Balestreri Isabella Carla Rachele

Isabella Carla Rachele Balestreri (Monza, 1963) has been an associate professor of History of Architecture since 2016. She teaches History of Ancient, Medieval, and Modern Architecture (LT) and History of Construction (LM). She studies the history of Milanese and Lombard architecture in the modern age and early contemporary period. For several years, she focused on analyzing the building projects commissioned by the Society of Jesus and on private and public construction sites involving members of the Borromeo family. Recently, she has investigated the theme of civic architecture between the 13th and 20th centuries. Together with Marco Folin and a large group of scholars, she has launched at least three funded research projects that have led to numerous publications. She is currently the national coordinator of the PRIN2022PNRR research project Crafted in Stone/Recorded on Paper: Promoting the Architectural and Archival Heritage of Small Italian Municipalities (13th-20th Centuries). Historical Research and Digital Enhancement.

Career

PhD in History of Architecture and Urban Planning (5th cycle)

Research

SH5_10 History of art and architecture.

SH5_12 Cultural memory, intangible cultural heritage.

Selected Publications

Balestreri, I. Palmitesta, G. (2025) "Il Palazzo municipale di Rho (Milano) 1927-1933: l’invenzione del Medioevo e l’affermazione dell’autorità podestarile", in D’Amelio, M.G. Grieco, L. Nicolò, G. (eds.) Palazzi pubblici tra le due guerre mondiali, atti del I convegno di studi ADMIN, Rieti, 25 gennaio 2025, Bari, Edizioni Dipagina, pp. 105-118.

Biolo, F. Balestreri, I. Guzzetti, F. (2025) "The photogrammetric survey of an historical map", The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, XLVIII-M-9-2025, pp. 133 – 140.

Balestreri, I. Folin, M. (a cura di) (2024) "Una nazione giovane: l’Italia dei palazzi comunali. 1861-1911", Studi e Ricerche di Storia dell’Architettura, (1).

Balestreri, I. (2024) "The Lombard ‘broletto’ and the Communal Architecture in the Alpine Areas. 15th-19 th Centuries", in Folin, M. Svalduz, E. (eds.), Building Civic Identities. Communal Palaces in Italian Urban History (14th-17th Centuries), Architectural histories, 12 (1), pp. 1-30.

Balestreri, I. (2024) "I palazzi comunali nelle valli alpine lombarde (secoli XV – XVIII). Una prima ricognizione su architettura e resilienza", in Tamborrino, R. (ed.) Città che si adattano? / Adaptive cities?, AISUInternational, Torino, tomo 3, Longhi, A. (ed.) Processi urbani di adattamento e resilienza tra permanenza e precarietà, pp. 236-247.

Guzzetti, F. Balestreri, I. Biolo, F. (2024) "Costruito in pietra, custodito sulla carta. Il GIS per lo studio del patrimonio architettonico dei centri minori", proceedings of ASITA2024, Padova, pp. 301-312.

Community Service

Member of the Faculty Board of the DASP Doctorate Program at the Polytechnic University of Turin.

Member of the Scientific Committee of “Studi e ricerche di storia dell'architettura” (Studies and Research in Architectural History), a biannual journal, ISSN 2532-2699 class A CEAR 11/A, and of the Editorial Committee of "Lexicon. Stories and Architecture in Sicily and the Mediterranean," a biannual journal, ISSN 1827-3416, class A CEAR 11/A.

Member of the Scientific Committee of the Diàtoni series. Studies in the History of Architecture and Restoration, Lettera Ventidue Edizioni.