Valentijn As wins WIS Thesis Prize 2022 with bachelor thesis

Valentijn As, a student of Italiaanse taal en cultuur and chair of the study association U.S.V.I Etna, has won the Werkgroep Italië Studies Thesis Prize for the bachelor thesis ‘The social relgious space in Rome’, with which he completed his studies in Human Geography and Spatial Planning in 2022.

The full title of Valentijn’s bachelor thesis is ‘The social religious space in Rome: An investigation into the dual role of the church as religious house of worship and tourist attraction’. According to the jury, this thesis could easily compete with the other candidates, also those at master’s and research master’s level, in all aspects.

Jury report

“As identifies three ways in which the conflict between religious and touristic use of space in churches is realized,” the jury writes, “and focuses in particular on those cases where religious significance and cultural heritage tourism reinforce each other.”

The jury continues: “His thesis offers new insights for policy makers and authorities in the challenging field of cultural heritage conservation in the city of Rome. All this considered, the committee is extremely impressed by the high research standard, and greatly appreciates the strong connection with daily life in Rome that this thesis shows.”