Antonio AGOSTINI
Tutor: Federica SANTAGATI
Graduated cum laude in Modern Literature, historical specialization at the University of Catania with professor Claudia Guastella and thesis on the history of goldsmithery (The treasures of the churches of Randazzo. Systematic study of goldsmithery), I specialized in historical heritage artistic studies at the University of Macerata with prof. Nadia Barrella with a thesis summa cum laude in Museology (The Catania of museums. Museological investigation on the cultural heritage of the Etna’s city). Since 2015 I have been an expert on the subject in the scientific disciplinary sector L-ART/04 Museology, artistic criticism and restoration at the Department of Humanities. I collaborated with professor Federica Santagati and I am also a contract professor of L-ART/02 History of Modern art at the Department of Educational Sciences of the University of Catania. I obtained the qualification to teach History of Art with high marks from the SISSIS Courses of the same University. I also work as a tenured teacher at secondary schools where I also teach Literature.
An expert in Museum Heritage Education, I attended the advanced training master's degree at the Institute of Cultural Heritage Sciences of the National Research Council of Catania in 2010 with an excellent rating.
I am the president emeritus of the Cento Campanili Cultural Association of Acireale, of which I also was a founding member. For years I have been involved in the cataloging campaign of the movable cultural heritage of the Diocese of Acireale and in activities for the valorisation of the diocesan cultural heritage, being scientific director of the Itineraries project of the widespread museum and the historical-artistic section of the ecclesial cultural park Terre dell'Etna and Alcantara.
As a member of the editorial committee of the Siculorum Gymnasium. A Journal for Humanities I have published several essays and monographs on topics of goldsmithing, museology and Christian art. In recent years I have integrated my humanistic studies with theological ones at the San Paolo Teological Studies in Catania, deepening the links that connect artistic production with iconography, ancient Christian literature and dogmatics.
I am a student of the XXXVIII doctorate cycle in Sciences for Cultural Heritage and Production at the University of Catania.
Project title: A TREASURE REVEALED. The Eucharistic cult between memory and identity in the Terre dell'Etna and Alcantara ecclesial cultural park.
Tutor: prof. Federica Maria Chiara SANTAGATI and prof. Tancredi Maria BELLA
With a view to identifying valorization actions that can make the goldsmith artistic productions of a territory belonging to the diocese of Acireale widely known, the research project aims to adopt those actions that can communicate this cultural heritage in a popular way. The main goal is to promote its Development.
The original slant is given by the territorial dimension that the study takes on, characterized by a homogeneity arising from the cultic-religious element. This project strength which creates a close connection between the heritage and the landscape allows a correct understanding of the cultural signs in a territory partly subject to strong depopulation.
In the area of the Terre dell'Etna e dell'Alcantara ecclesial cultural park, a cultural network created in 2017 through the union of various partners, a typological trend will be identified such as the decorative arts that revolve around the Eucharistic cult. In particular we shall focus on those of goldsmithery , because these arts represent the very identity of the churches, since in the Eucharistic cult the very meaning of being a community - or communitas - is condensed, which arises from the single Eucharist which the Second Vatican Council defined as the fons et culmen of Christian life. Specifically, we will focus on the cataloging of the furnishings, followed by the creation of a topographical database with the suggestion of possible prospects for displaying the most significant pieces.
The activation of dissemination processes to a large audience will make communities aware of the heritage they preserve, often obliterated from sight, in order to reiterate the identity memory of places.
Since this concerns a large number of works, this research will be limited to the main churches of 5 municipalities of the Diocese (Acireale, Castiglione di Sicilia, Linguaglossa, Piedimonte Etneo, Calatabiano) . We will adopt documentary investigation methodologies to be conducted on the historical archives of ecclesiastical buildings with application of historical-artistic methods which will have as their objective the connection to the environmental and historical-cultural context of the territory and the systematization of the data.
From the study a summary will be obtained. This will be used to create a specific itinerary which will be published on the portal of the ecclesial park and disseminated through tools that will reach the general public.