Conference: ‘Thesaurus Omnium Rerum’. Media spaces of dynastic and civic memory in the service of the Habsburgs

The University of Genoa, in collaboration with the Complutense University of Madrid, is organising the international conference 

THESAURUS OMNIUM RERUM
MEDIA SPACES OF DYNASTIC AND CIVIC MEMORY IN THE SERVICE OF THE HABSBURGS (16th–17th CENTURIES)

‘Memoria est thesaurus omnium rerum’. In this famous maxim, taken from De oratore, Cicero encapsulated a fundamental idea of classical culture: memory understood as a repository of knowledge, as a living archive of experiences, merits and exempla destined to endure over time. It is no coincidence that this conception has enjoyed such enduring popularity, particularly in contexts where remembering was not a neutral exercise, but rather an act imbued with political, social and symbolic intent.
Building on this conceptual framework, this international conference brings together the research of specialists interested in analysing the mediating role played by various visual devices in the public and private spheres of the early modern period. In particular, the discussion will focus on the visual rhetoric deployed in spaces intended for self-representation, the assertion of claims and the construction of collective memory—in both dynastic and civic terms—within the network of relationships between noble houses, cities and territories and the Habsburgs and the Spanish monarchy. Through the study of different spatial contexts – ranging from noble and royal palaces to public squares and streets – the role played by imagery, architecture and decorative schemes in the narration and commemoration of historical events, military exploits and political genealogies will be analysed.

The conference, in proportion to the number of hours of student participation, counts towards the acquisition of additional credits for the courses in Conservation of Cultural Heritage and History of Art and Promotion of Artistic Heritage.

Please find the detailed programme attached.