Historical outline
Capital city is an ancient expression that traditionally refers to the place associated with central political power. Until the XVII.th century, it was but the town where the royal court lived and the king used to summon the representatives of the aristocracy, one or two times in a year.
The focus of the course is first put on the time when the notion of capital city had been expanding in its complexity. Due to a series of factors –and mainly to the growth of the governmental machine-, it was becoming a place with the highest concentration of political, cultural and artistic values. A prevailing role is played by sources -like urban iconography and cartography– which can better record such a transformation involving painters, scientists, and architects. Throughout the Georgian and the Victorian age, not only London and Paris would be increasingly capable of setting global standards for fashion and glamour. Even minor capital cities –such as Venice and Rome- would be able, between the XVIII.th and XIX.th centuries, to foster and to host the best artistic and intellectual highlights coming from all over their country.

Course outline
The course starts with an overview of historical cartography in its development related to the four cities. For what concerns the XVIIIth and XIXth century, the focus is on the introduction of the Land Register – or “Cadastre”: the first systematic detection system, probably the forerunner of the contemporary ‘information system’ for urban analysis. For each city, the course presents digital tools in order to analyze and represent –in a comparative way- both urban dynamics and architectural elements. Thanks to this kind of surveys, urban history can also be studied with modern analysis tools. It is increasingly important for understanding how digital tools can be useful for responding to several historical questions even at the urban scale.
The final goal is to show how documents can be used to set historical geographical information systems (HGIS). Students will learn to interpret historical documents in bringing about urban evolution analyses, learning how compare maps, how describe patterns in data maps, how identify data sources and how create new maps from cartographic contents.

Syllabus

1_Course presentation
Introduction from a point of view of both historical and digital contents

2_Introduction to the notion of Capital City in Europe
General historical approach to the subject

3_Introduction to the case studies in the XVIII.th century
Description on a comparative perspective of the case studies of Paris and London
Description on a comparative perspective of the case studies of Milan and Venice

4_Introduction to the case studies in the XVIII.th century
Description on a comparative perspective of the case studies of Paris and London
Description on a comparative perspective of the case studies of Milan and Venice

5_The Development of tools for control and representation in the XVIII.th century
Land Registers, Cartography, Urban maps and surveys on a comparative perspective among France, GB and Italy

6_Designing a new road web suitable to a modern capital
Description of the Patte plan for Paris
Description of the Gwynn plan for London

7_Designing a new road web suitable to a modern capital
Description of the Patte plan for Paris
Description of the Gwynn plan for London

8_Digital tools as applied on road network (MacLab)
Analysis and rendering of the road routes, and of their transformation

9_Digital tools as applied on road network (MacLab)
Analysis and rendering of the road routes, and of their transformation

10_Building the “bâtimens civils” in the transition from the ancient regime to the contemporary city
Taking the “bâtimens civils” (public equipments) as a case study in a comparative description of Paris and London and in a comparative description of Milan and Venice

11_Building the “bâtimens civils” in the transition from the ancient regime to the contemporary city
Taking the “bâtimens civils” (public equipments) as a case study in a comparative description of Paris and London and in a comparative description of Milan and Venice

12_Dismantling the urban wall in the transition from the ancient regime to the contemporary city
Taking the dismantling of the urban wall as a case study in a comparative description of Paris and Milan

13_Dismantling the urban wall in the transition from the ancient regime to the contemporary city
Taking the dismantling of the urban wall as a case study in a comparative description of Paris and Milan

14_Digital tools as applied on the perimeter transformations and its impact on the urban shape (MacLab)
Analysis and rendering of the urban perimeter in the case studies of Paris and Milan

15_Designing Imperial Thoroughfares: Paris and London
Description on a comparative perspective of the case studies of Rue de Rivoli and Regent Street.

16_Digital tools ; case study on road network (MacLab)
Analysis and rendering of the of the road routes, and of their transformation

17_Designing Regents Park and its surrounding
Description of the competition schemes. Focus on John Nash’s plan

18_Digital tools as applied on “green spaces” and squares (MacLab)
Analysis and rendering of green spaces and open spaces in the dynamics of the city and in relation to functional needs

19_New tools for managing the growing complexity of the big city
Population and land registers as applied in Paris, Milan and Venice: the birth of the “topographie mèdicale”

20_Digital tools as applied on the urban transformation (MacLab)
Analysis and rendering of residential blocks in particularly dense areas

21_Designing the Governmental high spots in Paris and London
Description on a comparative perspective of the case studies of the Louvre and Westminster

22_Digital tools as applied on Governmental places (MacLab)
Analysis and rendering of the case studies of the Louvre and Westminster

23_Digital tools as applied on Governmental places (MacLab)
Analysis and rendering of the case studies of the Louvre and Westminster

24_Presentation of the results
Each student will introduces the job done during the course, in its focus on one aspect in particular. Oral presentation with a power point