Abstract
The limited archival material and the scarcity of evidence from the oldest living representatives of various communities effectively restrict research on archaic astronomical knowledge within Italy to the Alpine area and the most northerly part of the Appenines. These are territories where, fortunately, the folk culture is historically recognized as being very conservative. The sky provided a series of “astral instruments” used for planning religious festivals, fairs, and work in the fields through an empirical-symbolic approach and ancient sidereal calendars with which the valley dwellers were able to arrange daily life.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Barale P (2003) Il Cielo del Popolo del Faggio. Sole Luna e Stelle dei Ligures Bagienni. Editore Associazione Turistica Pro Loco “La Torre”, Pollenzo
Barale P (2007) La conoscenza della costellazione di Orione nella tradizione popolare delle Alpi Marittime. Marittime, 28, Borgo S. Dalmazzo
Bernard G (1989) Uomo e Ambiente a Bellino, vol II. Edizioni Valados Usitanos, Torino
Felolo L (1994) La Bercho, lou diau e lou soulèi. Coumboscuro, no. 273 (sett.-ott.)
Giuliano F, Delpiano F (1993) Boves: la conoscenza del firmamento. Valados Usitanos 17:73
Massajoli P (2007) Il cielo brigasco. Ř nî d’Áigüra 47:48–49
Massajoli P, Moriani R (1991) Dizionario della cultura brigasca, vol I. Edizioni dell’Orso, Alessandria
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2015 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this entry
Cite this entry
Barale, P. (2015). Lost Skies of Italian Folk Astronomy. In: Ruggles, C. (eds) Handbook of Archaeoastronomy and Ethnoastronomy. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6141-8_179
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6141-8_179
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY
Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6140-1
Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6141-8
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics