DIGITALIZATION PROJECT SUPERBA ANTIQUA

Superba Antiqua project aims to enhance the testimonies of antiquarian Genoese taste and culture in the territory. Its purpose is to create a virtual tour showing the historical paths of the Genoese antiquaria in the culture books, in the artistic expression within the territory (iconographic themes of architectural decoration, portals, statues and busts which are antique or artistic) and in collections.
 
The aim of this project was to digitilise images and textual parts of certain antichistic-archaeological works that are preserved in the Biblioteca Universitaria of Genoa, with an edition between the ages XVI and XVII,  allowing  the use of key multimedia opportunities through the site of the Library.
The computerisation of these specimens also aims to ensure the protection and preservation of these cultural highly perishable items, such as those of ancient books, and to allow, through the subsequent networking, a future benefit to a wider audience of rare texts that are not always easy to be found.

The criteria for selecting texts and images by scanning them was determined by the purpose of the project itself, therefore, works were chosen only when significant in the history of archaeological studies and methodologies and also when attributed to the antiquarian local culture over the considered centuries, particularly with reference to the themes of decorative antique taste in popular Genoese and Ligurian artistic expressions, and with reference to the passion for collections of ancient masterpieces or  traditional ones.
 
Managers of the project: the project is the fruit of collaboration between the teachings of Archaeological History (Luigina Quartino), Antique Iconography(Alba Bettini) Section of Archaeology D.AR.FI.CL.ET "Francesco Della Corte" University of Genoa, Alberta Bedocchi scholar of History and Antiquaria Archaeological, Oriana Cartaregia and Maria Teresa Sanguineti Biblioteca Universitaria of Genoa.
The photographic part and the media organization were carried out by Raffaella Vancheri with the help of Giorgia Rodino (Cultural Heritage Preservation). Setting line was followed up by Oriana Cartaregia.