Course Description
The course observes global trends related to the promotion of heritage and its role in the process of brandisation of the territory and applies them to the Venice lagoon. Through an interdisciplinary approach, the aim is to identify the rhetorics and codes that articulate the current representations of Venice within a changing context subject to the pressures of territorial valorisation as well as climatic change.
Among the most interesting global dynamics is the inclusion of heritage notions within regenerative processes and territorial promotion. Heritage is one of the dominant rhetorics on which the sense and legitimacy of many redevelopment and regeneration operations are built. Heritage has long been used within territorial promotion rhetorics concerning Venice, which describe its value in relation to history and support investments and consumption linked to the experience of typicality. In this regard, the Venetian lagoon offers a privileged space of investigation that allows us to examine the changing trends related to patrimonialisation and the (narrative and financial) speculation to which they are subjected.
The marketing of typicality in the lagoon area has been changing and is moving from the historical city to the context: it takes on natural connotations, increasingly linked to the arcadian dimension of the landscape. The interest for marginal territories reflects, on the one hand, a rise in awareness towards the fragile lagoon environment, and on the other hand, the need to look for new opportunities. The more the environment is under the spotlight of change, the scarcer resources become, the more valuable they become. Not only for those actors who aim to drive sustainable change in the face of environmental pressures, but also for those extractive forces who, having identified a resource, intercept its potential.
Through a series of in-depth studies and site visits, the course will explore the changes taking place in this delicate territory and their impact on the space and stakeholders’ relationship. The reflections will be brought back to some fundamental elements: the centrality of nature in the process of territorial branding; the role of marginal territories in the shaping of Venice’s new imaginary; the speculation linked to the physical transformation of places; issues of socio- ecological justice related to space appropriation within a context of climate change.
Some questions guiding the course:
How is the rhetoric concerning heritage used to support the transformation of places? What is the role of nature? How does this happen in Venice? What marketing principles linked to natural value can be recognised here and elsewhere? How do they address issues of spatial-ecological justice?

The goals of the course are the following:
- To introduce students to the increasing global use of notions of heritage, tradition, memory to support the transformation of places
- To introduce students to the flexible use of heritage in the Venice context as an outpost of global trends
- To introduce students to the reading of marketing rhetorics used in the current promotion of the Venice lagoon so to understand the international principles of brandisation.
- To understand nature's role in territorial valorisation processes and their consequences in terms of spatial- ecological justice.

Syllabus – Modules breakdown

Module I - Observation of the global trend towards heritage branding and using heritage as a lever
capable of increasing the value of places. This module explores some exemplary cases in global cities in the East and West of the world, identifying striking similarities in the intentions of heritage marketing.

Includes:
Course introduction
Frontal lectures
Frontal lecture with invited guests
Work and group discussion

Module II - Observation of current trends in Venice and the lagoon area. This module evaluates the
increasing centrality of landscape-related heritage. Through a series of dedicated lectures by the teacher and expert guests, we will explore the different aspects that build the narrative of Venetian typicality: environmental fragility in the face of climate change, isolation, the romantic charm of decadence, the value of heritage, and its iconic and original urban form.

Includes:
Frontal lectures
Frontal lecture with invited guests
Work and group discussion
Students Seminars
At least 1 site visit

Module III - Choice of a case study in the Lagoon of Venice. Analysis of urban marketing materials and recurring rhetorics related to the concept of heritage and typicality. This module reflects on the imaginaries and codes used to promote the territory.

Includes:
Frontal lectures
Frontal lecture with invited guests
Work and group discussion
Students Seminars

All modules will include intermediate tasks to be carried out individually/in groups and discussed collectively in class through the workshops and student seminars.

Learning outcomes
Upon completion of the course, the students will be able to:
1. Read the use of notions related to heritage, memory, tradition within a broader global trend related to territorial regeneration and promotion;
2. Identify the changing conception of heritage in relation to the Venice lagoon;
3. Identify the most relevant rhetoric used in territorial marketing linked to heritage;
4. Be able to critically analyse the fundamental economic and political dynamics that use heritage as a financial lever;
5. Apply the theoretical knowledge acquired during the course to the analysis of existing global city projects when notions of heritage are recalled.

Teaching and evaluation methods
The course will be organised as follows:
1. Frontal lectures (on concepts, theories and approaches relevant for understanding the issues and dynamics related to the use of heritage in territorial marketing);
2. Seminar discussions guided directly by students to stimulate learning by allowing students to formulate and exchange their views on selected issues. (i.e. regarding proposed papers or ad hoc short assignments);
3. Excursions in the Venice lagoon to observe and approach representative case studies.
4. In itinere tutoring of group-works.

The course will consist of three evaluations which will take place during the course:
1) mid-term evaluation based on the elaboration of materials and observations from Module I and II (30%)
2) final evaluation: elaboration of materials and observations from Module III.
This will be composed by: the presentation of the group-works (percentage of the overall grade = 35%) + the submission of an individual short paper (percentage of the overall grade = 20%).
In addition, a 15% of the overall grade will be attributed according to these criteria: class attendance, participation and interaction, submission of the required assignments.

Bibliography: a selection
Chandler, A. and Pace, M (2021) The Production of Heritage, London: Routledge. Brett, D. (1996) The Construction of Heritage, Cork: Cork University Press.
Brown, A. (2013). ‘The Spinning Index: Architectural Images and the Reversal of Causality’, in Rubinstein, D., Golding, J., Fisher A. (eds.), On the Verge of Photography, Birmingham: ARTicle Press, pp. 237-258. Graham B.J., Howards P. (eds.) (2008), The Ashgate Research Companion to Heritage and Identity, Ashgate Publishing, Franham.
Harvey D.C. (2001), “Heritage Pasts and Heritage Presents: Temporality, Meaning and the Scope of Heritage Studies”, International Journal of Heritage Studies, no.7, vol.4, pp: 319-338.
Huyssen A. (2003), Present Pasts. Urban Palimpsests and the Politics of Memory, Stanford University Press.
Klingmann, A. (2007) Brandscapes. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Marini, S. (ed.) (2017) Orchestra Rehearsal, Bruno, Venezia.
Rancière, J. (2008) The Emancipated Spectator. Translated by Gregory Elliott, London: Verso, 2009. Sassen, S. (2017) ‘Predatory Formations Dressed in Wall Street Suits and Algorithmic Math’, Science, Technology & Society, 22:1, pp. 1–15, Los Angeles: SAGE Publication
Smith L. (2006), Uses of Heritage, Routledge, London.
Zizek, S. (2008) First As Tragedy, Then As Farce, London: Verso.
Zukin, S. (2008) Naked City. The Death and Life of Authentic Urban Places, New York: Oxford University Press.

Last updated on October 13, 2025