Books by Alessio Cinti
Una sala cinematografica, il film che improvvisa-mente si interrompe, il buio e le luci che lenta... more Una sala cinematografica, il film che improvvisa-mente si interrompe, il buio e le luci che lentamente si riaccendono...in questo modo un maestro della letteratura di genere, Stephen King, uno che di paura se ne intende, racconta il suo primo incontro con il terrore; un pomeriggio di ottobre del 1957 quando, in quel cinema, una voce tremante annunciò ad un pubblico per di più di giovanissimi: "Voglio dirvi che i Russi hanno messo un satellite spaziale in orbita intorno alla Terra. Lo chiamano... spootnik."
Papers by Alessio Cinti
A recent paper in the journal Nature reported the discovery of what may be the oldest massacre in... more A recent paper in the journal Nature reported the discovery of what may be the oldest massacre in human history. What could have triggered the fury of one group against another? Perhaps the competition for natural resources increasingly scarce? Until quite recently historians and anthropologists were unanimous in determining the start of the competition between clans and groups of people at a time when the man became sedentary and began to develop a strong sense of ownership about space and objects that belonged to him. The discovery in Kenya of an accumulation of skeletons belonging to individuals apparently killed violently and left unburied, dating back at least 10,000 years ago. This discovery, therefore, puts back the hands of the beginning of collective violence, or the war in the modern meaning we attribute to this word. Competing for resources? Since it is quite clearly groups of hunter-gatherers is conceivable that such violence, which was also addressed to the weaker members of the community competitor, women and children, has been triggered by a competition that had as its object the natural resources, food.
The images of the Chernobyl area about 30 years after the nuclear accident are somehow emblemati... more The images of the Chernobyl area about 30 years after the nuclear accident are somehow emblematic of the ability of nature to reclaim and return to occupy even the most inhospitable places. And by the meaning of this last word I would start a discussion which I think is helpful to approach consciously to the upcoming COP21 meeting in Paris
This draft paper aims to be an exposure of the potential of diachronic and comparative analysis f... more This draft paper aims to be an exposure of the potential of diachronic and comparative analysis for the definition of the factors of vulnerability of a society to climate change. It also wants to be a starting point for reflection on the influence that climate change will have in society today beyond a simple determinism and within a set of competing elements in the success or collapse of human societies.
Lavori di dragaggio per il ripristino delle quote operative delle darsene del Porto.
The study of the landscape takes shape, today, more and more as a meeting place between different... more The study of the landscape takes shape, today, more and more as a meeting place between different disciplines. The need to conceive of land development and planning from a holistic point of view, integrating the protection of natural and cultural resources along with the promotion of productive activities and tourism, requires consideration of the landscape in its historical dimension and evolution. The historical landscape, as we see it today, is nothing but the result of dynamic and constantly evolving interaction between human activities and natural proces ses, the consequences are obvious and easy to read in the territory. The study area considered in this paper is affected by widespread gully erosion processes having produced a peculiar badland morphology. Progressive desertification of hilly areas is a consequence of erosional activity of natural agents. Within this geologicalenvironmental framework, several examples of architectonic evidence, especially of the Middle Ages have survived to the present day, although in poor condition due to intense structural degradation. The extent of the phenomenon of the fo rmation of gullies creates a landscape of great beauty which integrate natural and human elements that are layered over time and space in a continuous succession of processes of construction and destruction. Today's challenge is to integrate env ironmental protection with the prospects for enhancement of natural and cultural resources. So the intersection of historical data, from collecting archival resources, studying the archaeological and architectural remains in the field, and analysing the geological processes of transformation allow to evaluate the evolution of the causes and effects, assessing the stages of the historical process of transformation of a given territory
The Serrania Calilegua orogenic belt is the result of several tectonic events of compressional de... more The Serrania Calilegua orogenic belt is the result of several tectonic events of compressional deformation that have occurred since the Terziary Era. The deformation has developed by the NW-verging thrusting process of Paleozoic stratigraphic-structural units onto the younger units. In this geological-structural framework, the hydrogeological upheaval of the slopes was mainly due to 1) the chaotic texture of the terrains belonging to the units forming the Andes; 2) the destructuration of the lithic components (grains, thin plates, clastic fragments, crystals); 3) the loss of their structural properties that caused rapid processes of alteration of the outcropping terrains. Moreover, the deepening of the water steams caused the strength drop in clayey and silty-clayey soils (Jujuy and Aguas Negras formations), with the consequent decrease of the consolidation pressure, whereas the slopes were involved in processes of intense water infiltration, that were increased by the tree roots of yungas-type forest. Therefore, the most frequent cause of instability of natural slopes is a combination of 1) the renewed acclivity of slopes due to the incision by the hydrographic network; 2) the deterioration of mechanical properties of soils, related to the geological-structural history of the formations; 3) the fluctuations of the water table, due to the rainfall intensity. For these reasons the study of the landslides processes in the area of Aguas Negras Calilegua is one of the most complex problems that the Earth Sciences have to face in the ambit of environmental issues.
It’s been almost ten years since the Treaty of Maastricht said two apparently opposite principle... more It’s been almost ten years since the Treaty of Maastricht said two apparently opposite principles: for first, in fact, introducing the concept of European citizenship, it’s stunningly widened the horizon of reference of millions of people, creating a prerequisite for an integration no longer understood only in economic way, but which affect many different aspects of the lives of individuals, and for second, through the principle of subsidiarity,the EU has sought to build itself on local communities because of their proximity to citizens and their problems. How then to reconcile the concept with its revolutionary charging turn upside down, or rather to update the concept of "homeland" with his second emphasizing the centrality of local institutions? Outcome of this at first sight irreconcilable dichotomy are increasingly frequent and exaggerated expressions of localism that not only come to question the political and administrative units of individual states, but pointing the finger at his rules, paint the European Union as a factor limiting the development of local communities. To bridge this gap is necessary to develop ways and means which can, permanently and effectively, bringing together not only the citizens, but also the same local, specifically municipal, authorities of the several member states, to share experiences and policies often linked to policy developments at European level. So networking issues concerning matters of common interest becomes an important tool not only to develop in-depth debates and exchanges of good practices, but also to bring people to a reality, the European Union, which is often felt distant, as already mentioned above. Promoting active European citizenship is therefore more aware not only to bring citizens closer to the European institutions, but also and especially in approaching each other, creating real and virtual spaces of communication and comparison.
Bisogna saper perdere", cantavano i Rokes qualche decennio fa; ma anche nella vittoria ci vuole u... more Bisogna saper perdere", cantavano i Rokes qualche decennio fa; ma anche nella vittoria ci vuole un certo stile, anche se a volte... In Italia i politici hanno risolto il problema: nessuno vince, nessuno perde...forse pareggiano, ma i conti, in ogni caso, non tornano. Ma lascio da parte, per quel che è possibile, l'attualità, e vengo all'argomento di questo breve articolo. Desidero, infatti, parlare di un passo del De bello civili di Cesare, precisamente del paragrafo 96 del terzo ed ultimo libro. Riporto subito di seguito il paragrafo in questione; in latino, ovviamente, ma, non temete, la spiegazione darà a tutti la possibilità di apprezzare anche i più piccoli particolari di questo brano.
Proceedings of 2° International Symposium on Geotechnical Engineering for the Preservation of Monuments and Cultural Heritage, Naples, May 30-31 2013
""Topography, geology, climate and anthropogenic actions appear to have a significant influence o... more ""Topography, geology, climate and anthropogenic actions appear to have a significant influence on environmental processes and, consequently, a considerable impact on the conservation of the built environment. Taking into account the conditions in which architectural and archaeological heritage have come down to today, the need is clear to combine an analysis of current conditions with a historical and evolutionary approach, in order to reconstruct the changes that have affected sites and buildings. The geo-archaeological approach has to be understood as a study aimed at determining, in different ages and situations of occupation/abandonment of a site, the extent of interactions between the local physical environment and human settlements. So a study of geological-structural conditions of the slopes is associated to another one focused on historical and archaeological evidence based on a thorough analysis of structural and architectural features still on the ground, as well as of archival evidence, when available, that, in many cases, help to
locate, in the time scale, significant events in the history of ancient sites and buildings. The result obtained through this approach is twofold: on the one hand, it allows full understanding of the time and manner of the abandonment of these settlements; on the other, analyzing the factors of degradation in a diachronic perspective, it allows us to identify more clearly the prevalent risk factors, and to implement appropriate risk mitigation strategies in contexts geographically contiguous or similar. This approach is able to provide much more information when an archaeological or architectural site shows traces of significant structural degradation causing, in a more or less distant past, their complete abandonment. Such situations are common across the Apennines, where neotectonics has been responsible for the process of evolution of the slopes, while the lithological and structural characteristics of the soils, within local climatic conditions, have
governed the mechanisms of erosion. This paper considers three case studies: archaeological and monumental sites of three different ages, types and constructive characteristics, but linked by the fact that they were, at some point in their history, abandoned because of the conditions of geological instability and environmental degradation.""
When you think of a museum, the first image that comes to mind is of a box. As a box, in fact, th... more When you think of a museum, the first image that comes to mind is of a box. As a box, in fact, the museum preserves objects, protects them from degradation by aligning them with care, you can extract each object to observe it through the way of those who have neatly boxed. Like a box, however, it also presents, very often, long strips of adhesive tape to hermetically close down the sides, along with the word "fragile" repeated on all the faces of the box. But just make a little hole, while a beam of light comes on what is inside,the dust rises from the surface of objects and, finally, they can tell their story. But the hole also attracts the attention of someone outside of the box, intrigues him, drives him to peek inside.
Posters by Alessio Cinti
Fiction by Alessio Cinti
Era una strana giornata. Non che ci fosse qualcosa di particolarmente strano: il cielo era plumbe... more Era una strana giornata. Non che ci fosse qualcosa di particolarmente strano: il cielo era plumbeo, minacciava di piovere, e già sembrava che su palazzi e strade fosse scesa dell'acqua, come un'anteprima dell'imminente e inevitabile acquazzone. In sostanza, una giornata come tante altre. Ed anche quel giorno, lui era lla finestra, come ormai era abituato a fare da tanto, forse troppo tempo. Passava così le sue giornate, seduto accanto all'unica finestra dle suo piccolo appartamento, guardando fuori. Ormai era diventata un'abitudine e considerato che ormai da tempo, forse troppo, non aveva altri particolari impegni, sì, insomma, guardava fuori da quel vetro e prendeva nota su di un suo piccolo quaderno di ciò che accadeva là, sulla strada e, per quanto gli fosse possibile vedere, nel palazzo dirimpetto. Una mania, forse, o piuttosto una malattia, addirittura: non saprei proprio come difinirlo questo suo bisogno, perché ormai di un bisogno si trattava, di osservare quelle vite che si trascinavano e consumavano sotto la sua finestra, quasi immedisimandosi in esse o, più probabilmente, cercando conforto, un punto fermo attraverso quei gesti che si ripetevano sitto i suoi occhi. Non aveva più una sua vita da tanto, troppo tempo; o, forse, ne aveva a decine, quante erano le persone che ogni mattina, ogni pomeriggio, ogni sera, trascorrevano una frazione infinitesima della loro esistenza nel suo campo visivo. Ed ogni cosa annotava, ogni cambiamento, variazione o piccola deviazione saltava all'occhio esperto che scrutava quella folla ignara.
Daniel era un naso. Vi starete certo chiedendo che cosa sia un naso: un naso sta ad un profumo, c... more Daniel era un naso. Vi starete certo chiedendo che cosa sia un naso: un naso sta ad un profumo, come un sommelier sta ad un vino, o, forse, è addirittura qualcosa in più di un sommelier perché non si limita ad "assaggiare", ma è anche creatore. Dunque un creatore di profumi! Una professione questa alla quale Daniel era stato indirizzato per le sue doti naturali: infatti, fin da bambino, aveva sviluppato un olfatto eccezionale, una sensibilità per gli odori fuori dal comune, o che solo pochi mortali hanno l'onore, e forse anche l'onere di condividere con lui. Fin dai tempi della scuola la sua vita era stata caratterizzata da una babele di odori, profumi, più o meno gradevoli. Si era sorpreso spesso a chiudere gli occhi e ad annusare l'aria attorno a lui, e ad immaginarsi l'ambiente stesso che lo circondava. I bambini, a quell'età, vedono il mondo attraverso i colori; Daniel lo "vedeva" attraverso gli odori. E si compiaceva spesso, anche con i suoi compagni di questa sua capacità, ed era arrivato a riconoscere una grande quantità di odori, tanto che a volte se ne stupiva lui stesso. E odori e profumi erano entrati a far parte anche della sua vita di relazione. Di solito di una persona, al primo incontro, si guardano gli occhi, le mani, l'insieme dei suoi atteggiamenti; Daniel, per una frazione di secondo, chiudeva gli occhi, e, inspirando velocemente ma profondamente, captava l'odore del suo interlocutore, e cercava di ricavare da questo il suo carattere. In questi momenti si fidava di più del suo naso che dei suoi occhi. La sua vita privata era un disastro. A trent'anni aveva già alle spalle un divorzio, la separazione forzata dal suo bambino, nonché altre questioni che avevano reso, e gli rendevano ancora un inferno la sua esistenza. Aveva scelto di sposare quella che ormai era la sua ex moglie, confidando, forse in uno dei pochi momenti della sua vita, del suo istinto, tenendo chiuso e tappato il suo naso. Ma un giorno, forse proprio istintivamente, si accorse che quella donna emanava un odore che a lui non piaceva proprio: l'inizio di quella serie di eventi che lo avrebbero portato a costruirsi quella vita, una vita di solitudine, di lavoro, di tristezza e di rimpianti. La sera rientrava a casa dopo una lunga giornata, ed entrava nell'ampio salone del suo appartamento. Chiunque fosse entrato in quella stanza sarebbe certamente restato deluso se si fosse immaginato di trovare un arredamento armoniosamente abbinato e disposto secondo un qualche criterio estetico. In effetti, se lo si dovesse descrivere in dettaglio, proprio
Drafts by Alessio Cinti
Utopia: a perfect and an imaginary place where everything can be possible. Since 1516, when Thoma... more Utopia: a perfect and an imaginary place where everything can be possible. Since 1516, when Thomas More invented this word and decided that it was the title of his most famous book, Utopia has become a recurrent topic in literature across the centuries and the countries. But the utopias inspired also the rulers to transform these dreams in reality, the ideas in projects, not always with good results. In this post I'm going to discuss about the socioenvironmental utopias both as literary topic and as concrete realizations. The question is: are the utopias always positive, or they can turn into catastrophe? In the last 5060 years utopias had become an important subject in the wider issue about the relationship between Man and Nature. Utopia, and its opposite distopia, focused on looking for solutions of environmental problems and designing the characters of future sustainable societies; a large number of books and novels attempt to imagine how will be our future in the Earth.
Conference Presentations by Alessio Cinti
Open Workshop: Socio-environmental dynamics over the last 15,000 yrs: The creation of landscapes, 2019
The relationship between human communities and the environment consists of a dynamic balance in w... more The relationship between human communities and the environment consists of a dynamic balance in which different factors play a role. The climate and its oscillations over time are one of these variables; however, it is evident that this one is not the main cause that drives a social-environmental to change and/or to collapse. On a global scale this statement proves difficult to demonstrate, if not for clues that must, however, always be confirmed on the field; on a local scale, instead, this sentence finds a definite confirmation. External and internal perturbative factors can drive the system to collapse and the climate worsening can only be an aggravating factor of an already compromised situation. This paper analyses the evolution of the relationship between a human community and the natural environment in an area of the Central Apennines (Massa Trabaria, between Marche, Toscana and Emilia Romagna-Italy), between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. This social-environmental system, given an initial equilibrium situation, finally succumbs in front of a Utopia representing the straw that breaks the jar of a situation already deeply compromised.
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Books by Alessio Cinti
Papers by Alessio Cinti
locate, in the time scale, significant events in the history of ancient sites and buildings. The result obtained through this approach is twofold: on the one hand, it allows full understanding of the time and manner of the abandonment of these settlements; on the other, analyzing the factors of degradation in a diachronic perspective, it allows us to identify more clearly the prevalent risk factors, and to implement appropriate risk mitigation strategies in contexts geographically contiguous or similar. This approach is able to provide much more information when an archaeological or architectural site shows traces of significant structural degradation causing, in a more or less distant past, their complete abandonment. Such situations are common across the Apennines, where neotectonics has been responsible for the process of evolution of the slopes, while the lithological and structural characteristics of the soils, within local climatic conditions, have
governed the mechanisms of erosion. This paper considers three case studies: archaeological and monumental sites of three different ages, types and constructive characteristics, but linked by the fact that they were, at some point in their history, abandoned because of the conditions of geological instability and environmental degradation.""
Posters by Alessio Cinti
Fiction by Alessio Cinti
Drafts by Alessio Cinti
Conference Presentations by Alessio Cinti
locate, in the time scale, significant events in the history of ancient sites and buildings. The result obtained through this approach is twofold: on the one hand, it allows full understanding of the time and manner of the abandonment of these settlements; on the other, analyzing the factors of degradation in a diachronic perspective, it allows us to identify more clearly the prevalent risk factors, and to implement appropriate risk mitigation strategies in contexts geographically contiguous or similar. This approach is able to provide much more information when an archaeological or architectural site shows traces of significant structural degradation causing, in a more or less distant past, their complete abandonment. Such situations are common across the Apennines, where neotectonics has been responsible for the process of evolution of the slopes, while the lithological and structural characteristics of the soils, within local climatic conditions, have
governed the mechanisms of erosion. This paper considers three case studies: archaeological and monumental sites of three different ages, types and constructive characteristics, but linked by the fact that they were, at some point in their history, abandoned because of the conditions of geological instability and environmental degradation.""