La Storia dell’arte e i corsi speciali
istituiti tra gli anni Settanta e Ottanta
del Novecento all’Accademia di Belle
Arti di Firenze
Francesco De Carolis
This essay examines the introduction and development of the corsi speciali (special courses) at the
Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze between the 1970s and 1980s, set against the national debate on the
status of art history in artistic education following the 1968 student protests. Drawing on institutional
archives and the evolving legislative framework governing academy diplomas, it traces the growth of
art history teaching in Florence — from one to four chairs — and the arrival of prominent outside figures
(Giuseppe Marchiori, Alfonso Gatto, Adriano Sofri, Renzo Federici) who taught contemporary art and
criticism. The essay argues that, despite this expansion, art history remained structurally marginal within a
curriculum still modelled on the workshop tradition.