Venice Squeeze Project
Online epigraphic squeezes
Project
The Venice Squeeze Project aims to preserve and enhance the collections of epigraphic squeezes.
It began in 2012 with the cataloguing of the collection of squeezes of Greek inscriptions preserved at the Laboratory of Greek Epigraphy [ITA] of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.
In 2016, thanks to a two-year grant from Ca’ Foscari University within the SPIN scheme, the project entered its second phase and started a collaboration with E-stampages [FRA], a project of the Laboratoire HiSoMA - Histoire et Sources des Mondes Antiques [FRA] of the University of Lyon and the École française d’Athènes [FRA].
The Venice Squeeze Project adopted the Estampages protocol for digitisation of epigraphic squeezes. A database was designed to prepare metadata and images for online publication. Once implemented, the database also became a searchable archive to support the teaching and research activities of the Laboratory of Greek Epigraphy. This second digitisation involved taking photographs of the squeezes and creating 3D models using the DEA software developed in the framework of the Digital Epigraphy and Archaeology Project at the University of Florida. The images were accompanied by metadata describing the squeeze, the text, and the stone. Ca’ Foscari collection was published on the E-stampages website between January 2019 and May 2020.
The project launched a survey of squeeze archives held by Italian institutions. This initiative revealed a strong interest in epigraphic squeezes. In order to encourage the creation of other digital collections, the Venice Squeeze Project, with the support of the Venice Centre for Digital and Public Humanities, has been developing the Venice Squeeze Software, a web application for the digitisation of epigraphic squeezes since February 2020. The beta version of this software is currently being tested by research groups from the Universities of Roma Tre, Tor Vergata, Perugia, Macerata, and the French Archaeological Mission in Libya.
Collection and software
The collection of the Laboratory of Greek Epigraphy of the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice contains 605 squeezes of Greek inscriptions. It was created by Claudia Antonetti, who donated it to the Department of Humanities in 2019. The collection reflects Claudia Antonetti’s research interests and collaborations with eminent scholars in the field of Greek epigraphy.
Geographically, the collection can be divided into three cores.
- The first major group comprises 534 squeezes of the inscriptions from Western Greece, currently held in the museums of Agrinio, Thermos, Thyrion, Nafpaktos and Patrai. Claudia Antonetti made these squeezes between 1981 and 1985. In 2005, Daniela Summa [DEU] (Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften), a member of the research team led by Peter Funke [DEU] (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster), produced a further 20 squeezes of inscriptions from the Museum of Agrinio.
- The second core consists of 6 squeezes made in 1979-1980 in the Antiquarium of Taormina.
- The third group consists of 38 squeezes of inscriptions preserved in the epigraphic collections of Veneto region. They were produced in the context of the teaching activities of the Laboratory of Greek Epigraphy and of several research projects funded by the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research between 1995 and 2009. The squeezes reproduce inscriptions preserved in the Archaeological Museum of Altino, in the Lapidarium of Villa Contarini in Piazzola sul Brenta, in the Archaeological Museum of Venice and in the Patriarchal Seminary of Venice.
There are six other squeezes. Five of them were made between 1983 and 1987 from inscriptions from Delos and Corinth. The sixth is a squeeze of an inscription from Delphi, donated by Paul Rösch [FRA] to Claudia Antonetti in 1987.
Outputs
Papers
- C. Antonetti, M. Brunet, E. Paganoni, "Collezioni di calchi epigrafici: una nuova risorsa digitale", Axon 3.2, 2019, 41-64
- C. Antonetti, S. De Vido, “Digital Epigraphy at the Greek Epigraphic Laboratory, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice”, Historika 7, 2017, 491-502
- E. Paganoni, "Epigraphic Squeezes: Digitization, Publication and Enhancement", Studia UBB Digitalia 65.1, 2020, 5-16
Database entries
- E. Paganoni, C. Antonetti, "E-Stampages. La collection de Ca' Foscari. Grèce du Centre-Ouest. Agrinion" [ITA], 2019
- E. Paganoni, C. Antonetti, "E-Stampages. La collection de Ca' Foscari. Grèce du Centre-Ouest. Thermos, Thyrreion, Kallipolis, Kalydon, Naupaktos", 2020
- E. Paganoni, C. Antonetti, "E-Stampages. La collection de Ca' Foscari. Grèce (provenances diverses) et Sicile", 2020
Conferences and posters
- C. Antonetti, "Il Venice Squeeze Project in E-stampages", Erasmus Seminar, National and Kapodistrian University, Athens, 6/4/2019
- C. Antonetti, "Venicepigraphy: Digital Projects in Greek History and Epigraphy", Erasmus+ IMC Seminar, Montreal, 11/7/2022
- C. Antonetti, S. De Vido, V. Mignosa, E.Paganoni, "I progetti del Laboratorio Epigrafico di Venezia: Venice Squeeze Software e Mapping Ancient Sicily ", 8th Advanced Seminar of Greek Epigraphy, Perugia 12-14/01/2023
- C. Antonetti, I. Matijašić, "The Venice Squeeze Project", 15th International Congress of Greek and Latin Epigraphy, Vienna 18/08-01/09/2017 [DEU]
- C. Antonetti, E. Paganoni, "Il Venice Squeeze Project: un primo bilancio", 6th Advanced Seminar of Greek Epigraphy, Venice, 16-18/01/2019
- C. Antonetti, E. Paganoni, "The International Standards for the Digitization of Epigraphic Squeezes. The Experience of the Venice Squeeze Project'", First ENCODE Workshop, Bologna, 28/01/2021
- C. Antonetti, E. Paganoni, "Il Venice Squeeze Project: un network per gli archivi di calchi epigrafici", Workshop "IG XIV2. La nuova edizione delle epigrafi greche d’Italia”, Villa Vigoni, Loveno, 28-30/10/2021
- C. Antonetti, E. Paganoni, I. Vagionakis, "Ultime dal Laboratorio di Epigrafia greca di Venezia: il ‘Venice Squeeze’ software e il database ‘Cretan Institutional Inscriptions’", 7th Advanced Seminar of Greek Epigraphy, Rome, 26-28/01/2022
- C. Antonetti, E. Paganoni, “Building a digital Ektypotheke: the Venice Squeeze Project”, International Conference “Reproducing Antiquity Beyond 2D: Three-Dimensional Replicas between Scholarly Practice and Museum Exhibition”, ÖAW, Vienna, 06-07/12/2023
- E. Paganoni, "Il Venice Squeeze Project. Catalogazione e ricostruzione 3D dei calchi epigrafici del Laboratorio di Epigrafia Greca", Alternanza Scuola-Lavoro, Venice, 11/04/2018
- E. Paganoni, “The Epigraphic Squeeze as Tangible and Virtual Heritage”, DigiHUBBDays 2019 “Digital Humanities and Data Visualization”, Babeș-Bolyai University, Cluj Napoca, 27-29/11/2019
- E. Paganoni, Ciclo di seminari “Il Venice Squeeze Project e l’epigrafia digitale. Un progetto di valorizzazione dei calchi cartacei di iscrizioni”, University of Perugia, 05/2023
- E. Paganoni, C. Antonetti, "La collezione di calchi del Laboratorio di Epigrafia Greca e il Venice Squeeze Project", École française d’Athènes, 19/03/2018
- E. Paganoni, C. Antonetti, “Preserving Inscriptions on Paper: Old and New Challenges”, Berlin Digital Classicist Seminar 2023-2024, BBAW, Berlin, 05/12/2023
- E. Paganoni, S. De Vido, C. Antonetti, "Il Laboratorio di Epigrafia Greca dell’Università Ca’ Foscari. Una fucina didattica per l’epigrafia greca", 8th AIUCD Conference "Pedagogy, Teaching, and Research in the Age of Digital Humanities", Udine, 23-25/02/2019
Workshops
- “Dalla carta al web. Studio, conservazione e valorizzazione del calco epigrafico”, Postgraduate School of Archaeological Heritage, Ca' Foscari University of Venice and University of Trieste, Aquileia, 22-23/05/2018
- “Towards a Digital Ektypotheke. Digitizing Archives of Epigraphic Squeezes: Theoretical and Practical Issues”, Venice, 7-8/05/2020, postponed due to Covid-19 emergency
Media
- “Archivio epigrafico” [ITA], in “Archivi scientifici e fondi storici dell’Università Ca’ Foscari Venezia”
Team
Staff
Claudia Antonetti
Scientific coordinator
