The Campania Regional Administrative Court has overturned the decree by whichthe University of Naples Federico II had blocked the appointment of Elena Flavia Castagnino Berlinghieri as an associate professor. She had won a competitive selection process announced on February 27, 2024, in the field of Archaeological Research Methodology, a field that also includes specialized studies in underwater archaeology. The news was reported by the *Corriere del Mezzogiorno* in an article by Fabrizio Geremicca.
At the heart of the matter is the rector’s decree dated November 19, when Matteo Lorito was still at the helm of the university. The university had chosen Fabio Cavulli—an in-house researcher at Federico II who, while the competition was underway, had been promoted to the rank of associate professor—over the researcher who had won the competitive selection process.
Castagnino Berlinghieri then filed an appeal with the Regional Administrative Court (TAR), sparking a legal dispute within the Department of Humanities, which until a few weeks ago was headed by Andrea Mazzucchi, a Dante scholar who was elected as the new rector in July and took office on September 1. In their ruling, the judges also identified a procedural flaw in the Department’s resolution of September 24, 2025, which proposed an internal appointment instead of hiring the winner of the competitive selection process: the decision had in fact been adopted without the required quorum—namely, an absolute majority of the faculty members serving on the Departmental Council.
As the *Corriere del Mezzogiorno* further reports, the Regional Administrative Court also emphasized the difference between the scientific fields involved, pointing out thatmarine and coastal archaeology has specific characteristics compared to mountain and glacial archaeology. Furthermore, according to the judges, the university was already aware, at the time of the February 27, 2024, call for applications, that in 2025 Cavulli could be promoted to the position of associate professor in the same scientific-disciplinary sector. His promotion, therefore, could not be considered an unforeseeable circumstance sufficient to justify the failure to appoint the winning candidate.
The university may now appeal the decision before the Council of State. In the meantime, it must pay Castagnino Berlinghieri 2,000 euros in legal costs. Fabio Cavulli, the opposing party in the proceedings, did not appear in court.
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| The Regional Administrative Court overturns the appointment at Federico II: marine archaeology is not the same as mountain archaeology |
The author of this article: Noemi Capoccia
Originaria di Lecce, classe 1995, ha conseguito la laurea presso l'Accademia di Belle Arti di Carrara nel 2021. Le sue passioni sono l'arte antica e l'archeologia. Dal 2024 lavora in Finestre sull'Arte.Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
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