The Department is developed around several research areas that present some cross-cutting and recurring themes, which contribute to the development of a departmental identity that is structured around thought, words, images and social dynamics - particularly in relation to the themes of multidisciplinarity, narratives, the relationship between words and images, and the socio-cultural transformations of past and contemporary societies. Both the narrative and reconstruction aspects of the imaginary as well as the analysis of socio-political processes are addressed.

Narration and image
This area of research deals with the study of Narratives, in particular  their relationship with the Visual Arts, thanks also to the use of new updated computer digital media. Thanks to the wealth of disciplinary knowledge within the Department, intense research is carried out in this field around certain conceptual cornerstones which, given the considerable interchange practiced within it, could be treated with a number of approaches. The study of narratives, with special attention to the relationship between word and image, is in fact at the centre of numerous researches by disciplines from the literary, art-historical, aesthetic-philosophical, historical-geographical, sociological and anthropological fields. A particular space houses the study of imaginary literary and artistic worlds of modern times.

Transformations of the classical, medieval and early modern worlds
This research area deals with transformations in ancient, medieval and early modern times, with a multidisciplinary approach. From the perspective of different disciplinary angles, the main cultural, historical, philosophical, art-historical, literary and philological-linguistic nodes of that era are investigated. Particular attention is paid to the relationships between texts and images and the textual tradition.

Transformations of contemporary society 
This research area has developed a particular focus on the decline of relations between creative industry initiatives to enhance the tangible and intangible heritage of the local area, the analysis of the most current forms of digital communication and media storytelling, data analytics and data visualisation techniques and the analysis of networks in the context of communication processes, the deepening of relationships between discursive construction of identity, culture and religion and change in the cultural and communicative sphere. Mediated visual imagery and cultural production are central areas for the analysis of changes taking place from a sociological point of view; equally important is attention to the local area and its transformations, to historical-political changes, sciences and languages.