Promoting tourism through the EU LEADER programme: understanding Local Action Group governance

ABSTRACT

For many European rural areas, the rural development programmes based on the LEADER approach constitute the main policy for promoting tourism. Going a step further than a rural development programme, LEADER represents an ideal method for overcoming some of the challenges involved in rural tourism development, such as the integration of tourism supply through public-private organizations or the coordination of multi-level policies. Despite its potential, there are difficulties involved in putting this approach into practice. This article aims to provide in-depth understanding of the challenges faced by some managers responsible for developing tourism strategies through the LEADER approach. To do this, semi-structured in-depth interviews have been held with Local Action Groups managers from Castilla-La Mancha (Spain). The main findings reveal that the actions of regional governments lead to the limitation and strangulation of the principle of subsidiarity according with the LAG manager? opinion.     

Assessment Techniques for Studying the Effects of Fire on Stone Materials: A Literature Review

ABSTRACT

Fire is one of the most severe threats to stone applied in civil engineering and architecture. In most cases, its effects are irreversible and have long-lasting repercussions. In addition to aesthetic alterations, fire can also induce important mineral-chemical, physical, and mechanical changes in stone. Research concerning the effects of fire on stone materials in recent decades has been providing valuable knowledge to inform present and future conservation and restoration actions. In this literature review, the properties and techniques used for studying the effects of fire on stone materials are appraised, summarized, and compiled. A comprehensive and practical overview of those effects is also given. Open porosity and P-wave ultrasonic velocity are the physical and mechanical properties that have been studied most. Other frequently researched areas include chemical-mineralogical changes, color, density, water absorption, uniaxial compressive strength, and modulus of elasticity are also very frequently investigated.     

Open Warfare or the Odd Skirmish? Bell Beaker Violence in the North‐Eastern Iberian Peninsula

Archaeological examples of violence in prehistory have increased in recent years. The evidence, methodology employed and interpretation of the data have been diverse, but in each case the myth of the ‘peaceful past’ is questioned. This work provides new data on the issue from the north‐eastern Iberian Peninsula, associated with the Bell Beaker culture (c.2800–2350 cal BC). Material from two megalithic tombs, Can Gol I and Can Gol II (Barcelona Province), in particular a set of flint arrowheads, has been revisited. Use‐wear analysis on the arrowheads confirmed the presence of impact fractures. This indicates that the arrowheads were not funerary offerings, but that they entered the graves lodged in the bodies of the deceased. The data from the only site with evidence of massive death by violence in the neighbouring region (Costa de Can Martorell) reinforce the hypothesis of episodes of conflict and violence during prehistory. However, the interpretation of the nature of such violence remains open to debate: was it an act of warfare or an occasional skirmish? And is the image of the Bell Beaker warrior identified in other European contexts also applicable to this area?