Gemma Sena Chiesa
{{Short description|Italian archaeologist (1929–2024)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Gemma Sena Chiesa
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| birth_date = 1929
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| death_date = 21 July 2024 (aged 95)
| occupation = Archaeologist
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Gemma Sena Chiesa (1929 – 21 July 2024) was an Italian archaeologist who was world renowned for her work on the excavations at Calvatone. As an archaeologist she was known as "Godmother of Bedriacum" for her work leading the first excavation campaign in Calvatone. She spent her whole career at the University of Milan, where she was professor emeritus of Classical Archaeology. She was also author of many publications and important exhibitions.
Biography
Chiesa was born in 1929. In 1952 she graduated from the University of Milan in Classical Literature.{{Cite web |last=Sera |first=Cremona |title=Addio alla Professoressa Gemma Sena Chiesa, archeologa di fama internazionale che diede il via agli scavi del Vicus di Bedriacum a Calvatone. A Cremona nel '96 curò la mostra 'Tesori della Postumia' |url=https://cremonasera.it/cronaca/addio-alla-professoressa-gemma-sena-chiesa-archeologa-di-fama-internazionale-che-diede-il-via-agli-scavi-del-vicus-di-bedriacum-a-calvatone-a-cremona-nel-96-cur-la-mostra-tesori-della-postumia |access-date=31 December 2024 |website=Cremona Sera |language=it}} She wrote her thesis on the funerary steles of Aquileia, with Mario Attilio Levi. She spent her whole career at the University of Milan, where she was professor emeritus of Classical Archaeology.{{Cite web |last=Giacobello |first=Federica |title=Gemma Sena Chiesa, studiosa rigorosa e di grande umanità - Il Giornale dell'Arte |url=https://www.ilgiornaledellarte.com/Articolo/Gemma-Sena-Chiesa-studiosa-rigorosa-e-di-grande-umanita |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241213190139/https://www.ilgiornaledellarte.com/Articolo/Gemma-Sena-Chiesa-studiosa-rigorosa-e-di-grande-umanita |archive-date=13 December 2024 |access-date=31 December 2024 |website=www.ilgiornaledellarte.com/Articolo/Gemma-Sena-Chiesa-studiosa-rigorosa-e-di-grande-umanita |language=en}} She was also author of many publications and important exhibitions.{{Cite web |title=The seduction of gems between history and collectionism |url=https://www.fondazioneluigirovati.org/en/museum/events-exhibitions/events/la-seduzione-delle-gemme-fra-storia-e-collezionismo |access-date=31 December 2024 |website=Fondazione Luigi Rovati |language=en-US}}
Chiesa's main archaeological interest was the Romanization in Northern Italy and the Cisalpine Empire. In the late 1960s she was part of the excavations at Luni, directed by Antonio Frova, and directed the exploration of the vicus on Lake Maggiore at Angera from 1978 to 1987. Between 1989 and 2004 she directed the excavations at Calvatone-Bedriacum in the Po Valley. Chiesa was known as the "Godmother of Bedriacum" for her work leading the first excavation campaign in Calvatone.{{Cite web |last=Bazzani |first=Davide Luigi |date=29 July 2024 |title=Morta Sena Chiesa ‘madrina’ di Bedriacum |url=https://www.laprovinciacr.it/news/cronaca/452500/morta-sena-chiesa-madrina-di-bedriacum.html |access-date=31 December 2024 |website=www.laprovinciacr.it |language=it}}
Chiesa published many papers, and also created a number of exhibitions, including the 1996 I tesoro della via Postumia, which showed the first results from the Calvatone explorations.
Chiese was a founder of the University Council for World Archaeology, of which she was president from 1996 to 2002.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://archeologiavocidalpassato.com/2024/07/23/archeologia-in-lutto-si-e-spenta-a-milano-alleta-di-95-anni-larcheologa-gemma-sena-chiesa-professoressa-emerita-di-archeologia-classica-alluniversita-di-milano-punto-di-r/ Gemma Sena Chiesa] at the University of Milan
Further reading
- [https://www.academia.edu/4793550/Cinquant_anni_di_ricerche_a_Calvatone_Bedriacum_da_Mirabella_Roberti_agli_scavi_dell_Universit%C3%A0_Statale_di_Milano Fifty years of research at Calvatone – Bedriacum: from Mirabella Roberti to the excavations of the State University of Milan]
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Category:Italian women academics
Category:Italian women archaeologists
Category:University of Milan alumni
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