She graduated in Lettere e Filosofia (Humanities) at the University of Florence in 1997. Her graduation thesis in Etruscology and Italic Archaeology, ‘L’iconografia navale in Etruria dal protovillanoviano all’orientalizzante’ [‘Naval Iconography in Etruria from Protovillanovian to Orientalizing’], was awarded the highest evaluation for the quality of its critical and historical analysis as well as for the author’s extensive work ordering and cataloguing materials, part of which had never been presented before. The thesis also included a fully documented typological hypothesis on Etruscan ship shapes and characters as derived from both their hyconographical representation and literary description by Greek and Latin authors. The choice of the thesis subject - a deep insight on Etruscan vessels, and more extensively on the relationship of the Etruscan civilization with the sea and all maritime activities – was in part also derived from Pettena’s previous experiences in underwater archaeological sites with the Soprintendenza Archeologica della Toscana (Pozzino Wreck, Baratti 1990), and Oxford University (Gorgona Island, 1990), as well as by her work in digs with Professor Camporeale and the Florence University Etruscology Department at the Etruscan site near the Lago dell’Accesa (Massa Marittima, 1990-91-92).
Having obtained, after graduation, a first master diploma in informatics and multimedia techniques (Master in Multimedia, University of Florence/RAI, 1999) Giulia Pettena has applied these capacities to her notions in archeology and art history, by also working in projects with State and City Administrations, museums and private institutions, as part of MW Studio which specialized in multimedia applied to archaeology, historical-archeological reconstructions, videos and documentary films. Among these, the City of Prato (Museo virtuale multimediale “Prato città tessile medievale”, Il sistema museale di Prato, 1997-99), the City of Florence Museums Bardini–Corsi, Romano, Carnielo, Firenze com’era, Museo di S.M. Novella (Progetto Giubileo, 1999, A virtual guide to the church of S.M. Novella, 2000), and courses in State and City schools on Etruscan civilization (Scuola Media ‘Roncalli’, Pistoia, 1992-93) and Image and Communication in Art (Scuola Media ‘Fermi’, Prato, 2003-04).
In 2005 she was admitted and was awarded a three-years scholarship to the highly selective doctorate programme of the Florence SUM, Istituto di Studi Umanistici – Antichità, Medioevo e Rinascimento, which is part of an European project for specialized research of the most prestigious universities in the field of humanities. Her research proposal on “L’iconografia navale in Etruria: un tema figurativo ricorrente nell’ambito della produzione artistica etrusca dalla facies villanoviana all’età ellenistica. Studio della tipologia, analisi e classificazione della produzione artistica, significati ed implicazioni sociali ed economiche.” [Naval Iconography in Etruria: a recurrent figurative theme in the context of the Etruscan artistic production from the Villanovan facies to the Hellenistic Age. A typological study, analysis and classification of the artistic production, its meaning, social and political implications], was conducted under guidance of Professor Michel Gras as tutor. She defended her doctorate thesis on April 2009, thus obtaining her doctorate (Ph.D.). The thesis was selected to be published in the series ‘Studi Etruschi’ edited by Prof. Giovannangelo Camporeale.
Publications
- Navi e navigazione in Etruria, in ATTI del Convegno FIAS maggio 2001, Ed. Ananke, Torino 2001.
- Gli Etruschi e il mare, Edizioni Ananke, Torino 2002.
- The Etruscans – An ancient culture revealed ( “Die Etrusker – Entdeckung im Verborgenen”), catalogue of the exhibition on the Cambi Collection (Kassel 2003, Atlanta 2004).
- Gli Etruschi. Un’antica civiltà rivelata (Collezione Cambi), catalogue of the exhibition,Cagliari 2007.
- Immagini e modelli navali in Etruria: l’iconografia come fonte documentaria alla base di uno studio sulle navi etrusche”, in ‘ATTI e MEMORIE dell'Accademia Petrarca di Lettere, Arti e Scienze di Arezzo’, n.s., vol. LXIX/2007, Arezzo 2008.
- L’archeologia subacquea, siti e imbarcazioni. Problemi di principio e metodologia, con alcune note sulle navi etrusche, [“Underwater archaeology. Problems and methodology with some notes on Etruscan ships”], in ‘Restauro archeologico. Bollettino del Gruppo di Ricerca sul restauro archeologico, Conservazione e Manutenzione degli edifici allo stato di rudere’, Università di Firenze, Anno VI, n. 1/2010.