An editorial and research project that recounts the visual history of the Centocelle district through its shop signs.
Cento Insegne
Didactical project - Master in Graphic Design - IED Roma
Academic year
2025-2026
Developed within the Typographic Languages course under the guidance of lecturer Andrea Vendetti, Cento Insegne is an editorial project that takes the form of a book dedicated to the graphic landscape of the Roman district of Centocelle. Conceived as a typographic investigation and visual documentation of the district’s historic signs and businesses, the volume aims to restore cultural value to a heritage that is often taken for granted.
Starting with a phase of on-site observation and field research, including surveys and photographic documentation, a selective mapping of the most historically and stylistically significant signs was developed. This was followed by a typographic and technical analysis. Letterforms, materials, construction techniques, and states of preservation were examined and organised into specimens and detailed analytical sheets.
Alongside its formal dimension, the project also explored the narrative and social aspects. Longstanding local businesses were documented through interviews and photographs of interiors and working tools, offering insight into the district’s economic and cultural transformations. One chapter, Ombre (Shadows), focuses on deteriorated, damaged, or removed signs, interpreted as traces of a changing urban landscape and an evolving visual memory.
The Cento Insegne volume was conceived not only as the outcome of an academic path, but as a public restitution device capable of connecting visual identity, local history, and urban context. The project concluded with an exhibition held at “Cento Incroci,” a cultural space promoted by Regione Lazio in the heart of Centocelle. The initiative created an opportunity for dialogue with the local community, encouraging reflection on the exhibition dimension of a complex design project and strengthening the relationship between institution and territory.
Project by M. Califano, A. Durante, E. Segreto, M. Stazi, M. Vannoli, A. Velletrani
Project from the courses of
