I nostri figli, le nostre scuole, il nostro futuro: la scuola del futuro parte dall’Aquila

Policy paper La scuola è luogo di cittadinanza, soprattutto in una città che ha bisogno di cittadini “nuovi”, consapevoli del passato e portatori di futuro. Le nuove generazioni hanno il diritto di formarsi in spazi sicuri e ben organizzati, che consentano lo sviluppo dei migliori processi di apprendimento ed insegnamento, di partecipazione, di socializzazione e di acquisizione di sensibilità, valori da spendere positivamente nella costruzione della città futura

Italian Wines and Geology.

In the last few years Italy has been one of the biggest producers of wine, competing with France not only in terms of quantity but also in terms of the commercial value of wines. Today a real revolution is underway, as witnessed by the incredible variety of certified bottled wines on the market. Slow food clubs and the like contribute to the present request and for genuine typical products, the research for niches, and for the concept of “filiera” as a continuous chain from the vineyard to the cellars and finally the market. This request also involves cultural aspects, curiosities and historical roots not only related to wines, but also to the growing of grapes. Italy has a long geological history that includes the entire Phanerozoic and portions of the Precambrian metamorphosed in orogenic belts. The classical Mesozoic successions of the Southern Alps and central Apennines, the carbonate plattorms of Adria and the widespread terrigenous or pelagic sediments of the Cenozoic are world-famous. Grapevines thrive in a variety of environments, with substrates that range from granites to limestones, from gravels to schists, and from volcanic and/or volcaniclastic rocks to marls and clays. This book aims to familiarise geologists with the incredible variety of ltalian wines, noble wines and typical wines, while trying to highlight the complex relationships between rocks, soils, geomorphology, climate, exposure and grapevines. The book also tries to familiarise wine lovers with the concept of terroir, allowing them to appreciate the relationship between a product and its origin and to read the landscape with the eyes of a geologist (i.e. in 3D plus time), trying to unravel its past history

Interface thermal conductance characterization by infrared thermography: A tool for the study of insertions in bronze ancient Statuary

In this paper, a new method based on the use of infrared thermography is proposed for the characterization of repairs and inserted parts on ancient bronzes. In particular, the quality of the contact between different kind of insertions and the main body of bronze statues is investigated by analysing the heat conduction process occurring across the interface between them. The thermographic results have been used to establish the nature of these inserted elements and the way they have been coupled to the main body of the statue during and after the manufacturing process. A model for the heat conduction based on the numerical finite elements method has been applied to compare the obtained results to the theoretical predictions. Measurements have been first carried out on test samples and then in the field on the Boxer at Rest (Museo Nazionale Romano in Rome), a masterpiece of the Greek Statuary, which contains a large variety of inserted items and repairs which are typical of the manufacturing process of bronze artefacts in general

Thermographic Investigation of Bronze Artefacts: Characterization of Structure Elements and Casting Faults in Masterpieces of the Bronze Statuary of Rome

In this paper, the thermographic results obtained by studying some masterpieces of the bronze statuary of Rome are presented. More specifically, a quantitative approach has been adopted in the investigation of the Capitoline She Wolf, hosted in the Musei Capitolini, and of the Boxer at Rest and the Hellenistic Prince belonging to the collection of the Museo Nazionale Romano. The obtained results provided data useful to characterize the properties of the bronze alloy and several subsurface features of the statue, such as casting faults and patches. In particular, the interface between different kind of patches and the main body of the statue has been investigated in order to determine the way they were applied. Moreover, the thermal diffusivity of the alloy of the Capitoline She Wolf has been evaluated and quantitative investigations have been carried out in order to determine the depth of some features, such as the cavities originating from air bubbles in the casting melt

The Boxer at Rest and the Hellenistic Prince: A comparative thermographic study

In this paper a thermographic study of the Boxer at Rest and so called “Hellenistic Prince” archaeological bronzes aimed at obtaining a comparative analysis of the structural and the surface features between the two is presented. In particular, infrared thermography has been employed to characterize the Boxer's inlaid inserts and also to assess the presence of similar inserted items in the “Prince”. Moreover, other features of interest, such as defects and repairs, are analysed in order to gather additional information about the investigated bronze statues and, also, to point out possible differences/similarities in their structure and, in particular, in the bronze surface finishing