Researcher and photographer analyzing and documenting the cultural landscape of places, she holds a PhD cum laude in Architectural, Urban and Interior Design at the Politecnico di Milano, where, she is adjunct professor of an Urban Design Studio. 

She is founder and board member of the Fondazione Romualdo Del Bianco, based in Florence, Italy, dedicated to dialogue among cultures.

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She uses photography as a method of investigation and therefore her research is characterized by photoreportage.

She looks at places’ cultural identity with a focus on the culture of living in contemporary urban environments, intertwining it with modern forms of heritage, tourism and nature-culture relationships. She has long focused on countries of the global south, particularly in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa but has also worked in European heritage and post-industrial contexts.

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She has always been particularly close to Japan and in 2015 she coordinated celebrations of the anniversary of the twinning of Kyoto with the City of Florence, and she was appointed Ambassador for Tourism and Tsuyahime Rice by the Yamagata Prefecture.

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She’s been living, for study and work periods, in Paris (France), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Beijing (China), Hong Kong (China), Tokyo-Kyoto (Japan), Pemba (Mozambique). 

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Profile picture © Filippo Romano

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Research places

Prato (Italy), San Paolo (Brazil), Hong Kong (China), Pemba, Maputo and Ibo Island (Mozambique), Favara (Italy), Florence (Italy), Mediterranean sea

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Collaborators

Noora Alhashimi, Myrto Gatou, Costanza Leoni, Marta Marini, Spencer Nash, Francesca Pandolfi, Nadav Noah

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Published books and papers by

Routledge, Springer, Wiley, Elsevier, LetteraVentidue, Pacini Editore, Life Beyond Tourism Edizioni, Planum Publisher, Quodlibet, Pontecorboli Editore, Francoangeli

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Latest exhibitions at

2024 Istituto Italiano di Cultura Cracovia (Cracow, Poland)

2023 Museo Pecci (Prato, Italy)
2023 Istituto Italiano di Cultura Colonia (Koln, Germany)

2022 Istituto Italiano di Cultura Montreal (Montreal, Canada)

2021 Istituto Italiano di Cultura Amburgo (Hamburg, Germany)

2021 Biennale delle città - Countless Cities (Favara AG, Italy)

2020 Auditorium al Duomo (Florence, Italy)

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Latest works for

Politecnico di Milano

FAO

Fondazione E-35

Comune di Prato - Urban Planning Department

Life Beyond Tourism - Travel to Dialogue Movement srl

Fondazione per le Arti Contemporanee in Toscana

Farm Cultural Park

COMI spa

Unione Fiorentina, Museo Casa di Dante

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EU Projects

2021-2024 Erasmus+ SUSPA Sustainable Urban Space Pavillion - Re-Qualification of Public Spaces in Heritage Cities

2019-2022 Erasmus + Educational Game 

2018-2021 Erasmus + UNINET University Network for Cultural Heritage – Integrated Protection, Management and Use

2016-2019 Erasmus + SURE – Sustainable Urban Rehabilitation in Europe 

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Festivals Scientific Coordinator

2021-2025 | The World in Florence Festival, Movimento Life Beyond Tourism -Travel to Dialogue

2020 | Building Peace through Heritage – World Forum to Change through Dialogue 2020, March 13-15, Fondazione Romualdo Del Bianco

2019 | Heritage as a Builder of Peace, March 1-3, Fondazione Romualdo Del Bianco

2017- 2018 | Heritage for Planet Earth, Fondazione Romualdo Del Bianco

2014 | ICOMOS Youth Forum, 18th ICOMOS General Assembly Heritage and Landscape as Human Values

2014 | Florence Youth and Heritage Festival, official side event of the 18th ICOMOS General Assembly, November 10-13

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TEACHING​

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Courses

• Politecnico di Milano (Milan, Italy), adjunct professor, 2019-ongoing

• Josai International University (Tokyo, Japan), assistant visiting professor, 2014-2016

• Istituto Internazionale Life Beyond Tourism (Florence, Italy), director of the educational activities, 2014-2021

 

International workshops (University and Public Administrations)

• Erasmus+ projects learning activities (partner institutions)

• University of Economics of Prague (Prague, Czech Republic)

• United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG-A)

• Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction (Baku, Azerbaijan)

• Life Beyond Tourism Movement (Florence, Italy)

 

Seminars

• AA Foundation Course (London, UK)

• Università degli Studi di Firenze (Florence, Italy)

• Studio Corte 17 - SC17 (Prato, Italy)

• European Humanities University (Vilnius, Lithuania)

• Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (Maputo, Mozambique)

• Wroclaw University of Science and Technology (Wroclaw, Poland)

• UNESCO International Summer School, Lublin University of Technology (Lublin, Poland)

• Toyo University (Tokyo, Japan)

• Tohoku University of Art and Design (Yamagata, Japan)

• Hong Kong University PhD school (China)

• Hong Kong University Faculty of Architecture (China)

• Politecnico di Milano Master of Design for Development – Architecture, Urban Planning and Heritage in the Global South (Milan, Italy)

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