Maria Gabriella Pezone (Principal Investigator of the Nea_Via project), Maria Teresa Como, and Giuseppe Pignatelli Spinazzola will coordinate one of the sessions at the 12th AISU Congress – Italian Association of Urban History, titled “The City as a Crossroads. Relationships and Exchanges, Intersections and Encounters in Urban Realities” (Palermo, September 10–13, 2025).
The session, titled “Early Modern Villas as Crossroads of Versatility in the Contemporary City. Changes and Continuities for an Interpretation of Urban Place Qualities”, is open to proposals that aim to reflect on how villas, country houses, and rural estates have influenced urban growth patterns. The session welcomes proposals that, starting from in-depth analyses of individual cases, seek to uncover how these places—originally designed for pleasure and the contemplation of beauty—are still present in the contemporary city, hidden, or completely erased.
The session finds it particularly valuable to trace, through such analyses, the historical roots of still-existing urban qualities within the examined contexts. The ultimate goal is to interpret identities, contents, and values that are essential for a conscious use and governance of the territory in today’s urban environment.
For more information about the congress and participation details, please visit the dedicated page on the AISU website:
https://aisuinternational.org/palermo-2025-home/
For the full session description “Early Modern Villas as Crossroads of Versatility in the Contemporary City. Changes and Continuities for an Interpretation of Urban Place Qualities” and to submit your proposal, refer to Macro-session 5 – Cities and Spaces of Versatility: https://aisuinternational.org/palermo-2025-sessioni-macrosessione-5/
The deadline for proposal submission is May 3, 2025.
