The Holy Year of 1925, proclaimed by Pope Pius XI, was a milestone in 20th-century church history, influencing not only Italy but also Central Europe, including Czechoslovakia. It sought to inspire spiritual renewal and reconciliation in a post-war world struggling with economic crises and political instability. This study examines the impact of the Holy Year on the Catholic Church in Czechoslovakia, focusing on its role in religious discourse and its relationship with political power. Using Czech and Vatican sources, contemporary newspapers, and ecclesiastical documents, it explores the impact of this event on Catholic identity in interwar Czechoslovakia. Despite political and economic challenges, the Holy Year saw peaceful expressions of faith, with 582 000 pilgrims travelling to Rome. Although Czechoslovak participation was limited, it still demonstrated the commitment of local Catholics to their faith. The event also underscored the Church’s broader international role, as Pope Pius XI strengthened Catholicism’s global presence in both religious and social spheres. For Czechoslovakia, the Holy Year provided an opportunity to strengthen Catholic influence nationally while fostering solidarity with the wider Catholic world.
The period between 1950 and 1970 in Italy was marked by a strong debate around the church building and its spatial arrangement; the renewed need for celebration, strongly felt in those years and flowing into the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, was reflected in the design research of architects spanning between more conservative realisations and modern forms. The existing literature on the period is wide, but it consists mostly of a posteriori studies. This work, on the other hand, tackles the subject in medias res, analysing what was published in the magazines in that precise moment in history, looking at the events first hand. Five art and architecture magazines were analysed, the most significant and authoritative ones on these topics: Domus and Arte Cristiana – which still – cover the entire historical period; overlapping on them for more limited periods are Fede e Arte (magazine of the Pontifical Central Commission for Sacred Art in Italy, 1953-1967), Chiesa e Quartiere (Diocese of Bologna, 1955-1968), Nuove chiese (Diocese of Milan, 1964-1968).
A specific focus is devoted to the Diocese of Milan, which under Montini's leadership became the strategic point and driving force behind an unparalleled growth in the construction of new churches in Italy, to the point of being described as 'the Archbishop's workshop'.
The number of churches presented in the journals of this twenty-years span is remarkable, roughly 200 buildings. The picture that emerges is as varied as ever because each magazine chooses what to publish and how to present it; from the whole, the differences, the stances and the editorial lines emerge strongly; it’s a mosaic that reflects the liveliness of theoretical and practical thought in the society of the time.
Il contributo ricostruisce la presenza della famiglia veronese dei Monticoli (o Montecchi) a Udine dal Trecento al Cinquecento, mettendo in luce il loro coinvolgimento nelle vicende friulane del tempo e il rapporto diretto con Luigi Da Porto. Attraverso documenti d’archivio e testimonianze cronachistiche, si mostra come il contesto udinese abbia influito su diversi elementi della storia di Giulietta e Romeo, in particolare sull’intreccio e sulla scelta dei nomi; nel contempo, si approfondisce il ruolo della famiglia Monticoli, non solo per la nota menzione iniziale, ma anche per il possibile contributo biografico e relazionale che Da Porto avrebbe potuto trarne. L’analisi mette in luce, inoltre, la continuità tra cronaca e invenzione letteraria, nella quale i riferimenti a persone reali assumono valore simbolico. La parte conclusiva dell’articolo propone una nuova ipotesi ermeneutica: la novella sarebbe stata scritta per dissuadere la cugina Lucina Savorgnan da un’eccessiva fedeltà amorosa, offrendo un esempio narrativo tragico. Lungi dall’essere un semplice omaggio a Dante, l’opera si configura come un prodotto profondamente radicato nella storia e nella biografia dell’autore, in cui i Montecchi udinesi diventano chiave d’accesso a una lettura allegorica e strategica del testo.
History (General) and history of Europe, History of Italy
The article examines the constant interplay between Americanizing and Italianizing dynamics that have shaped transnational representations of Italian identity and food culture. Building on the existing literature on the mutual influences between Italy and the U.S., my contribution explores how American media and Italian American cultural mediators—from Marcella Hazan to Stanley Tucci—have shaped a popular narrative that portrays Italian food culture as the gateway to an idealized lifestyle centered on values such as authenticity, tradition, and regionality. To this end, the article intertwines Italy’s food history with the analysis of some of the socio-cultural and economic developments that have affected Italian and American mediascapes from the 1970s to the present. These include both the “fast-foodization” of Italian and Italian American foodways, as well as the Americanization of Italy’s mediascapes. At the same time, the growing presence of Italy-centered food content across American media has provided platforms, contexts, and instruments allowing for a greater transfer of Italian cultural items and ways to the U.S. What ultimately emerges is not only the transatlantic development of a gastronomic Italian identity, but also the need to rethink notions of Americanization and Italianization as mutually involving processes of cross-cultural contamination.
In Heinrich Heine’s Reise von München nach Genua the Goethian journey, Italy and the Grand Tour’s quest for harmony are respectively transformed into a descent into history and a dissonant symphony. In this context, Verona is the city that acts as a gate to a layered and dense world, in which different peoples have mixed across the centuries, leaving their still perspicuous traces – beside the Romans, the Germans, who settled in this part of Italy and here acquired sober ways and elegant manners. Heine deploys irony, playing with the Romantic clichés in the Volkslieder collections. Among these, Clemens Brentano’s collection of songs Des Knaben Wunderhorn reflecting the German soul in its lyrical vein, while the recently rediscovered Nibelungenlied representing its epic side. Heine’s considerations on collective writing and on writing as a representation of nationhood that can develop into self- celebration as easily as into self-limitation or even self-denigration, arise from the intertwining of the two works. Heine thus moves between these poles, acting as the ‘seismograph’ of an era, as well as the herald of a new literary and historical perspective.
Professors from Poland have always been relatively numerous at Italian universities. The time-span 1990–2020 has seen some significant changes owing not only to a natural generational turnover, but also to processes that affect the reasons and ways that lead them to the Peninsula.
The article deals primarily with researchers who managed to become faculty members at Italian universities. These scholars have created a wide range of materials for teaching and popularising Polish language and literature, thus continuing the trend initiated in the previous years. Most of them were active as specialists in Polish studies (mainly in the field of literature), but this is by far not a general rule. Some of the fields which were frequently investigated by these scholars are the following ones: the relations between Poland and Italy, the circulation of texts, writers, and motifs, Polish diaspora in Italy, and the history of translations and translation studies.
History of Eastern Europe, Slavic languages. Baltic languages. Albanian languages
Davide Attolini, Francesco Ciani, Maria Angela Guido
et al.
This research focuses on the recent pollen image of several vegetation types in NW Italy. In 201 arboreal, shrubby, and herbaceous plant populations, pollen samples were taken from moss polsters, and the corresponding vegetation was recorded using the phytosociological method. Since studies on recent pollen rain in the Mediterranean mountains and coast are rare, this research aims to provide new data and tools to better interpret fossil pollen spectra. Pollen analysis provided data for the comparison between surface spectra and vegetation. Davis indices, fidelity, dispersion, and the relation with vegetation data were calculated for each taxon, and PCA was carried out. Most vegetation types are identifiable through the taxa dominating the pollen spectra, as frequently happens in woodlands (e.g., beech woods, chestnut woods, etc.). Characterizing shrubland and certain tree-dominated vegetation types (e.g., <i>Larix</i> forests) through pollen data is more complex. In this regard, Davis indices are particularly useful for identifying pollen/plant association, over- and underrepresentation of pollen, and taxa indicating vegetation types. Pollen threshold values were calculated which allow the assessment of the local presence of a plant. Overall, the achieved results partially confirm those of previous research carried out in the region, greatly expanding the comparisons between several different plant communities and the database in view of future sharing through the EMPD.
The myth of Lucretia, the wife of Collatinus, raped by Sextus Tarquinius – the son of the last Roman king – is very influential in the Classical and Medieval literature, likewise in the Modern times in the different fields of science and art. Its pristine form is now lost in the distant past and it is possible to compare the sources to see several layers of its political, legal, and ethical interpretation. Following these elaborations, we find a history of different legal institutions and rhetoric argumentation. However, with the help of archaeological findings some elements of its historical image starts to appear being the model family values and religious beliefs built in the foundation of common cultural forms in Italy.
Constraints on the Higgs boson self-coupling are set by combining double-Higgs boson analyses in the bb¯bb¯, bb¯τ+τ− and bb¯γγ decay channels with single-Higgs boson analyses targeting the γγ, ZZ⁎, WW⁎, τ+τ− and bb¯ decay channels. The data used in these analyses were recorded by the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton–proton collisions at s=13 TeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 126–139 fb−1. The combination of the double-Higgs analyses sets an upper limit of μHH<2.4 at 95% confidence level on the double-Higgs production cross-section normalised to its Standard Model prediction. Combining the single-Higgs and double-Higgs analyses, with the assumption that new physics affects only the Higgs boson self-coupling (λHHH), values outside the interval −0.4<κλ=(λHHH/λHHHSM)<6.3 are excluded at 95% confidence level. The combined single-Higgs and double-Higgs analyses provide results with fewer assumptions, by adding in the fit more coupling modifiers introduced to account for the Higgs boson interactions with the other Standard Model particles. In this relaxed scenario, the constraint becomes −1.4<κλ<6.1 at 95% CL.
Georgia Lo Cicero, Valeria Seidita, Maurizio Vitella
et al.
Textile conservation has given rise to small and medium-sized museums, usually with scarce resources. In Sicily, the little evidence that remains of silk production and opulent imports by the rich and powerful local aristocracy is kept in museums, parishes, and other cultural institutions. The documentation, dissemination, and enhancement of such a fragile heritage is today possible by means of technological tools that provide novel means to preserve, analyze, and exploit digital information. In this paper, we present some outcomes of the SILKNOW project, a project that applies computing research to the needs of diverse users (museums, educational institutions, the tourism industry, creative industries, media, etc.) and preserves the tangible and intangible heritage associated with silk. We show the methodology followed to build end users’ needs into the Virtual Loom, a tool that deals with the 3D reconstruction of silk fabrics at the yarn level. We also provide a real example of how to integrate it at the museum level, specifically, at Piraino’s Collection. The results demonstrate how small and medium-sized museums can access tools that will help them to carry out their daily tasks.
Maria Rosaria Perri, Michele Pellegrino, Stefano Aquaro
et al.
Different phytochemical compounds have been demonstrated to modulate the JAK/STAT signaling pathway. Here, three <i>Cachrys</i> species from Southern Italy were investigated for both the phytochemical profile and the potential anti-inflammatory properties. The aerial parts were extracted with methanol through Naviglio Extractor<sup>®</sup>, an innovative solid-liquid extraction technique that allows to obtain high quality extracts by working with gradient pressure. Extracts were analyzed with GC-MS and standardized in furanocoumarin content, resulting rich in xanthotoxin, bergapten and isopimpinellin. Given the known ability of bergapten to inhibit the JAK/STAT signaling pathway by decreasing the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6) and inflammatory mediators (NO) in RAW 264.7 cells activated by LPS, <i>Cachrys</i> extracts were investigated for their biological properties. The results obtained in this study showed that <i>Cachrys pungens</i> extract, presenting the highest content in furanocoumarins (7.48 ± 0.48 and 2.94 ± 0.16 mg/50 mg of extract for xanthotoxin and bergapten, respectively), significantly decreased STAT3 protein levels, pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6) and increased IL-10 anti-inflammatory cytokine. <i>Cachrys ferulacea</i> significantly decreased JAK2 phosphorylation, being even more effective than bergapten. In conclusion, investigated extracts could be potential candidates for the search of novel anti-inflammatory agents acting via inhibiting the JAK/STAT signaling pathway.
Halasz, Geza, Sperti, Michela, Villani, Matteo
et al.
BackgroundSeveral models have been developed to predict mortality in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, but only a few have demonstrated enough discriminatory capacity. Machine learning algorithms represent a novel approach for the data-driven prediction of clinical outcomes with advantages over statistical modeling.
ObjectiveWe aimed to develop a machine learning–based score—the Piacenza score—for 30-day mortality prediction in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.
MethodsThe study comprised 852 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, admitted to the Guglielmo da Saliceto Hospital in Italy from February to November 2020. Patients’ medical history, demographics, and clinical data were collected using an electronic health record. The overall patient data set was randomly split into derivation and test cohorts. The score was obtained through the naïve Bayes classifier and externally validated on 86 patients admitted to Centro Cardiologico Monzino (Italy) in February 2020. Using a forward-search algorithm, 6 features were identified: age, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration, PaO2/FiO2 ratio, temperature, previous stroke, and gender. The Brier index was used to evaluate the ability of the machine learning model to stratify and predict the observed outcomes. A user-friendly website was designed and developed to enable fast and easy use of the tool by physicians. Regarding the customization properties of the Piacenza score, we added a tailored version of the algorithm to the website, which enables an optimized computation of the mortality risk score for a patient when some of the variables used by the Piacenza score are not available. In this case, the naïve Bayes classifier is retrained over the same derivation cohort but using a different set of patient characteristics. We also compared the Piacenza score with the 4C score and with a naïve Bayes algorithm with 14 features chosen a priori.
ResultsThe Piacenza score exhibited an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.78 (95% CI 0.74-0.84, Brier score=0.19) in the internal validation cohort and 0.79 (95% CI 0.68-0.89, Brier score=0.16) in the external validation cohort, showing a comparable accuracy with respect to the 4C score and to the naïve Bayes model with a priori chosen features; this achieved an AUC of 0.78 (95% CI 0.73-0.83, Brier score=0.26) and 0.80 (95% CI 0.75-0.86, Brier score=0.17), respectively.
ConclusionsOur findings demonstrated that a customizable machine learning–based score with a purely data-driven selection of features is feasible and effective for the prediction of mortality among patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.
Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics, Public aspects of medicine
As a result of direct diplomatic and military pressure exerted by the Soviet Union and
blackmail by Germany and Italy in support of the aggressor, in June 1940 the Romanian administration
and army left the territory of Bessarabia. The aim of the research is to reconstruct the events that
occurred in a very complex and equally controversial period in the history of Cahul county –the
establishment of the soviet occupation regime in summer 1940. In order to elucidate the subject, was
used the method of content analysis of the official documents drawn up by the competent authorities of
the “Lower Danube” Land, contained in the archive funds. A reliable source of information on the early
days of soviet occupation is the refugees’ testimonies from Bessarabia. Although they provided stoning
information, marked by personal feelings, they are still an important source of information because they
were provided by eyewitnesses of the events. From the very first days of soviet occupation, soviet-type
power structures were created in Bessarabia, and a number of political, economic, social and
propaganda measures were taken to establish the soviet regime as soon as possible. The repressive
measures taken by the new authorities caused discontent among the population, causing disappointment
even to those who enjoyed the “moment of liberation”.
L’articolo presenta il progetto Cantiere di narrazione popolare 2 agosto realizzato per raccontare la storia e per trasmettere la memoria della strage avvenuta il 2 agosto 1980 alla stazione di Bologna.
In many diasporic Armenian communities around the globe, stories of the Armenian Genocide resurface long after the traumatic events of 1915. This is also the case of survivors (and their descendants) who took refuge in Italy. Finding it difficult to speak at length and in depth about their profoundly painful memories and experience some waited decades to share the trauma through oral history accounts and written memoirs. This article addresses the memoirs of Armenian Genocide survivors in Italy. It explores how, despite all the trauma and difficulty, they put pen to paper and give expression to the horrors and tragedies they witnessed, documenting what the world needed to know better.
Just before the advent of Fascism, in Turin, in the nearby town of Carmagnola and in Florence were born the first Italian examples of book museums. It was early and exceptional experiments of valorizing of book history and of the ancient techniques of manufacturing manuals in a time of great innovation. The first, called the National Museum of the book, was opened in 1913 as a result of the exhibition of the history of printing held during the Universal Exhibition of 1911; the second, created in 1921, was the result of collecting a notable family that took up the typographic tradition of Carmagnola old more than 4 centuries; the third, said Museum of books and illumination, was the result of the exploitation of the extraordinary collections of the Medici library and of the policy pursued by the Director Guido Biagi. Of such museums, outlining the events that led to their creation, only the museum in Carmagnola has come to this day, while the others for various reasons, were closed and never reconstituted. The contribution also provides an opportunity to reflect on the creation of a new museum of the book in Italy at a time when libraries lack visibility into the organization of the Ministry of cultural heritage, which could be distributed and polycentric in the offices of the State libraries in Rome, with its hub at the National Central Library.
Bibliography. Library science. Information resources
Violin design has been in flux since the production of the first instruments in 16th century Italy. Numerous innovations have improved the acoustical properties and playability of violins. Yet, other attributes of the violin affect its performance less, and with fewer constraints, are potentially more sensitive to historical vagaries unrelated to quality. Although the coarse shape of violins is integral to their design, details of the body outline can vary without significantly compromising sound quality. What can violin shapes tell us about their makers and history, including the degree that luthiers have influenced each other and the evolution of complex morphologies over time? Here, I provide an analysis of morphological evolution in the violin family, sampling the body shapes of over 9,000 instruments over 400 years of history. Specific shape attributes, which discriminate instruments produced by different luthiers, strongly correlate with historical time. Linear discriminant analysis reveals luthiers who likely copied the outlines of their instruments from others, which historical accounts corroborate. Clustering of averaged violin shapes places luthiers into four major groups, demonstrating a handful of discrete shapes predominate in most instruments. Violin shapes originating from multi-generational luthier families tend to cluster together, and familial origin is a significant explanatory factor of violin shape. Together, the analysis of four centuries of violin shapes demonstrates not only the influence of history and time leading to the modern violin, but widespread imitation and the transmission of design by human relatedness.