In the days June 10-11th 2010 at the Fondazione Museo del Tesoro del Duomo e Archivio Capitolare and the Faculty of Arts of the University of Eastern Piedmont in Vercelli (Piedmont) a workshop will be organised with the title Codici miniati: incontro tra arte e scienza. Gli Scriptoria altomedievali (Illuminated manuscripts: meeting among art and science. The early Medieval scriptoria). This initiative is the III edition of the  National day for the multidisciplinary study of illuminated manuscripts; the two previous editions were held in Parma – Biblioteca Palatina and in Modena – Faculty of Arts. The aim of these workshops is to look for a meeting point among activities of scholars from the humanistic side (art historians, palaeographers, linguists) and researchers from the scientific side (chemists, physicians) with reference to the analysis of illuminated manuscripts. These two research fields are at present fairly distant but could find several points of contact, increasing in this way knowledge and  usability of masterpieces such as illuminated manuscripts.

Due to success and interest given by the two previous editions, which were organised as local events, we thought to give an international dimension to the third edition by adding the presence of foreign speakers choosen among experts from both sides. The opportunity to host part of the workshop inside the Biblioteca Capitolare at Vercelli, a site deputed to the conservation and valorisation of a codicological heritage highly relevant at national and international level, and to have the possibility to have a direct look to manuscripts themselves in such an historical framework, imparts an added value to the event.

The argument of the workshop concerns with the Italian early Medieval scriptoria. Italian scholars, highly trained in their respective fields of research, will present scientific and historical-artistic studies concerning illuminated manuscripts from the main Italian scriptoria in the period IV-X century (Nonantola, Bobbio, Vercelli, etc.). It will be an important occasion to discuss about aspects of common interest.

Foreign speakers will bring a highly relevant contribution by presenting studies on early medieval manuscripts from foreign scriptoria, mainly from France and British Isles. The speakers are researchers working at foreign Universities (University of Amsterdam, Kiel, London) or at museums of  great international prestige (British Library at London, Trinity College Library at Dublino, Victoria & Albert Museum at London). Their competence will then be particularly welcome, making it possible to start collaboration on common projects.

The workshop will be organised on two days, June 10th and 11th 2010. The first day, scheduled at the Fondazione Museo del Tesoro del Duomo e Archivio Capitolare inside the Sala del Trono of the Palazzo Arcivescovile at Vercelli, will be devoted to some oral contributions, after whom a guided visit will be proposed to the manuscripts held in the Biblioteca Capitolare. The second day, organised at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Eastern Piedmont – Ala Conventuale of the Sant’Andrea Abbey, will include oral contributions in the morning, a poster session after lunch break and again oral contributions. Publication of a proceedings volume will be realised, as in the previous editions; in this case publication will be either on paper and in online format, spreading information about it on this web site (http://www.arc.unito.it/index.php?lang=en).

Organisation is due to the following committees:
Scientific committee:

* Dott. Maurizio Aceto (Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale)
* Prof. Pietro Baraldi (Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia)
* Dott. Danilo Bersani (Università degli Studi di Parma)
* Prof.ssa Giusi Zanichelli (Università degli Studi di Salerno)

Organising committee:

* Dott. Maurizio Aceto (Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale)
* Dott. Angelo Agostino (Università degli Studi di Torino)
* Dott.ssa Anna Cerutti Garlanda (Coordinatrice dei Comitati Scientifici presso la Fondazione Museo del Tesoro del Duomo e Archivio Capitolare)
* Dott. Timoty Leonardi (Conservatore Manoscritti e Rari presso la Fondazione Museo del Tesoro del Duomo e Archivio Capitolare)
* Prof. Saverio Lomartire (Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale)

For any information please contact:

Dott. Maurizio Aceto
Dipartimento di Scienze dell’Ambiente e della Vita
Università del Piemonte Orientale
Viale Teresa Michel, 11
15100 – Alessandria
phone  +39 0131 360265
print +39 0131 260250
mail maurizio.aceto@mfn.unipmn.it

Posted by: Roberto Rosselli Del Turco (rosselli at ling dot unipi dot it)