Acquisition of the knowledges necessary to the management of some sectors of a naturalistic museum, with particular regard to preservation and exposition of exsiccata, and also to the manteinance and increasement of living plants.
The objectives that the module aims to cover the acquisition of the main concepts used in scientific museology, with particular reference to the main techniques of collection, preparation and conservation of the zoological material, its filing and labeling and its exhibition. Acquisition of the basics of teaching and museum communication.
Lectures and exercises (guided tours to the Herbarium and the Botanical Garden of Catania University , with the identification of thematic routes for users of various age groups; guided tour simulation).
Teaching will take place through lectures, fronts and educational workshops.
Minimum knowledge of zoological systematics and taxonomy is required.
Course attendance is mandatory.
Current purposes of naturalistic museum (improvement, restoration, conservation and increasement of the collections; scientific research; divulgation, didactic and naturalistic education). Botanical Gardens (history and development of the botanical gardens; botanical gardens in the world and in Italy, with particular regard to Catania Botanical Garden); purposes of the botanical gardens; meaning of urban botanical gardens; management of the botanical gardens ). Herbaria (methods of preparation of an herbarium; purposes of the herbaria; history and development of the herbaria; management of the herbaria, collections of Herbarium of Catania University).
Didactics and museum communication, role and value. Historical evolution of teaching. Information and Dissemination: Public and verification of actions, routes, alternative forms, interactions with training agencies, sales points and information brokers.
Research: collection campaigns, study of preserved artifacts, communication strategies. Studies conducted on the public.
History of the naturalistic Museology: the precursors (Egypt, Rome), the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the wunderkammern, the Enlightenment and the first naturalistic museums. The nineteenth century and the great nature trips. The twentieth century and the stasis. The current Italian and ternational zoological museums.
The historical and psychological reasons at the root of naturalistic collections: collecting; biophilia; the curiosity.
Notes of lectures and slides.
Notes of the lessons
- Lucia Cataldo, Marta Paraventi, 2007 - ll museo oggi: Linee guida per una museologia contemporanea . Hoepli
- M. Gavazzoli, 2011. MANUALE DI DI MUSEOLOGIA. Rizzoli Eas.
- C. Cipriani, 2006. APPUNTI DI MUSEOLOGIA NATURALISTICA, Firenze Univ. Press, 127 pp.
-P. Zangheri, 1969. IL NATURALISTA ESPLORATORE –RACCOGLITORE – PREPARATORE – Hoepli
-G. Pinna, 1997, IL MUSEO DI STORIA NATURALE. FONDAMENTI TEORICI. Jaca Book