Science from the Islamic world to Europe today
The project “Science from the Islamic world to Europe today. Cross-fertilization between past and future,” proposed by the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Padua and funded by the University, aimed to disseminate the developments of science, from the contributions of ancient Islamic civilizations to contemporary physics and astronomy. The project highlighted cultural exchanges between different countries and civilizations, with the active participation of the Municipality of Padua, particularly through the Mayor’s Office and the Culture, Tourism, Museums, and Libraries sector.
The project logo, a stylized version of the astrolabe – symbol of the transfer of knowledge between the Islamic world and Christian Europe – was created by Studio Pointer of Mogliano Veneto, one of the main partners of the project.
Working groups
The project involved mixed working groups composed of doctoral students from the Department of Physics and Astronomy and members of the local community, particularly from the Islamic community. From December 2022, these groups participated in a co-creation process, developing new science communication projects based on the Giovanni Poleni Museum collection. The works were presented to the public in June 2023, and some proposals have been integrated into the Museum’s educational offer.
Events and conferences
In parallel, the project organized educational events for audiences of all ages, including costume demonstration lessons for children, guided tours, and conferences. Coinciding with the International Year of Glass proclaimed by the United Nations, glass was the main theme of the conferences, which took place at the Department of Physics, the Giovanni Poleni Museum, and the Civic Museums of Padua, with speakers such as Taha Arslan from the University of Istanbul, who opened the cycle on November 30 with a conference on Islamic science.
The exhibition
A fundamental part of the project was the exhibition “GLASS. From Roman antiquity to space probes,” inaugurated on December 16, 2022, and open until April 30, 2023, at the Giovanni Poleni Museum. The exhibition explored the properties of glass and its uses, from Roman antiquity to the Islamic world, up to modern applications in physics and astronomy. Various loans, including those from the Eremitani Museum and the Museum of Applied Arts of Palazzo Zuckermann, enriched the exhibition path, along with collaboration with research institutes such as INFN, INAF, Officina Stellare, and others.