Project description
Understanding mushroom perception in 16-18th centuries Italy
Fungi are essential to Earth’s ecosystems but have often been overlooked in both academic and public discussions. Between the 16th and 18th centuries, Italy made advances in mycology. However, the socio-cultural history of mushrooms and their connection to scientific knowledge remain underexplored. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the KNOW-EM-FUNGI project will investigate the perception of mushrooms in Italy during this period. It will combine approaches from the history of science and knowledge studies to examine views of mushrooms through culinary, medical, literary, and scientific sources. The project will also focus on the relationship between women and mushrooms in art, identifying key individuals and networks involved in knowledge exchange.
Objective
Fungi play an essential role in Earth’s ecosystems, yet they have historically been marginalized in both academic and public discourse. This project aims to address this gap and investigate its origins by exploring how mushrooms were perceived and understood in Italy, from the 16th to 18th centuries. During this period, Italy was pivotal in developing new understandings of nature, including mycology, primarily with Pier Antonio Micheli. However, the socio-cultural history of mushrooms and its connections with scientific knowledge remain underexplored.
KNOW EM FUNGI (KNOWing Early Modern FUNGI in Italy) combines methods of the history of science and knowledge studies to investigate the evolving perception of mushrooms in early modern Italy through culinary, medical, literary, and scientific sources. The project places special emphasis on the proximity between women and mushrooms in artistic representations. It aims to map the nature of such social knowledge by identifying people, practices, communication networks, and places where knowledge exchange occurred. By examining how non-experts contributed to the budding field of mycology, this project challenges traditional narratives and highlights the interconnectedness of social and scientific knowledge.
Through secondments at the University of Turin’s Department of Life Sciences and the Naturalis Biocenter in Leiden, I will deepen my understanding of mushroom biology and enhance my science communication skills. A placement at the Fondazione Golinelli will further support my training and allow me to teach school students about the importance of fungi for soil, the environment, and human life.
This Fellowship will enable me to contribute to the academic understanding of mycology’s history and empower me to communicate the ecological importance of fungi to a broader audience. The skills and knowledge gained through this project will enhance my academic credentials and career prospects, both within and beyond academia.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- humanities history and archaeology history
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology mycology
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2024-PF-01
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40126 Bologna
Italy
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.