This essay focuses on the history and meaning of the anthropological collections of the Bologna university museums, and investigates the influence of anthropology and other disciplines on the Italian political and cultural context from Unification to the Second World War. To this aim, the first section examines the emergence and decline of the concept of race in science both in Europe and in Italy. The second section highlights the intersection between the Italian colonial policies and the geographical and scientific explorations as well as the conceptualisation of race by Italian anthropologists. Finally, we develop the case study of the Bologna anthropological collections, focusing on the way they were built, used and perceived over time. The main result of this analysis is the emergence of a dialectic relationship between anthropological studies, colonialism and geographical explorations, which influenced also the building and narratives of university collections. We can distinguish three main phases. During the first one, soon after the country’s unification, explorers, scientists and adventurers tried to stimulate direct government intervention outside Italy and promote a colonial policy. Initially, these efforts were unsuccessful, mainly due to lack of funding. The second phase, which gradually took shape from the 1880s until the onset of fascism, was characterised by a convergence of interests between government aiming to build and expand Italian colonies, and scientific explorers interested in investigating the nature and people of new lands. Finally, during the fascist regime, the political dimension overtook the scientific one, such as exploration, new museums, and scientific interpretations became the tools for building the Italian Empire and fascist culture. Now, what is left of this complex interaction between science and colonial and racist policies? Museums are a tool to explain the new scientific interpretations which are no longer based on the concept of race, but are places of memory to make present generations aware of our dissonant past.
Belcastro, M.G., Nicolosi, T., Battilani, P. (2025). Dealing with Complex Heritage: The Case of the Physical Anthropological Collections of the University of Bologna. Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press.
Dealing with Complex Heritage: The Case of the Physical Anthropological Collections of the University of Bologna
Belcastro M. G.;Nicolosi T.;Battilani P.
2025
Abstract
This essay focuses on the history and meaning of the anthropological collections of the Bologna university museums, and investigates the influence of anthropology and other disciplines on the Italian political and cultural context from Unification to the Second World War. To this aim, the first section examines the emergence and decline of the concept of race in science both in Europe and in Italy. The second section highlights the intersection between the Italian colonial policies and the geographical and scientific explorations as well as the conceptualisation of race by Italian anthropologists. Finally, we develop the case study of the Bologna anthropological collections, focusing on the way they were built, used and perceived over time. The main result of this analysis is the emergence of a dialectic relationship between anthropological studies, colonialism and geographical explorations, which influenced also the building and narratives of university collections. We can distinguish three main phases. During the first one, soon after the country’s unification, explorers, scientists and adventurers tried to stimulate direct government intervention outside Italy and promote a colonial policy. Initially, these efforts were unsuccessful, mainly due to lack of funding. The second phase, which gradually took shape from the 1880s until the onset of fascism, was characterised by a convergence of interests between government aiming to build and expand Italian colonies, and scientific explorers interested in investigating the nature and people of new lands. Finally, during the fascist regime, the political dimension overtook the scientific one, such as exploration, new museums, and scientific interpretations became the tools for building the Italian Empire and fascist culture. Now, what is left of this complex interaction between science and colonial and racist policies? Museums are a tool to explain the new scientific interpretations which are no longer based on the concept of race, but are places of memory to make present generations aware of our dissonant past.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
