Francesco Bartolini

Francesco Bartolini is a Tenured Professor (First Band, HIST-03/A) at the University of Macerata's Department of Education, Cultural Heritage and Tourism Sciences. He teaches contemporary history and urban history across multiple academic programs including Primary Education, Cultural Heritage and Tourism, and International Tourism and Destination Management, with teaching responsibilities documented through the 2025/2026 academic year.

Professor Bartolini's research focuses primarily on urban history and the history of political cultures, examining the relationships between urban development, political ideologies, and representations of territory during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. His scholarly work investigates the social, economic, and cultural transformations of Rome, the evolution of Italian national imagery, the characteristics of twentieth-century middle classes, and the development of informal housing between the late nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries. He has made significant contributions to understanding how political ideologies shape urban spaces and how cities reflect broader historical transformations.

His recent publications reveal a consistent trajectory of scholarly inquiry with increasing specialization in urban informality, Papal State health policies, and Fascist-era urban planning in the Marche region. The thematic evolution shows a movement from broader urban historical studies toward more focused examinations of specific historical phenomena, particularly the governance of informal urban spaces and the intersection of public health with state power in pre-modern contexts. His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary urban studies, contributing methodological innovations to the field.

Professor Bartolini is actively engaged in international research collaborations, notably contributing to the project on the governance of the 'informal city' in Europe and Latin America (http://informalcity.hypotheses.org). He has co-edited a comprehensive history of twentieth-century Europe and continues to expand his research into the health policies of the Papal State during the early nineteenth century, demonstrating his ability to connect historical analysis with contemporary urban challenges. His scholarly output spans monographs, edited volumes, journal articles, and encyclopedia entries, establishing him as a significant voice in contemporary Italian historical studies.