نظرة عامة على البرنامج

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BOTANY APPLIED TO CULTURAL HERITAGE

Course Details

• Code: 80522
• Academic Year: 2025/2026
• Credits: 6 cfu anno 2 CONSERVAZIONE DEI BENI CULTURALI 8453 (L-1) - GENOVA
• Scientific Disciplinary Sector: BIO/03
• Language: Italian
• Teaching Location: GENOVA
• Semester: 1° Semester
• Teaching Materials: AULAWEB

OVERVIEW

The course provides an overview of the relationships between Botany and Cultural Heritage, highlighting the importance of studying biodeterioration. It illustrates plant materials and plants cultivated in historical Italian and Genoese gardens and offers guidelines for interpreting plants represented in art works. The course also teaches elements of general Biology, Ecology, and General and Systematic Botany useful for learning specific parts of the course.

AIMS AND CONTENT

LEARNING OUTCOMES

The course aims to give an overview of all the relationships that Botany has with Cultural Heritage, whether artistic, archaeological, or archival. It highlights the importance of applying botany to Cultural Heritage for preventing biodeterioration, recognizing plant materials used in works of art, and contributing to the interpretation of these works.

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

The teaching aims to:

• Provide an overview of all the relationships that Botany and Mycology have with Cultural Heritage.
• Highlight the importance of botanical and applied mycological disciplines from the point of view of biodeterioration and prevention of biological damage.
• Recognize plant materials used, plants cultivated in historical Italian and Genoese gardens, and plants and fungi depicted in works of art.
• Contribute to the interpretation of works of art.
• Provide basic notions of Plant Ecology, Botany, and General and Systematic Mycology.
• Stimulate the student's interest and curiosity for the plant and fungal world, particularly in aspects closely related to the conservation and enhancement of Cultural Heritage.

PREREQUISITES

There are no specific requirements.

TEACHING METHODS

The teaching consists of lectures and practical activities delivered through multimedia presentations. Class attendance is highly recommended.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

• Definition of the subject and examination of the main fields of application of Botany and Mycology to Cultural Heritage.
• Elements of Plant Biology: cell organization, chemical composition of cells, cell metabolism, classification of living organisms according to trophic type.
• Main differences between animal, plant, and fungal cells.
• Outlines of Botany and Systematic Mycology.
• Basic characteristics of the main plant and fungal groups.
• Structural, functional, and ecological characteristics of the main biodeteriogens.
• Hints of Ecology: plant, microbial, and fungal communities; functional and dynamic aspects.
• The limiting factors: Water, Light, Temperature, Nutrients, Pollutants, Climatic factors.
• Adaptations.
• Biodeterioration of cultural heritage; general mechanisms of biodeterioration processes.
• Phenomenology of Biodeterioration.
• Ecology of biodeterioration; ecological factors and their connections with biodeterioration.
• Tracheophytes hazard index for the assessment of biodeterioration of Architectural and Archaeological Heritage.
• Parameters taken into consideration for the calculation of the hazard index.
• Biodeterioration processes in relation to the materials of cultural heritage.
• Biodeterioration problems in relation to the type of environment and geographical and climatic contexts.
• Conservation of cultural heritage; prevention of biodeterioration; guidelines in preventive conservation.
• The control of biodeterioration and bioremediation; physical methods, chemical methods, biological methods.
• Knowledge and valorisation of cultural and environmental heritage.
• The recognition of plant materials of archaeological and historical-artistic interest.
• Wood: morphological and anatomical characteristics useful for the recognition of wood used in artefacts.
• Dendrochronology for dating and studying wooden artefacts.
• Fibres of plant origin.
• The Historical Garden.
• Historical gardens - knowledge and conservation of historical parks and gardens, botanical gardens, and nature museums.
• Historical background.
• The ancient garden: Egyptian gardens, Babylonian gardens, gardens in ancient Greece, gardens in ancient Rome.
• The medieval garden: monastic and curtense gardens, the Islamic garden, (hortus conclusus).
• The garden from the Renaissance to the 18th century: the formal Italian garden, the mannerist and baroque garden, the French garden, the romantic or English garden, the 19th-century garden, 20th-century and contemporary gardens.
• Botanical Gardens.
• Emphasis is placed on the plants cultivated in gardens in the various historical periods and the sources from which this information is derived.
• Plants in works of art and problems relating to their recognition.
• Phytoeconography and phytoeconology for the recognition and interpretation of artistic representations.
• The analysis of plant and fungal iconography in archaeology and art; the contribution of botany and mycology for the recognition of species in paintings and sculptures of archaeological and historical-artistic interest and for the interpretation of the meaning of the representation itself.
• Methodologies, case studies.

RECOMMENDED READING/BIBLIOGRAPHY

• The multimedia teaching material used by the teacher during the lectures and practical activities will be available on AulaWeb at the end of the cycle of lectures/laboratory exercises.
• Caneva G., Nugari M. P., Salvadori O., 2005 - La biologia vegetale per i beni culturali [volume I] Biodeterioramento e conservazione. Nardini Editore.
• Caneva G., Nugari M. P., Salvadori O., 2005 - La biologia vegetale per i beni culturali [volume II] Conoscenza e Valorizzazione. Nardini Editore.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

• MIRCA ZOTTI
• SIMONE DI PIAZZA
• Exam Board:
  • MIRCA ZOTTI (President)
  • SIMONE DI PIAZZA (President Substitute)
  • GRAZIA CECCHI (Substitute)

LESSONS

LESSONS START

Refer to the detailed timetable.

Class Schedule

The timetable for this course is available on the Portale EasyAcademy.

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The examination will be oral with questions on various topics of the syllabus and analysis and description of images to ascertain an adequate preparation of the candidate.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The examination will take place in oral form, with questions on various topics to ascertain the candidate's adequate preparation. The oral examination aims to test the candidate's knowledge of the subject matter and the various applications of botany and mycology to cultural heritage, both in terms of biodeterioration and conservation and enhancement. The assessment parameters will take into account the quality of exposition, the correct use of specialist vocabulary, and the ability to reason and correlate the topics studied.

Exam Schedule

• Data appello: 16/12/2025, Orario: 09:30, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Compitino
• Data appello: 16/12/2025, Orario: 09:30, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Orale
• Data appello: 20/01/2026, Orario: 09:30, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Compitino
• Data appello: 20/01/2026, Orario: 09:30, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Orale
• Data appello: 03/02/2026, Orario: 09:30, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Compitino
• Data appello: 03/02/2026, Orario: 09:30, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Orale
• Data appello: 25/05/2026, Orario: 09:30, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Compitino
• Data appello: 25/05/2026, Orario: 09:30, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Orale
• Data appello: 16/06/2026, Orario: 09:30, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Compitino
• Data appello: 16/06/2026, Orario: 09:30, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Orale
• Data appello: 14/07/2026, Orario: 09:30, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Compitino
• Data appello: 14/07/2026, Orario: 09:30, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Orale
• Data appello: 14/09/2026, Orario: 09:30, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Compitino
• Data appello: 14/09/2026, Orario: 09:30, Luogo: GENOVA, Degree type: Orale

FURTHER INFORMATION

Attendance at lectures and tutorials is strongly recommended, especially considering that very often the curriculum of students taking this degree does not include topics in biology, plant systematics, and ecology.

Agenda 2030 - Sustainable Development Goals

• Quality education
• Sustainable cities and communities