Special Collections
Pierina Scaramella
1. GENERAL INFORMATION
1.1 Library
Biblioteca Scientifica
1.2 Collection name
Pierina Scaramella
1.3 Biographical notes
Pierina Scaramella (1906-1992) was born in Parma. She graduated in Natural Sciences in Florence in 1927, with a specialization in botany. From 1928, she taught at the highschool Istituto tecnico agrario of Pescia and was an assistant at the Royal Agricultural Institute of Florence. In 1930, started working for the University of Bologna, where she remained until 1975. From 1938 to 1945, however, her university career was interrupted as all Jewish professor were banned in accordance with the racial laws. So she was forced to leave teaching and to live in hiding.
She managed, during that period, to take refuge and work as an analyst at Istituto sperimentale della Società italiana zuccheri in Bologna. In 1965, she arrived to the University of Urbino as a professor of Pharmaceutical Botany. She also took care of the restoration and promotion the Botanical Garden as a leading research center. In 1975, she gave start to summer courses in herbalism. Then in 1982, she was awarded the gold medal of merit for school, culture, and art, and in 1986, the University of Urbino gave her an honorary degree in Pharmacy.
She also authored numerous publications (often also signed with her husband's surname, Pierina Scaramella Petri) as she conducted research in various fields of botany, both anatomical-physiological and eco-physiological, with particular attention to mycological aspects. The Botanical Garden of the University of Urbino is now named after her.
1.4 Date and methods of acquisition
The Pierina Scaramella Collection was donated to the University of Urbino after the professor's passing.
1.5 Collection history
In 2001, the collection was moved from the deposit in Via Saffi 2 to the storage in the Sasso area; eventually, it was transported to the Botanical Garden.
1.6 Collection increase
No further material is expected to be added to the collection.
1.7 Collection indexing
The collection was given to the University without any kind of documentation.
Now the catalogue is available for consultation:
on the National Library System
on the Polo SBN Marche Nord
on the online catalogue of the University of Urbino's Settore Bibliotecario d'Ateneo
Regarding the journals, yet to be catalogued, the related card index is available.
1.8 Collection accessibility
The collection, catalogued and made available to the public, can be accessed online and on open shelves.
2. DESCRIPTION
2.1 Extent
The collection consists of 358 units, most of them are pamphlets containing contributions by Professor Pierina Scaramella or contributions she used for her research activity.
2.2 Description identifier, organization, and placement
The collection has its autonomy from the rest of the Library.
2.3 State of conservation
Well preserved.
3. BIBLIOGRAPHY AND DOCUMENTATION
3.1 Bibliography and documentation
Dizionario biografico degli italiani, v. 91, Roma, Istituto della Enciclopedia italiana, 2018, ad nomen.
G. Giomaro, P. Pupillo, P.S. Petri, in “Informatore botanico italiano”, 1993, v. 25, p. 17-22.
M. Dachà, Pierina Scaramella, in La cattedra negata. Dal giuramento di fedeltà al fascismo alle leggi razziali nell'Università di Bologna, edited by D. Mirri e S. Arieti, Bologna, CLUEB, 2002, p. 105–108.
4. NOTES
4.1 Special notes and reports
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PERMALINK TO THE CATALOGUE
COMPLIERS' NAMES
Elisa Ceccarini, Luigi Balsamini