Riviste Online SApienza - R.O.SA - 2 (Sapienza University of Rome)
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The hotel industry in AOI: a case of suffocation of private initiative
No full textThe article intends to contribute to the debate on the development of the hospitality industry in the contemporary age, identifying the period between the 1930s and 1940s in Italian East Africa as an ideal case study. Among the six key roles played in history by hotel structures that were theorized by Sara Fregonese and Adam Ramadan in 2015,several correspondences are identified with the situation that occurred in Italian East Africa between the 1930s and 1940s. In this work, therefore, we want to make a preliminary estimate of the hotel and hospitality endowment of the imperial territories, understanding first of all whether it is possible to speak of a tourism industry for the empire or whether it was not possible to overcome the emergency phase following the outbreak of the war against Ethiopia
Evaluating tunnel stability in challenging terrains: a comprehensive study of geological factors and support system in the Lowari Tunnel, Northern Pakistan
No full textThis study investigated the stability and sustainability of the Lowari tunnel constructed in the geologically challenging Himalayan terrain by analyzing geological parameters, deformation monitoring, and support system performance. Detailed face mapping across the 8.509 km tunnel revealed highly variable rock types, weathering conditions, and discontinuities-ranging from stable, compact granite to fractured and sheared zones requiring enhanced stabilization. Groundwater ingress in critical sections further exacerbated stability challenges. A network of 269 monitoring stations provided comprehensive deformation data, with 93% of stations recording inward displacements (0.000 m to -0.0364 m), confirming the effectiveness of the new Austrian tunneling method (NATM) in managing excavation-induced stresses. Support systems, including shotcrete (28-day compressive strength: 28.6-30.8 MPa), rock bolts (pull-out load >165 kN), wire mesh, and lattice girders, demonstrated reliable performance, ensuring structural integrity under varying geological conditions. Over-breakspredominantly in jointed and sheared zones-emphasized the need for refined excavation techniques and real-time monitoring to mitigate avoidable instabilities. The findings underscore the adaptability of NATM, the importance of accurate geological mapping, and the effectiveness of robust support systems in ensuring tunnel stability
Preserving underwater cultural heritage: combining satellite images with a novel flash lidar platform
No full textLes Argilliez, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps,” is in Lake Neuchâtel (Switzerland) and dates to the Classical Cortaillod (3841-3817 BC) and Late Cortaillod (around 3500 BC) cultures. Among other artifacts, it consists of 4,834 wooden piles found over a 7000 m2 area ranging from 2 m to 3 m depth below the water surface. Two dangers threaten the preservation of the site: erosion and the proliferation of invasive mussel species: Dreissena rostriformis bugensis (quagga mussel) and Dreissena polymorpha (zebra mussel), which pose the specific threat risk of degrading the wooden piles. This study presents two methods developed for the monitoring of the erosion and mussel populations at Les Argilliez: a new flash lidar based 3D imaging platform and satellite image data analysis. Together, the two data collection schemes allow for efficient identification, quantification and tracking of environmental risks threatening underwater archeological sites, such as this one. The flash lidar is optimized for underwater applications and designed to collect 3D point cloud data from a medium-sized unmanned surface vehicle (USV). The lidar system is batterypowered and features a 128×128 pixel focal plane array for high resolution point cloud capture. When mounted to the USV, the lidar enables regular and efficient lake surveys, allowing consistent comparison of the same locations over time. The point cloud data enables measuring the height and orientation of the wooden piles and the lakebed profile. The first demonstrative lidar measurement results are presented in this study. In addition, spectral data from satellite images taken by Sentinel-2 was compared with simulated reflectance spectra for sand, macrophytes and mussels. The processed satellite data successfully identifies spectral anomalies correlated to the proliferation of quagga mussels in the area over a period of four years, and is confirmed by underwater surveys done by divers
Remote sensing-supported monitoring of natural and anthropogenic hazards to cultural heritage in Ventotene and S. Stefano islands, Italy
No full textCultural heritage sites are increasingly at risk due to climate change and environmental hazards, which can include floods, erosion, and ground instabilities. Climate forcing may also favour the impact of more severe anthropogenic hazards, as in the case of wildfires. In this framework, remote sensing may provide hazard quantifications and risk assessment, supporting the definition of conservation planning and protective measures. This study explores the analysis of optical satellite images to monitor and assess natural and anthropogenic threats to Ventotene and Santo Stefano islands, Italy. Specifically, we quantify damage by wildfires nearby cultural heritage sites from 2017 to 2024, while multispectral images allow a first assessment of bathymetry around the islands and deriving water constituents parameters. This enables a more comprehensive hazard analysis with a lookout on the process understanding anddefinition of the risks these sites face
The Porphyronota Burmeister, 1842 of Cameroon, with description of a new species (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae, Cetoniinae, Diplognathini)
Full text linkRecent collections from Cameroon have revealed the occurrence of a new species of Porphyronota Burmeister, 1842 from Adamaoua and the Centre regions, P. antoinei sp. nov. This is described herein, along with a review of the known species of the country. The rehabilitation of the specific status of P. maculipennis Moser, 1916 is confirmed, as this species is clearly separated from P. hebraea (Olivier, 1789) by a number of diagnostic characters already highlighted by other authors and is also known mainly from Cameroon thus far. The occurrence of P. cinnamomea (Afzelius, 1817) in northern Cameroon is reported for the first time, and it is proposed that P. cinnamomea angolensis Holm, 1990 be upgraded to species level, P. angolensis stat. nov., as it is sufficiently different from the nominal form in the shape of its parameral apex and other key characters. The bioecology of the genus Porphyronota is discussed in the context of the prevailing habitat characteristics, the feeding and breeding patterns of the various taxa currently included in it. One group of species, previously constituting the obsolete genus Poecilophila Kolbe, 1893, lives in forest and open savanna habitats and its members breed within the soil or in rotten wood and feed on fruits, sap or flowers at the adult stage. A second group, probably composed of most if not all the other known species, lives in mountainous grassland habitats, undergoes period of dormancy underground and appears to depend on specific herbivore dung for larval growth
Disseminare il centro: artefatti otomì tra esposizione e disgregazione
Full text linkThe Otomi of the Sierra Madre Orientale organize their ritual actions around the construction of ceremonial deposits (also named offerings) set up in oratories, private or communal, or in the landscape itself. Such deposits represent the core of the ritual act: the nerve centre in which the gesture turns into effective action on the world. A plural, mobile centre scattered in space and in a longtemporality. This article aims to rethink the logic expressed by the centre/periphery pair by highlighting its inadequacy in accounting for indigenous notions of spatiality and temporality. Beginning with the Otomi case and the native conception of artefacts as living beings, it then analyses the processes of constituting ethnographic collections: a movement that proceeds from the source communities toward the museum as the central, and authoritative, institution of staging Otherness
La popolazione romana dopo il 20 settembre (1870-81)
Full text linkThe article examines the Roman population during the first decade following the entry of the Italians in Rome in 1870. While historiography has explored various aspects of Rome’s nineteenth-century history, the perspectives of the population concerning the transformations following the breach of Porta Pia have not yet been fully clarified. Documentary sources, however, suggest a more nuanced scenario than the simple dichotomy between the nostalgics of the papal Rome and the supporters of the Italian state. This essay aims to provide a new interpretive framework for understanding this unique moment of suspension andtransition by analyzing the behaviors and viewpoints of the Roman population, with particular attention to the lower classes
Physio-mechanical properties of Minawar Granite: implications for building stone in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
No full textGranite, as a building stone has been valued for centuries due to its strength, durability, and aesthetic properties. Granitic rock deposits are abundant in Pakistan, mostly in the northern regions that include the Himalayas and Trans-Himalayas. The present study aimed to investigate the physio-mechanical properties of Minawar granite, located near Gilgit city in Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan to assess its suitability as a construction material. Various standardized tests were performed on 14 rock samples, including uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), Schmidt hammer rebound values, point load index (PLI), ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), Brazilian tensile strength (BTS), porosity, and water absorption. Results reveal that fresh granite samples had an average UCS of 138.9 MPa, whereas dry and saturated samples had lower UCS values. Schmidt Hammer testing conducted on-site with natural environmental conditions impacted rebound values to be higher than those obtained in laboratory experiments. PLI values (5.32 to 9.13 MPa) revealed granite’s variability, although UPV measurements proved its high quality, with uniform density and few internal faults. The BTS tests showed an average tensile strength of 17.76 MPa. Moreover, the water absorption of the granite samples was very low - average of 0.21% for a fore mentioned commercial granites which is the reason to have an extremely good physical endurance considering material durability and resistance to weathering; low porosity and low water absorption make it ideal for moisture-rich conditions. Our results reveal that the Minawar granite meets and exceeds standard dimension stone specifications, confirming its superior quality and durability as a construction material for both indoor and outdoor use. These findings provide useful insights for future construction projects, demonstrating Minawar granite’s ability to deliver higher performance and longevity
