CULTURAL HERITAGE BETWEEN CENTRALISATION AND DECENTRALISATION

Management of Italy's heritage has been in increasing turmoil since 1993. This paper identifies and reviews significant reform attempts, including outsourcing, devolution, managerialism and privatisation. The authors propose a framework for improved understanding of the various solutions examined – distinguishing between professional and organisational centralisation. It is argued that while decentralised organisational management can have positive effects, effective protection of heritage in Italy over the centuries has depended on a complex set of rules concerning stewardship and protection, relying upon centralised professional control. This still has positive value and needs to be preserved through the reform process.     

Nodes and places: complexities of railway station redevelopment

An interpretation of the redevelopment prospects of railway stations and their surroundings is proposed. Station locations are at the same time nodes and places, affected by both global and local dynamics. Their potential roles within increased transport integration and emerging multi‐centered urban regions provide the foundations for their transformation. However, the task is a complex one, as a discussion of the issues connected with the intensification of flows, the accumulation of activities, and the tangle of actors which characterize these projects shows. More attention must be paid to the integration of the node and place dimensions and of diverging redevelopment strategies.     

Phoenician–Punic amphorae in northern coastal Etruria: New evidence from Pisa (Italy)

This study outlines the circulation of Phoenician–Punic amphorae in northern coastal Etruria, with a particular focus on Pisa (Italy), where their presence has been attested since the mid-eighth century BCE. A set of specimens from Piazza del Duomo was analysed by minero-petrographic and geochemical techniques. The results were compared with literature data from Mediterranean production areas. The research allowed a better definition of the role of Etruscan Pisa in the frame of commercial and cultural routes in the Mediterranean, specifically in the Tyrrhenian area, also providing the opportunity to review the attestations of Phoenician–Punic amphora on a regional scale.     

Italian candidates under the Rosato mixed electoral system. In search of personal votes in the plurality tier?

The Rosato law has established a new electoral system featuring single-member districts (S.M.Ds) along with a prevailing proportional tier. S.M.Ds are typically associated with individual incentives to cultivate a personal vote and with a more direct link between representatives and their local constituency. This article investigates patterns of personalized votes in the Italian elections of March 2018 by analysing voting data about candidates for the Chamber of Deputies who ran in the plurality tier. Results reveal that only a minor – although not negligible – portion of Italian voters cast their ballot for an individual candidate only, and that these votes had almost no impact on the outcomes of competition in S.M.Ds. Moreover, some interesting differences across geographical areas, parties and coalitions emerge in the use of personalized vote.     

Combined In-Situ and Laboratory Minor Destructive Testing of Historical Mortars

ABSTRACT

Mortar is of all masonry components the most difficult to be experimentally characterized in heritage buildings. This article investigates the possibility of combining different in-situ and laboratory minor destructive testing (MDT) techniques to assess the strength of mortar in historical brickwork. Lime mortar and clay brick walls were built in the laboratory and then tested in order to derive empirical correlation rules among three different MDT techniques: double punch test (DPT), helix pull-out test (HPT), and pin penetration test (PPT). The outcomes of this activity were used eventually to assess the mortar properties of an important historical heritage structure, Casa Puig i Cadafalch, located near Barcelona. The research is intended to promote the use of MDT in studies and conservation works on built cultural heritage by providing criteria for the evaluation of the strength of existing mortar with respectful sampling and testing techniques.     

黄色纳米比亚 穿越沙漠看海豹

如果在非洲看见一只斑马从眼前闪过或一队大象过马路,可能没人感到惊讶,可如果看见的是成群的海豹,多少让人觉得新鲜。     

Arnold J. Toynbee’s Quest for a New World Order: A Survey

This article surveys the work of the controversial historian and internationalist Arnold J. Toynbee (1889–1975). In particular, it examines Toynbee’s understanding of foreign politics and his constant search for a stable world order. From the idealism of his youth, through his temporary disenchantment with his youthful expectations, to the religiously inspired utopianism of his final years, this essay discusses the development of Toynbee’s work and understanding of international affairs throughout the twentieth century.