EUROGLOSS

EUROGLOSS is a European network of art and architectural historians, archivists, archaeologists, and digital specialists working on the technical language of early modern building sites. This workshop is organized in part alongside EUROGLOSS's own outreach activities, coordinated at Politecnico di Torino by co-organiser Valentina Burgassi.

COST Action: CA24102
Official title: A Glossary of Technical Construction Vocabulary in 17th–18th Century European Court Residences
Duration: 21 October 2025 – 20 October 2029
Action Chair: Dr Valentina Burgassi, Politecnico di Torino
Action Vice Chair: Dr Valeria Vanesio, University of Malta

EUROGLOSS develops common strategies and builds a comprehensive network in Construction History, bringing together technical knowledge from historic building sites and fostering collaboration among participating countries. Its principal output is a glossary of technical terms used in Early Modern construction, specifically from 17th and 18th century European court residences, with particular attention to records and drawings produced by craftsmen and artisans.

The glossary is produced in English, with AI-generated draft translations then adapted to the linguistic and cultural context of each participating country. It feeds into a comprehensive digital platform centralising data on construction techniques, materials, craftsmen, and technical terminology, improving access to dispersed archival documents and reducing the need to travel to physical archives.

Historical knowledge about construction techniques, materials, and terminology remains scattered across archives, regions, and languages, making it hard to compare evidence or trace how technical vocabulary circulated across early modern Europe. EUROGLOSS addresses this by creating a shared digital framework connecting historical terms to their sources, places, dates, buildings, materials, techniques, and the people who used them. 

• Create the Glossary: an open-access glossary of construction terms, first in English and then adapted to each participating country

• Connect Words with Practices: tie every term to the workmanship, materials, and trades it names

• Integrate Archival Evidence: bring dispersed site reports, drawings, and craftsmen's accounts into one comparable framework

• Trace Time and Place: anchor each term to its document, place, and date

• Support Conservation: give conservation professionals precise knowledge of historical materials and techniques

• Build a European Network: with particular attention to early-career researchers and to Inclusiveness Target Countries

EUROGLOSS welcomes scholars and heritage or digital specialists working on historical construction terminology and court residences. Participation runs through COST: the Action page lists the Working Groups and current Management Committee, and applications to join are made through e-COST.