Anagrafe della ricerca

In Italy, women’s legacy finds it difficult to be recognized specifically in architecture, planning, civil engineering and design. In the contemporary history and theory of these disciplines, the contribution of women is still, mostly, omitted or forgotten. One reason for this void is the historical subordinated position of women in design professions; another reason is the difficulty of scholars in identifying the primary sources. To fill this void WAA will create a critical mapping of archives and archival collections produced by Italian women who worked in Italy in the twentieth century. As at present just a few archives are known, the research will consist of finding, disclosing and arousing archival documents. This research will give a new impetus to women’s history studies as well as to the contemporary history of architecture, history of construction and design history. The disclosing of new data through a digital online Atlas will facilitate the process of intertwining sources to highlight women's cultural legacy and to increase the social and historical value of their contribution to the creation of tangible and intangible heritage. Complementary case studies on different fields of design and in different historical and social conditions of women’s professional emancipation will examine memory and legacy to define a range of specific criteria for the recognition of a heritage featured by gender issues. As it is known, gender has become an increasingly important area for heritage, the highest aim of the project is to rethink the concept of heritage itself for leaving an image of a more egalitarian and gender-balanced society. The professional archives can reveal the historical and cultural values of sites, buildings, and artefacts created by women. The research of the formation and circulation of archives will achieve a comprehensive vision of memory and identity that have fallen into oblivion or marginalized by the disciplinary historiographies. It will provide the formation of a Data Collection of different types of documents across geographic and socio-cultural borders. The research will be also implemented throughout an International Conference Workshop. Both the results will be used to create the Atlas of Women's Archives, through which women's archives ofdesigners, architects, engineers, etc. will be mapped and digitised across the country. The purpose of the Atlas will be to show which archives deal with women, but also to make it easier to find the material for each professional. It addresses students, academics, professionals and actors in the domain of Cultural Heritage. The WAA system will have the potential to be further developed by collecting in a systematic critical way also new digital documentation by embracing a participative approach where users will also be donors of documents. In addition to the Atlas, the main products will be the creation of a Journal, and a Book.