Saperi delle montagne. Le guide storiche e il patrimonio del territorio

As part of a wider research project on the cultural heritage of Italian mountain territories, the essay is focused on a set of guidebooks published between the beginnings of alpine tourism in the mid-nineteenth century and the great transformations of the mid-twentieth century. The study of such corpus has produced a rich amount of information, which in the past encouraged forms of sustainable and virtuous tourism. In the present, that knowledge can support tour operators in developing new itineraries and proposals as well as already existing ones, integrating natural dimension with historical and cultural heritage in new forms of experience-based tourism. Critically examined, the information extracted from the guidebooks' systematic examination has been integrated into a georeferenced database, a useful tool addressing a multiplicity of users, from scholars to various subjects involved in the valorization of the territory, from local agencies and tourism promoters to the larger public of tourists

Through the mists of Albion: The couple Ball-Parolini

Beyond the limits of an approach exclusively focused on the peninsula, this chapter deals with the issue of Italian identity at a critical time for the national unification process, investigating the life of John Ball (1818-1889) and his wife Elisa Parolini (1830-1867). After marrying in 1856, the couple moved from Bassano del Grappa (in Veneto, under Austrian rule until 1866) to London. During this period, until Elisa’s untimely death, both maintained regular contact with Italy through correspondence and frequent journeys. John’s literary production and scientific activity and Elisa’s remarkable and so far, largely unexplored epistolary allow for highlighting some of their relational modes with Italy and its identity. The chapter explores how husband and wife creatively moulded their relationship to the peninsula during significant years for the nation-building process and the professionalization of natural sciences at European level