From 10th to 11th December 2024 the International Conference of CISGE (Centro Italiano per gli Studi Storico-Geografici – Italian Center for Historical-Geographic Studies) was held at the University of Salerno (Fisciano Campus) entitled Place Names, Perceptions and Territorial Portraits. Critical Lessons, Methods and new Perspectives between Research and Didactics.
About 80 scholars with different specializations, ranging from history to history of explorations, linguistics, cartography, cultural geography and didactics attended the conference. Almost 60 reports were presented by professors and researchers from different disciplines under the umbrella of the sole subjects of place names. The major result of the conference was the discussions of the meaning of place names, according to the different scientific skills and point of view, with very interesting comparisons. The topic of critical toponymy was also touched upon, which Giuseppe Muti has been dealing with for some time. He has also established an AGEI (Associazione dei Geografi Italiani – Association of Italian Geographers) working group with the same title.
The conference achieved another significant result with the researches on micro-toponyms for imagining the past landscape. At the same time the conference emphasized the importance of adopting a multidisciplinary approach to the study of toponymic sedimentation. Several presentations highlighted how place names can offer valuable insights for advancing research in historical, environmental and social fields. At the same time, only an approach that integrates spatial, etymological, linguistic and cartographic analyses seems truly effective in reconstructing the processes of toponymic composition and transformation. Moreover, the refinement of some presentations was able to solve some problems particularly in relation to dialectal names of geographical objects no longer identifiable on the ground.
The welcome by the colleagues Silvia Siniscalchi, Pierluigi De Felice, Vincenzo Aversano (University of Salerno) and Carla Masetti(President of CISGE) was very thorough, which placed the numerous attendees and speakers in the satisfactory conditions of living two days in the best comfort. An interesting cartographic exhibition titled Carte e toponimi dal nostro Mondo ad altri Mondi – Maps and Toponyms from our Word to other Worlds was presented by Gianluca Casagrande from Università Europea of Rome and Annalisa D’Ascenzo from University of Roma Tre.
A SELECTION OF THEMES PRESENTED
Toponomastica e mutato valore dei quadri ambientali – Toponymy and changed value of the Environmental pictures. Chairwoman Anna Guarducci (University of Siena) Speakers: Lorenzo Brocada (University of Genua), Filiberto Ciaglia (Sapienza University of Rome), Rebekka Dossche (University of Genua), Giulia Ferrante (Gran Sasso Science Institute), Laura Turconi et al. (CNR-IRPI, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, University of Genua, CNR-ISMED, CNR-ISPC), Piergiovanni Genovesi (University of Parma), Nicola Gabellieri et al. (University of Trento and Cadastre Service, PAT), Claudia Cipollone (University of Perugia), Stefano Grazzini (University of Salerno).
Toponimi e cartografia – Place names and cartography. Chairman Massimo Rossi (Benetton Foundation Studies and Researches) Speakers: Carla Masetti et al. (University of Roma Tre), Angelo Campanella et al.(University of Palermo), Giulia Annunziata (University of Salerno), Camillo Berti et al. (University of Florence, University of Bologna), Arturo Gallia et al. (University of Roma Tre), Angela Paolini et al. (MIC – Ministry of Cultural Heritage, SS-PNRR, ISPRA – Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research), Luca Fois (University of Pavia), Guido Luisi (University of Bari).
Approcci metodologici e applicativi per lo studio della toponomastica – Methods and Praxis for the study of place names. Chairman Vincenzo Aversano (University of Salerno). Speakers: Luisa Spagnoli (CNR– Institute for Environmental Research Council), Marina Castiglione et al. (University of Palermo), Roberta Cevasco et al. (Gastronomic Sciences University of Pollenzo, University of Genua), Francesco Crifò (University of Salerno), Elena Dai Prà et al. (University of Trento), Elisa Giunta (University of Roma Tre), Francesca Lemmi et al. (University of Trento), Giuseppe Muti (University of Insubria), Vincenzo Aversano (University of Salerno).
Toponomastica nella letteratura di viaggio – Place names in the travel literature. Chairman Rosario Pellegrino (University of Salerno). Some speakers: Roberta De Felici (University of Calabria), Paola Labadessa (University of Messina), Rosario Pellegrino (University of Salerno), Alfonso Tortora (University of Salerno), Carolina Stromboli (University of Salerno), Irene Zanot (University of Macerata), Lorenza Gasparella (University of Venezia – Iuav – Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia).
Toponomastica partecipativa e collaborativa e forme testuali del potere – Participatory and collaborative toponymy and textual forms of power. Chairman Andrea Cantile (UNGEGN’s Romano-Hellenic Division – Italy). Some speakers: Simonetta Acacia et al. (University of Genova and Université Sorbonne Nouvelle), Pierluigi De Felice (University of Salerno) and Maria Cristina Cardillo (University of Cassino and of Southern Lazio), Silvia Siniscalchi et al. (University of Salerno and Cararro Lab), Valeria Anna Vaccaro (University of Salerno), Paola Pontani and Chiara Colombo (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore).
Toponimi come strumenti di controllo simbolico del territorio – Place names as symbolic territorial control devices. Chairman Francesco Senatore (University of Napoli Federico II). Some speakers: Viviana Ferrario (University of Venezia – Iuav – Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia), Giuseppe Muti (University of Insubria) and Gianluigi Salvucci (Istat), Simonetta Conti (University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli), Massimo Rossi (Benetton Foundation Studies and Researches).
The conference concluded with a panel (Challenges and perspectives for an inclusive and representative toponymy) under the coordination of Elena Dai Prà (IGU Chair of the Commission on Toponym jointly with ICA), who brought greetings from the international committee and coordinated an interesting debate involving the audience. Andrea Cantile (Chair of UNGEGN’s Romano – Hellenic Division – Italy), Cosimo Palagiano (Honorary Chair of the IGU-ICA Commission on Toponymy), Vincenzo Aversano (University of Salerno) and Domenico Proietti (Vanvitelli University) assisted to this panel.
Elena Dai Prà, Cosimo Palagiano