evolution of intellectual property law pertaining to five modern jurisdictions: Britain, Germany, France, Italy, the United States. Documents include “privileges, statutes, judicial decisions, contracts and materials relating to legislative history” as well as “contemporary letters, essays, treatises and artefacts”. Material was compiled by separate national editors, and limited to 50 core texts (20 for the USA and Italy covering a much shorter time period) supplemented by “many more” contextual documents. Inclusions were additionally scrutinised by an international editorial board. The development of copyright is outlined in its broadest sense, with documents relating to subjects as varied as the book trade, authorship, fine art, printed textiles, dramatic performance, telegraphic cable messages and photography. The database allows browsing several perspectives – documents are assembled into useful lists which can be traced as a global timeline or within specific jurisdiction, as well as enabling browsing by individual locations and authors. Documents can further be browsed by Institution, Legislation and Case law referred to. This resource is obviously invaluable to anyone studying the history of intellectual property law but its detailed commentary and clear structure make it useful to those studying a far wider range of historical subjects.
Added: 2009-04-30More details
Biblioteca virtuale : pubblicazioni ufficiali dello Stato
http://www.bv.ipzs.it/
The website "Biblioteca Virtuale : pubblicazioni ufficiali dello Stato" [Virtual Library : official publications of the Italian Government] makes available online various official publications as produced by eleven Italian Ministries. Recent issues of the respective Official Bulletin for most of the Ministries listed can be downloaded as PDF files. Additionally other different typologies of documents and journals can be accessed. Of great interest to scholars and researchers would be the publication "Documenti diplomatici italiani" [Italian diplomatic document series] by the Ministero degli Affari Esteri [Italian Foreign Office]. Available, as electronic facsimiles, are the full-text of Italian official diplomatic documents produced in different periods. At time of review, four complete volumes are viewable, or can be downloaded, and new additions are in preparation. The Ministry of Economics and Finance and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage also present additional publications of interest. The texts present can be retrieved according to their originating body, typologies and key-word search. The website - published by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato - would be of value in gaining access to official documents and primary sources.
Added: 2009-04-28More details
CIRSFI : centro interuniversitario di ricerca per la storia finanziaria italiana
http://www.dssi.unimi.it/dipstoria/biblio/cirsfi/
This is the website of the Centro Interuniversitario di ricerca per la storia finanziaria in Italia (CRFSI) [Italian Financial History Inter-University Research Centre]. The site makes available online a searchable database the "Bibliografia di Storia della Finanza Italiana" [Italian Financial History Bibliography], or BFSI. The bibliography - which at time of review comprised in excess of 8,500 records - is regularly updated and new entries are continually being added. For each record the BFSI provides comprehensive bibliographic detail. Although the database can be searched applying different criteria, a browse option is lacking, an omission which could lessen usage and helpfulness. The site also presents information on the Centre's activities and related events. The homepage offers a link to the "Rivista di storia finanziaria" [Journal of financial history] published by the University of Naples Federico II. The journal is available online as PDF files.
Added: 2009-04-26More details
Hypnerotomachia poliphili
http://mitpress.mit.edu/e-books/HP/index.htm
This website makes available online a full-text facsimile edition of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, the enigmatic masterpiece produced in Venice by the renowned printer Aldus Manutius in 1499. The authorship of the book has never been established beyond doubt, and the work has been attributed variously to Francesco Colonna, Leon Battista Alberti, Lorenzo dei Medici and the aforementioned Aldus Manutius. Equally uncertain is the authorship of the remarkable woodcuts which so enrich the text. The site offers a detailed description of the book, its layout and the type fonts employed, A section is dedicated to the outstanding woodcuts and to their being presented in filmic sequences, which make the Hypnerotomachia a unique and extraordinary example of integration of text and image. A synopsis of the story and an analysis of its innermost meaning are also presented. The electronic reproduction allows users to see enlarged images of woodcuts present within the text. The text itself cannot be enlarged and, in some cases, this makes it difficult to read. The site contains a link to the review of a book published by the MIT Press the author of which maintains the authorship of the Hypnerotomachia should be attributed to Leon Battista Alberti. The website is in English whilst the text of the Hypnerotomachia is in Italian, though it also contains passages in Latin, Greek, Hebrew and Arabic.
Added: 2009-04-26More details
Laterza podcast
http://www.laterza.it/index-pod.asp
The website of the Editori Laterza makes available online recording of a series of lectures given by various historians and academics. Each cycle of lectures is dedicated to a select topic. At time of review these included: The age of Rome; 20th century Italy; On the scene of Rome; The days of Rome. Various historians - such as: Canfora Luciano, Gentile Emilio, Pavone Claudio, Vidotto Vittorio and several others - present their lectures on a wide range of aspects within a specific subject. These, for example, include: the foundation of Rome; the Sack of Rome; the 8th September 1943; the murder of Aldo Moro and many more. In addition to the recordings, a short synopsis is available for each presentation. Recordings for the most recent series of lectures - entitled "The years of Florence" and "The faces of power" - are currently unavailable, but should be added to the website in due course. This site would be of great interest to historians, researchers and students, presenting the opportunity to listen to talks given by eminent scholars within the field of their own expertise.
Added: 2009-04-25More details
Fondazione Guglielmo Marconi
http://www.fgm.it/
This is the website of the Guglielmo Marconi Foundation. The Foundation aims to promote research into the field of telecommunications and the work of Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937), winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1909. The site offers an outstanding wealth of primary and secondary sources. Two sections appear particularly noteworthy. A first - dedicated to Marconi and his work - presents a recorded biography of the Italian engineer which users can listen to, including Marconi's own account of his achievements. Full-text of Marconi's major writings can also be accessed from this section. Additionally available are several film reels covering Marconi's work, including one related to the first transatlantic radio transmission in 1901, and another to the experiments carried out in London. Additionally present are various texts on Marconi and a select bibliography. Under the heading "Archivio" a second section offers access to the catalogues of the monograph and periodical collections held at the Foundation. The documents collection can be searched online. Full-text of articles from three major Italian newspapers of the time recounting Marconi's activities can be viewed online. The Foundation houses the Marconi Museum, a virtual tour of which can be made online. Users can access images of several electronic devices, part of the museum collection, and read the accompanying explanatory captions. The website presents a section dedicated to students and teachers and details on the Foundations activities, past and forthcoming. The site would be of great interest to historians, researchers and students who could benefit from the educational material available.
Added: 2009-04-19More details
Fondazione nazionale Carlo Collodi
http://www.pinocchio.it/fondazionecollodi/
This is the website of the Fondazione Nazionale Carlo Collodi [Carlo Collodi National Foundation]. Dedicated to the life and work of Carlo Lorenzini (1826-1890), better known under the pseudonym Carlo Collodi, the site gives an outline of the Foundation's history and a biography of the author of the tale "Le avventure di Pinocchio", the full-text of which can be downloaded as a PDF file. A section covers the success and reception the tale has had all around the word and presents facsimiles reproductions of book covers and other related material in several different languages. A few images are available representing scenes inspired by the famous story. The Foundation is home to the Biblioteca Collodiana [the Collodi Library] primarily collecting Italian and foreign editions of Carlo Collodi's work and other relevant materials, including articles about the author and Pinocchio. The Library's catalogue is accessible online. From the site's homepage users can access pages dedicated to Pinocchio Park, the Collodi butterfly house and the Garzoni Historic Gardens. The site would benefit from the addition of further material on Collodi and his work. It represents a starting point for promoting research and basic information however.
Added: 2009-04-18More details
Fondazione Ansaldo
http://www.fondazioneansaldo.it/
This is the website of the Ansaldo Foundation, created by the Finmeccanica Group, with contributions from the Regione Liguria, the Provincia di Genova and Comune di Genova. It makes available online a selection of resources originating from the rich documentary patrimony of the Foundation, all deriving from the multifarious activities of the Ansaldo Group and of the various other business companies it controlled over the years. The website - which at time of review appeared to be lacking completion in some areas - provides access to the inventories of the Foundation's archives. Sixteen archival fonds are listed and their contents described. The rich photographic collection of the Foundation is drawn upon and several images can be viewed online. Under the heading "Fonti orali" a list of recorded sources is available, such as: interviews, debates and conferences. In a few cases users can access and listen to the recordings online. The Foundation's film library has been augmented from the original Ansaldo repository to include several additional collections. It comprises film reels dating from 1910 to the present day. At time of review a single sample appears to be available online. The Foundation also preserves examples of naval registers, shares, bonds, technical and industrial drawings. The website gives details of events, past and forthcoming, organised by the Foundation. The site homepage presents a link to the online journal "Cultura e impresa" co-published by the Ansaldo Foundation and the Milan based Centro per la cultura d'impresa. All issues published from 2004 onward are available to read. This website - despite present incompleteness - represents a valuable source on Italian history and its industrial heritage.
Added: 2009-04-14More details
Language box
http://languagebox.eprints.org/
The 'Language Box' is an online resource whereby teachers and students will be able to share their learning materials for any language. The site has been developed by the Faroes project team at the the University of Southampton and the University of Portsmouth, with the financial support of JISC. The site is very easy to navigate, and in most cases users can view previews of the materials before downloading them. Sometimes free registration is necessary to be able to download files. Materials can be browsed by: type; language; or tags. Activities cover a wide range of languages such as: Chinese; English; French; German; Arabic; etc. Likewise, activities are of a wide range and they include: videos; computer applications; texts; and exercises. Although this site is of recent creation, it is growing gradually and is being updated regularly. This all is the result of the collaboration between students and teachers, as they share the resources which they have found useful for language learning. Anyone interested in learning a language will therefore find this resource useful.
Added: 2009-04-13More details
Italian academy for advanced studies in America : working papers
http://www.italianacademy.columbia.edu/publications_working.html
This is the Web archive of the working seminar papers presented at the 'Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in America' at Columbia University. This weekly seminar event invites Fellows to trace the progress of their research. Most of these papers are then placed online. At April 2009 the Archives run from 2002 to 2009. Some are only in abstract form, but many are freely-available as full-text copies in PDF form. Many papers are likely to be of interest to historians, especially historians of Italy and of the Roman Empire. An example of full-text titles include: 'Communism and Anti-Communism in Italy, 1945-1989'; 'Creating Christian Rome: Households, Bishops and the Spiritual Politics of Domestic Space in Late Antiquity'; 'Subliminal Perception and Music: A Brief Survey'; 'The Anti-Judaic Tradition and the Birth of an Anti-Jewish Anti-Capitalism'; 'In the Mind’s Eye: Thought Pictures and Ethereal Presences'; and 'The pictorial discourse of the imaginary in Early Modern Italy', among others.
Added: 2009-04-12More details
Fondazione istituto per la storia della società contemporanea
http://www.fondazioneisec.it/
This is the website of the Fondazione Istituto per la storia dell'età contemporanea, established in 2002. The site is well-designed and divided into sections. Inventories of the Foundation archive - organised into three main thematic sections - can be consulted online. Available to view are a selection of photographs originating from the Foundation's photographic patrimony. At the time of review, two virtual exhibitions are present online: one dedicated to the renowned Breda industries and its activities (which included shipbuilding; airship-building, railways; and weaponry), the second one covers the Magneti Marelli firm. Both sections offer: videos, photographs and explanatory text. Of great interest to historians and researchers is the "Censimento delle fonti per la storia della Repubblica Sociale Italiana". This project - accessible from the site's homepage - was launched to record the location of documents relating to the Italian Social Republic following its collapse and the ensuing dispersal of such items. The census - a comprehensive survey - has been carried out at all the local branches of the State Archives, historical institutions and other organisations, and covers the documentary fonds related to the Italian Social Republic, the Republican Fascist Party and its military wings. The database can be searched through several options. For each archival fond a brief description is given together with details of current location. Additionally it is possible to access an archive of TV footage covering the multifarious activities of the Foundation.
Added: 2009-03-30More details
Fiume-Rijeka : società di studi fiumani
http://www.fiume-rijeka.it/
This is the website of the "Società di Studi Fiumani" ["Society for the study of Fiume"]. The Association is dedicated to research on the city of Fiume, known to-day as Rijeka in Croatia, and its troubled past. The site presents an outline of the history of Fiume, a bibliography of its history and a description of the museum and archive housed at within the Association's premises. Of particular interest is the section "Fotografia e Storia" ["Photography and History"]. Available are several digital reproductions of photographs related to Fiume, helpfully subdivided according to themes, such as: D'Annunzio e Fiume; the Free State of Fiume; Fiume during the Second World War. Each photograph is accompanied by an explanatory caption. Reproductions of maps are additionally present. Indexes of the Association's journal "Fiume : rivista di studi adriatici" can be viewed online together with information on the editorial activities of the Association and news on events past and forthcoming. The site represents a useful resource for anyone with an interest in the history of Fiume and the Istrian Peninsula.
Added: 2009-03-28More details
Letteratura coloniale italiana
http://diglib.cib.unibo.it/diglib/collection.php?set=col&title=Letteratura+colon
This website - which forms part of the University of Bologna Digital Library - makes available online digital reproductions of a number of texts related to Italian colonial history. Six works - originally published between 1895 and 1941 - are present in their entirety. Amongst them are: the "Atlante delle colonie italiane" by Mario Baratta and Luigi Visentin and the "Nell'Affrica Italiana: impressione e ricordi" by Ferdinando Martini (in later years Italian Minister for Education), in its rare illustrated edition of --. Bibliographical details are provided for each work, together with brief information on the authors. Utilizing the plug-in Dejavu, users can download files, save them and obtain print-outs. The quality of the scanning appears good and texts can be read effortlessly. This site would be of value to historian and researchers making available online resources not easily accessible.
Added: 2009-03-23More details
Voci di mezzo : il cantare popolare
http://www.vocidimezzo.it/
This is the website of the association "Voci di mezzo: il cantare popolare" ["Voices in between: singing folk songs"]. It makes available online a repertoire of Italian folk and political songs grouped into eight thematic sections. Amongst them are: anarchical songs, songs of the Italian Resistance, songs of emigrants, and songs of the South. Texts are reproduced for all the songs listed, and several are accompanied by their musical scores. In some cases, a brief historical note is present outlining the context and the origins from which a particular song arose and its significance. Information on authors and additional views and testimonies related to some of the songs are also given. The site - which requires Adobe Flash Player 10 and available in Italian only - provides access to primary sources and their historical milieu. It would represent a valuable resource for anyone with an interest in Italian history or Italian social and cultural history.
Added: 2009-03-22More details
Bibliografia dell'antifascismo italiano
http://www.storicamente.org/02_tecnostoria/antifascismo.htm
The website "Bibliografia dell'Antifascismo Italiano" [Bibliography of the Italian antifascist movement] makes available online a comprehensive bibliographical database compiled through the joint efforts of the University of Bologna, University of Milan, and the Tuscia University of Viterbo. The database is organised into three sections: "Testi e documenti, 1926-1943"; "Periodici, 1926-1943"; "Storiografia, 1945-2005". The first two include details of monographs, documents and periodicals issued during the period November 1926 to July 1943, and produced by the Italian antifascist movement. A detailed description is given, together with a list of institutions holding the particular item. The third section, "Storiografia", covers the vast output of work on the topic of Italian antifascism, for the years 1945 to 2005, and presently runs to more than 2.700 entries. This section is based on the "Bibliografia storica nazionale", but other specialised bibliographies were also consulted. The database offers several different search fields and options to refine results as retrieved. A prefatory document - in Italian only - explains the scope of the project with its functionalities and can be downloaded as a PDF file. It states that the database has necessarily been conceived as an on-going venture which will be augmented by future additions. Additionally available is a useful list of pseudonyms and "noms de guerre" as used by several leading figures of the Italian Resistance during clandestinity. This website represents an invaluable resource for historians and researchers of Italian fascism and antifascist movements.
Added: 2009-03-15More details
Villa d'Este
http://www.tibursuperbum.it/eng/monumenti/villadeste/index.htm
Villa d'Este is a webpage created by the Tivoli tourism board about the famous Renaissance villa. It offers photographs, descriptions and historical information about the building, gardens and its original owner Ippolito d'Este II. Although the English translations can be confusing at times, they are very thorough and written from a particularly well informed architectural viewpoint, which makes this a very worthwhile site to visit if studying Villa d'Este. Although it is hard to source exactly where the information has come from, there is an extensive bibliography, and the facts seem accurate. This villa is useful to study because the design of its grounds changed the history of the Italian Renaissance garden. The villa itself was designed by architect and archaeologist Pirro Ligorio and it references and incorporates pieces of nearby Villa Adriana. The building and gardens are designed upon elaborate symbology and iconography of Greek and Roman mythology. Over time the villa has been contributed to by many craftsmen and artists as well as Bernini. The site is easy to use and divided into "the villa", "the palace" and "the gardens". "The villa" gives a historical overview as well as bibliographical information about Ippolito. "The palace" gives more detailed architectural information about the building. "The gardens" is the most extensive section, as this is really why the villa is so famous. An important step in the history of the Renaissance garden, they are based both on complex symbolic narratives, (in the layout and artwork), and science. The huge number of fountains that the villa is renowned for were at first fed by an aqueduct built for the purpose. When this was found to be inadequate, a 600m underground canal was constructed beneath the town. Notorious parts of the gardens include the Baroque Organ Fountain, which used water to play music, and the Avenue of 100 Fountains.
Added: 2009-03-01More details
Tivoli's treasures
http://www.tibursuperbum.it/eng/monumenti/index.htm
Tivoli's Treasures is a website created by the Tivoli tourism board about important architectural sites in the area. Although the English translations can be confusing at times, they are very thorough and written from a particularly well informed architectural viewpoint, which makes this a very worthwhile site to visit if studying the significant sites and architecture of Tivoli. Although it is hard to source exactly where the information has come from, there is an extensive bibliography, and the facts seem accurate. Sections of the site include very detailed descriptions of Hadrian's Villa, Villa d'Este, Villa Gregoriana, "the Churches", "the Temples", "the Tombs" and "Other Monuments". Many of these buildings have great architectural significance in the history of Italian architecture, in particular from the Ancient Roman and Renaissance periods, and have been extensively studied by architects from all over the world.
Added: 2009-02-28More details
Exoticizing Vesuvius? formations of Naples c.1500-present
http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/histart/naples/exoticizing_vesuvius.html
This is the website for a series of three AHRC-funded workshops in 2009, bringing together Neapolitanists and critically examine and rethink scholarship about the city of Naples, challenging dominant historical paradigms - the Grand Tour, the failure of the south – and promoting scholarship “across chronological and disciplinary divides”. The website includes details of each workshop, including abstracts of papers, and submission guidelines (at the time of writing the final two workshops were still accepting papers). Workshops are entitled: Exoticizing Vesuvius? The historical and intellectual formation of Neapolitan historiography; Topography and Piety - Naples Afflicted; Objects of Collecting in Naples and Naples as Object of Collecting. The project envisages outcomes published as a special issue of an academic journal.
Added: 2009-02-27More details
Fondazione Marco Besso
http://www.fondazionemarcobesso.it/
This is the website of the Fondazione Marco Besso [Marco Besso Foundation], founded in 1918. The site offers access to the online catalogues of the notable library the Foundation is home to. The collections - which reflect the original eclectic interests of its founder - focus on the themes of: Rome; the Lazio region, Dante and his work; etruscology and paremiology. In addition, users can access searchable indexes of the publications: "Studi Romani", "L'Urbe" and "Strenna dei Romanisti". A dedicated catalogue covers the 17th century editions amongst the library's holdings. The prints and photographs collection - comprising more than 10.000 items - can be searched and users are able to access contents online. The site provides a short biography of Marco Besso (1843-1920) and an outline of the Foundation's history. An on-going project aims to make available part of the collections in digital format. At the time of review, only two complete works appear to be present however. These include a digital reproduction of the first issue of the "Strenna dei Romanisti", dated 1940, which can be downloaded as a PDF file. An update section lists cultural events and exhibitions organised by the Foundation. This website - available in Italian only - would be of value primarily to researchers with an interest in Rome and the Lazio region. The wealth of the library's collections, however, would make this site of interest to a larger audience.
Added: 2009-02-26More details
Archivi della DC
http://www.archividc.it/
The website "Archivi della DC" is an outstanding resource relating to the history of the Italian Christian Democratic Party, the largest political grouping within the Italian Parliament in the years from 1948 to the end of 1993. Produced by the Istituto Luigi Sturzo, the site offers access to an excellent array of primary sources in the form of reproductions of original documents, inventories of the party's archival fonds, photographs and propaganda posters, newsreels and other audiovisual material. A chronology outlines the history of the party from its establishment by Alcide De Gasperi in 1942 to eventual demise in 1994. Textual and audiovisual documents accessible through the site derive from the historical archives of the party. Amongst resources available are: reproductions of the official statutes, digital facsimiles of the clandestine journal "Il Popolo", and propaganda reels. A "Biblioteca" section provides access to the catalogue of the Istituto Luigi Sturzo's Library. Selected periodicals have been digitised and full-text versions can be accessed online. Titles available number journals now rare or in a bad state of preservation. Additionally, a catalogue of grey literature produced by different bodies within the party's organisation can be browsed. The "Progetti di ricerca" section presents dedicated pages covering specific topics, but appears still largely under construction. This part of the website appears to be under construction. Produced to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the granting of women's suffrage in 1946, it includes several video interviews and documents, including short biographies, related to some of the leading figures of the women's movement within the Christian Democratic Party. The site would be of great value for historians and researchers with an interest on Italian history and politics.
Added: 2009-02-23More details
Presidenza della Repubblica
http://www.quirinale.it/
This is the official website of the Presidenza della Repubblica [Presidency of the Republic of Italy]. In addition to current news and general information, the site offers an outstanding array of resources on former Italian presidents and on the Quirinale Palace, the official residence of the Italian Head of State. A virtual tour - offering videos, commentaries and 360 degree photographs - enables users to explore the Palace and appreciate its riches. The history of the Quirinale Hill and of the Palace - completed under the pontificate of Paul V Borghese (1605-1621) - to the present day is outlined. Other sections are dedicated to the history of the Italian flag and the national anthem, which users can listen to and refer to the text as written by Goffredo Mameli. An additional section covers the subject of the Vittoriano, the monument to Victor Emmanuel II, the first King of Italy. The two other official residencies of the Italian presidents - Castelporziano and Villa Rosebery - are also described. To students and researchers, it is probably the section dedicated to former Italian Heads of State which would be of most interest. It presents short biographies, accompanied by the full-text of official speeches, in some cases as audio files, and videos. For each president a photo gallery offers a good selection of images. The full-text of the Italian Constitution (which can be downloaded as a PDF file), approved in 1947, and of the preceding Italian constitutional statute, the Statuto Albertino, are available to consult.
Added: 2009-02-22More details
Vocabolario degli accademici della Crusca
http://vocabolario.signum.sns.it/
This website - produced by the Accademia della Crusca in Florence and the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa - makes available a full-text digital reproduction of the first "Vocabolario degli accademici della Crusca" [Dictionary of the academicians of the Crusca]. Originally published in 1612, by Giovanni Alberti in Venice, the Dictionary - which took almost twenty years to complete (1591-1609) - played a pivotal role in the process of standardization in the Italian language. Entries in the dictionary refer mainly to the Tuscan idiom as applied in the works of the three major Italian authors from the fourteenth century: Dante, Petrarca and Boccaccio. The Dictionary, however, does not neglect non-Tuscan forms, notably examples from the work of Ariosto, and includes technical and scientific terminologies. The Dictionary can be searched through several options. Its indexes can be easily browsed. A "guide to consultation" section explains how to set out a search. The online text - based on the 1612 facsimile edition published in 1987 - is accompanied by an outline of the Dictionary's history and structure which helps users fully appreciate the importance of this outstanding work, a true "lexicographical monument" of Florentine culture.
Added: 2009-02-15More details
Bibliografia romana
http://host.uniroma3.it/progetti/bibliografiaromana/
The project "Bibliografia Romana online" [Bibliography of Rome online], launched in 1994, is the product of collaboration between several scholarly and cultural institutions based in Rome. The project makes available online an exhaustive bibliography of documents - monographs, articles, and papers included in multi-author works - on the subject of Rome and its history, from the early Middle Ages to the present day. Data includes material published since 1989. Users can search the database by: author, title, or subject (though this last option is available in Italian only). Cross-fields searches can be carried out applying Boolean operators or through a keyword search. Additionally, a classification scheme (in Italian only) has been devised and can be applied to browsing or searching. Citations and references are drawn from the catalogues of the participating institutions and from the analytical perusal of journals, multi-author works and general and specialised databases. A list of journals and databases consulted is available to view. A printed version of the "Bibliografia Romana", covering the years 1989 to 1998, and containing over 10.000 references, was published in 2004. This website, in providing exhaustive bibliographical information, would be of most value to historians and researchers with an interest in Rome and its history.
Added: 2009-02-01More details
Museo storico della liberazione
http://www.viatasso.eu/
This is the website of the Museo Storico della Liberazione [Historic Museum of the Liberation]. The museum is housed in a building which, during the years 1943 to 1944, was headquarters to the Sicherheitdienst polizei (SIPO) - operating under the command of Colonel Herbert Kapler - and used as an infamous place of detention. The site offers a virtual tour of the museum including the minuscule windowless cells where the interned, military and civilians, where detained and regularly tortured. The photographic section displays samples of graffiti furtively scratched or scrawl on the cells' walls by detainees. The graffiti, a poignant testimony of the atrocities committed in via Tasso, have been preserved and include inscriptions by Arrigo Paladini, who would later became director of the museum, and inscriptions in English by allied soldiers. Amongst those interned was Giuseppe Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, one of the leading figures of the Italian resistance in Rome, who was executed at the Fosse Ardeatine in 1944. The museum holds various materials related to the clandestine activities of the partisans in the Italian capital and to those who were imprisoned in via Tasso: documents, correspondence, placards, official notices; three-pointed nails used in actions of sabotage. The museum has its own archive and library. The collections include clandestine pamphlets and journals produced by the resistance movement, diaries, memories and other materials related to the resistance in Rome and the Lazio region.
Added: 2009-01-25More details
Opera in seventeenth century Venice : the creation of a genre
http://www.escholarship.org/editions/view?docId=ft3199n7sm;query=;brand=ucpress
'Opera in seventeenth century Venice: the creation of a genre' by Ellen Rosand is an e-book that is freely available on the eScholarship platform of the University of California Press. The book deals with opera in Venice in the 17th century, specifically how opera developed in a particular location. The book discusses cultural and environmental factors that influenced opera at that time, such as political and economic concerns. The book is divided into 13 chapters, all of which look at an element of 17th century opera in Venice. Some of the chapters deal with the origins and development of opera in that location including a discussion of the success of opera in Venice, while other chapters consider libretti and librettists, opera singers active at the time, elements of the operas themselves such as recitative and aria, the stories within the operas and the eventual decline of opera in Venice. The book, which is available in HTML format, also includes a libretti from operas performed during the period, details of treatises and correspondence concerning Venetian opera. It is possible to search within the book.
Added: 2009-01-21More details
Casa Carducci
http://www.casacarducci.it/
The website "Casa Carducci" is dedicated to the figure of Giosuè Carducci (1835-1907) and to the house in Bologna where the Italian poet lived from 1890 to 1907, which is now a museum. Users can take a virtual tour of the rooms for which the site provides a short description along with images of highlighted objects and artefacts of particular note. In addition, the site offers biographical information and a biography of Carducci's vast literary output, for which the poet was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1906. The complete works of Carducci - the Edizione nazionale - were originally published in thirty volumes by the Bolognese publisher Zanichelli, with which Carducci collaborated. Also present are a selection of caricatures of Carducci produced by various artists during the poet's life. A photo gallery presents images of Carducci, his house and scenes from his life. Comprised within the collection are photographs of the young writer Annie Vivanti - dearly loved by the poet - and the classroom at the University of Bologna where Carducci gave his lectures on Italian Eloquence for forty-eight years. The site would be of interest as a first introduction to Carducci's life and work.
Added: 2009-01-12More details
Associazione mazziniana italiana
http://www.associazionemazziniana.it/
This is the website of the Associazione mazziniana italiana (A.M.I.) [Mazzini Italian Association], originally formed in clandestinity in 1943 by leading figures of the Italian antifascist movement. The Association's activities seek inspiration from the moral and political thought of Giuseppe Mazzini (1805-1872). The site provides access to full-text of over 240 works relating to Italian history in general and the Italian Risorgimento in particular, all of which can be downloaded as PDF files. Included are official documents such as: the Italian constitution of 1948, the constitution of the Roman Republic of 1849, and the constitution of the Parthenopean Republic of 1779. Full-text of works relating to Mazzini and his political activities are also available. An archive section offers access to the summaries of the Association's official journal "Il Pensiero Mazziniano", a quarterly publication. Selected articles for each issue can be viewed online. In addition, the site offers updated news on the Association's current and forthcoming activities and a list of past such events. A short biography of Mazzini and an annotated bibliography are additionally present. The website is available in Italian only.
Added: 2009-01-10More details
