The Italian Museums of Shrines. Specificities and Relations with Pilgrimage

Italy is a country very rich of Shrines in all her regions, destinations of more or less important local pilgrimages. A lot of them have a specific museum deeply connected with the sacred place and its history. The aim of this research is to verify in which way visiting one of those museums is part of the pilgrimage itself, and in which way it is possible to find a link between the religious identity of the pilgrims and the cultural content of the museum. A few case-studies, chosen among museums of little dimensions and representative of different Italian regions, will be provided

Religious Tourism and TV Serials: the Case of Two Italian Papal Birthplaces

In this paper the authors examine two of Italy’s lesser religious tourism destinations: Sotto il Monte and Concesio, small towns in northern Italy which have the distinction of being the birthplaces of Pope John XXIII and Pope Paul VI. In 2002 and 2008 respectively, two of the country’s national television networks broadcast during prime time short television serials dedicated to the two popes. Despite being very successful with the viewing public, the serials proved to have little impact in terms of tourism, as demonstrated by comprehensive tourist surveys and in-depth conversations with the parties concerned. The aim of the present research is to ascertain, using a visual geographical research approach, whether the reasons for this can be identified, taking account of the pull factors of place, personality and performance referred to by Macionis in 2004. In the first part of the study the authors put forward a definition of film-induced religious tourism based on the commonly agreed definitions of film-induced tourism and religious tourism, and outline the unique characteristics ofItaly’s religious-themed television productions. In the second part the two case studies are analysed, with an outline of the geographical features of the locations and biographical aspects of the two men, and an assessment of the degree of success in terms of tourism achieved by their home towns, with particular reference to the years following the screening of the TV serials

Museums and Shrines: Reflecting on Relationships and Challenges

The aim of this paper is to introduce a method for analysing a specific kind of contemporary tourism positioned between two different traditional customs: visiting museums and going to pilgrimage sites. The case studies provided are focused on Italian shrine museums where it is difficult to ascertain whether visitors are cultural tourists or pilgrims or a combination of both. Regardless, the tourist flows and networks created by Italian shrine museums can provide promising elements for local development. Four case studies that are representative of different regions in Northern Italy and have specific features in common have been chosen: shrines dedicated to the Holy Virgin; museums that exhibit different types of objects; and smaller museums and shrines. The case studies are the Shrine of the Madonna delle Grazie in Garessio (Piedmont), the Madonna del Bosco Shrine in Imbersago (Lombardy), the Madonna della Misericordia Shrine in Genoa (Liguria) and, the Santuario delle Grazie in Rimini (Emilia Romagna). Each of the case studies is significant not only for how it illustrates both the different ways in which shrines and museums can be connected, but also how they impact on the cultural enhancement of the territory. The method we illustrate also makes it possible to evaluate different kinds of connections between other tourism institutions and experiences, with the aim of introducing well-defined actions capable of enhancing tourist experiences elsewhere

Museums and Shrines. Reflecting on Relationship and Challenges

The aim of this paper is to introduce an original method of analysis for a kind of contemporary tourism positioned between two different traditional tourist praxis, notably the visits to a museum and to a pilgrimage destination. The case studies provided are focused on the Italian museums of shrine, where it is difficult to ascertain who, among the visitors, can be considered cultural tourist, pilgrim, or both of them. Nonetheless, the tourist flows and networks created by the Italian museums of shrines can become interesting and promising key-elements of territorial development. Four case studies have been chosen among the Italian museums of shrine, all with some features in common: the shrines are dedicated to the Holy Virgin; the museums expose different types of objects; both the museums and the shrines are of little dimensions; they are representative of different Northern Italian regions. They are notably: the Shrine of the Madonna delle Grazie in Garessio (Piedmont), where the Historical Museum is deeply linked with the tradition of worship of the shrine itself; the Shrine Madonna del Bosco in Imbersago (Lombardy), where on the contrary the Shrine’s Museum is only slightly connected with the place of worship; the Shrine Madonna della Misericordia in Genoa (Liguria), the Speleological Museum of which has assumed the pivotal role of connecting different tourist aspects of the territory; and finally the Santuario delle Grazie in Rimini (Emilia Romagna), where the Missionary Museum is not of the same property of the shrine, raising interesting problems about the ownership of the museums of shrines. Each of these case studies is meaningful not only for the different ways in which a shrine and a museum can be connected, but also for the appeal that a religious site can have towards pilgrims or religious tourists or both. The method here illustrated makes possible to verify as well other kinds of connections between other institutions and other experiences of tourism, in order to develop precise actions to enhance elsewhere the tourist experience

Virulence Gene Expression of Staphylococcus aureus in Human Skin

Staphylococcus aureus is the main cause of human skin and soft tissue infections. However, S. aureus pathogenicity within the skin is not fully characterized. Here, we implemented an S. aureus cutaneous infection model using human skin explants and performed a time-course infection to study the gene expression profile of a large panel of virulence-related factors of S. aureus USA300 LAC strain, by high-throughput RT-PCR. We pinpointed the genes that were differentially regulated by the bacteria in the skin tissues and identified 12 virulence factors that were upregulated at all time points assessed. Finally, using confocal microscopy, we show that the expression of alpha-hemolysin by S. aureus varies dependent on the skin niche and that the bacteria preferentially accumulates inside sweat glands and ducts. Taken together, our study gives insights about the pathogenic lifestyle of S. aureus within human skin tissues, which may contribute for the development of anti-S. aureus therapeutic strategies

AIRO Breast Cancer Group Best Clinical Practice 2022 Update

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common tumor in women and represents the leading cause of cancer death. Radiation therapy plays a key-role in the treatment of all breast cancer stages. Therefore, the adoption of evidence-based treatments is warranted, to ensure equity of access and standardization of care in clinical practice.Method: This national document on the highest evidence-based available data was developed and endorsed by the Italian Association of Radiation and Clinical Oncology (AIRO) Breast Cancer Group.We analyzed literature data regarding breast radiation therapy, using the SIGN (Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network) methodology (www.sign.ac.uk). Updated findings from the literature were examined, including the highest levels of evidence (meta-analyses, randomized trials, and international guidelines) with a significant impact on clinical practice. The document deals with the role of radiation therapy in the treatment of primary breast cancer, local relapse, and metastatic disease, with focus on diagnosis, staging, local and systemic therapies, and follow up. Information is given on indications, techniques, total doses, and fractionations.Results: An extensive literature review from 2013 to 2021 was performed. The work was organized according to a general index of different topics and most chapters included individual questions and, when possible, synoptic and summary tables. Indications for radiation therapy in breast cancer were examined and integrated with other oncological treatments. A total of 50 questions were analyzed and answered.Four large areas of interest were investigated: (1) general strategy (multidisciplinary approach, contraindications, preliminary assessments, staging and management of patients with electronic devices); (2) systemic therapy (primary, adjuvant, in metastatic setting); (3) clinical aspects (invasive, non-invasive and micro-invasive carcinoma; particular situations such as young and elderly patients, breast cancer in males and cancer during pregnancy; follow up with possible acute and late toxicities; loco-regional relapse and metastatic disease); (4) technical aspects (radiation after conservative surgery or mastectomy, indications for boost, lymph node radiotherapy and partial breast irradiation).Appendixes about tumor bed boost and breast and lymph nodes contouring were implemented, including a dedicated web application. The scientific work was reviewed and validated by an expert group of breast cancer key-opinion leaders.Conclusions: Optimal breast cancer management requires a multidisciplinary approach sharing therapeutic strategies with the other involved specialists and the patient, within a coordinated and dedicated clinical path. In recent years, the high-level quality radiation therapy has shown a significant impact on local control and survival of breast cancer patients. Therefore, it is necessary to offer and guarantee accurate treatments according to the best standards of evidence-based medicine

Diversity and ethics in trauma and acute care surgery teams: results from an international survey

Background Investigating the context of trauma and acute care surgery, the article aims at understanding the factors that can enhance some ethical aspects, namely the importance of patient consent, the perceptiveness of the ethical role of the trauma leader, and the perceived importance of ethics as an educational subject. Methods The article employs an international questionnaire promoted by the World Society of Emergency Surgery. Results Through the analysis of 402 fully filled questionnaires by surgeons from 72 different countries, the three main ethical topics are investigated through the lens of gender, membership of an academic or non-academic institution, an official trauma team, and a diverse group. In general terms, results highlight greater attention paid by surgeons belonging to academic institutions, official trauma teams, and diverse groups. Conclusions Our results underline that some organizational factors (e.g., the fact that the team belongs to a university context or is more diverse) might lead to the development of a higher sensibility on ethical matters. Embracing cultural diversity forces trauma teams to deal with different mindsets. Organizations should, therefore, consider those elements in defining their organizational procedures. Level of evidence Trauma and acute care teams work under tremendous pressure and complex circumstances, with their members needing to make ethical decisions quickly. The international survey allowed to shed light on how team assembly decisions might represent an opportunity to coordinate team member actions and increase performance

L'inganno della necessità e l'amore di vivere: una lettura differente del Processo

Màster en Estudis de la Diferència SexualMàster, Universitat de Barcelona. DUODA, Centre de recerca de dones, curs: 2008-2009, Tutora: María-Milagros Rivera Garreta

Il riuso delle chiese anglicane in Riviera e Costa Azzurra

Riviera and Côte d’Azur have always been since the mid-nineteenth century, a tourist region of major importance at European level. In particular, tourists from across the Channel have represented the largest group ever, so much so that were built many buildings in use of the English communities. These came to be an English environmental bubble, traces of which are still evident. After the Second World War it is certainly crucial the drastic reduction of the tourist interest by the British. As a result, the buildings used by the English tourist colony were first abandoned and then re-used for other purposes. In the present study we will consider the Anglican churches that the British built during their long stay in the region, analyzing one by one all the places of worship in order to observe their reuse.La Riviera e la Costa Azzurra hanno sempre costituito fin dalla metà del XIX secolo una regione turistica di primaria importanza a livello europeo. Nei suoi più di centocinquanta anni di storia turistica, tale regione ha naturalmente attraversato diverse fasi, in ognuna delle quali ha sempre saputo far fronte alla variazione di domanda, adeguando la propria offerta e la propria immagine in funzione delle mutate esigenze turistiche del momento. In particolare, fino agli Anni Trenta del Novecento i turisti d’Oltremanica hanno rappresentato il gruppo più consistente in assoluto, tanto che furono realizzati numerosi edifici a uso della comunità inglese (chiese, banche, tea room, negozi, campi da tennis…). Questi vennero a costituire un environmental bubble inglese le cui tracce sono ancora evidenti. Dopo la Seconda Guerra Mondiale, fra le profonde trasformazioni che subirono la Riviera e la Costa Azzurra è senz’altro fondamentale il drastico ridimensionamento dell’interesse turistico da parte degli inglesi, sostituito soprattutto da quello domestico. A seguito di ciò, gli edifici a uso della colonia turistica inglese furono dapprima abbandonati e successivamente riutilizzati per altri fini. Nel presente studio si prenderanno in considerazione le chiese anglicane che gli inglesi costruirono durante i loro lunghi soggiorni nella regione, delineando dapprima un censimento delle strutture a oggi esistenti e analizzando a uno a uno ogni luogo di culto al fine di osservare in quale modo il loro riuso possa essere testimonianza delle fasi turistiche successive (dapprima balneare, poi culturale)