Gli anni ’70 e la Scuola Normale

Edoardo Vesentini

«Archeologia e Calcolatori» 2009, 20, 11-15

Abstract

The author focuses on the role played by the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa during the 1970s and 1980s in the development of computer applications in archaeology and art history. The roots of this activity can be traced to the post-war period in the 1950s; these were years full of constructive optimism which, during the 1960s led to the design and construction of the CEP (Calcolatrice Elettronica Pisana), to the first academic Degree in Computer Science at the University of Pisa, and to the creation of CNUCE (Centro Nazionale Universitario di Calcolo Elettronico). This latter was founded in order to coordinate the various scientific and educational activities and support computer-based research also in marginal and newly established fields. Several important initiatives resulted from the cooperation with the Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo e la Documentazione, directed by Oreste Ferrari. Computer Science was introduced at the Scuola Normale Superiore as an approach to the problems related to the automatic processing of archaeological and art history data and documents, thanks to Paola Barocchi and the creation of the Centro di Elaborazione Automatica di Dati e Documenti Storico Artistici, which established important international relationships with the Paul Getty Foundation, the Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies at Villa I Tatti, the Warburg Institute, etc.

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