Vibo Valentia’s S. Aloe quarter is an archaeological area which has three beautiful mosaic floors, dated between the centuries I BC and V AD. This work reports the results obtained on 22 glass and stone tesserae collected from the Nereid and Geometric mosaics during a recent restoration of the site. The analyses were carried out through a multi-analytical approach. The petrographic study of the stone tesserae was carried out using polarizing optical microscopy while the geochemical one was conducted using two micro-analytical techniques: the electron probe micro-analyzer with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry and a combination of laser ablation with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for determining the major, minor, and trace element concentrations. The research highlights the use of different kinds of stones such as marble, volcanic, and sedimentary rocks. The glasses show the typical soda–lime–silica composition indicating the use of natron as a flux. The trace element concentrations prove the use of Pb-antimonates to create yellow glass. The bronze scrap was used to obtain the green color, while cobalt and copper were used to obtain different gradations of blue. These results confirm the high technological level reached by glassmakers in the Imperial Age, thus highlighting the importance of the S. Aloe archeological site.

This work reports the results of the archaeometrical investigation performed on twenty glass tesserae collected in 2018, during the restoration of the Four Seasons mosaic, which dates between the second and the third century AD, in the archaeological area of the S. Aloe quarter in Vibo Valentia (Calabria, Italy). The coloured glass tesserae were analysed through a micro-analytical approach using an Electron Probe Micro Analyser with Wavelength-Dispersive Spectroscopy (EPMA-WDS) and Laser Ablation with Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). The aims of the study were (1) the determination of the chemical composition and the technology of glass mosaic tesserae production; (2) the individuation of colouring and opacifying agents used for the production of the glass tesserae. The glasses show the typical soda–lime–silica composition. EPMA-WDS results prove the use of Sn–Pb antimonates to create yellow glass, and of cuprite to obtain the red colour. Copper and cobalt were employed in both green and blue glasses to produce different shades of colour (grey, tints of green, dark and light blue).

Cultural and archaeological tourism is increasingly acknowledged as a catalyst for regional development, particularly in areas beyond mainstream travel circuits. While itinerary planning has attracted academic attention, the optimization of multi-period cultural routes across dispersed archaeological landscapes remains underexplored. This paper proposes a novel bi-objective optimization model–belonging to the class of Vacation Planning Problems and formulated as a variant of the Team Orienteering Problem–for constructing multi-period archaeological itineraries. The model maximizes cultural value and minimizes travel distance, subject to some logistics constraints. A real-world application in Calabria, Italy–a region rich in archaeological heritage but limited in tourism infrastructure–demonstrates the capability of the model to generate efficient, thematically coherent routes. The findings underscore the potential of operations research methods to enhance sustainable tourism planning in marginal cultural landscapes.

Objective of this manuscript is both to tracing the evolution of money, and examining its transition from commodity money to fiat money, up to the emergence of cryptocurrencies. It highlights the inherent issues of the barter system, emphasizing the urgencies and necessities that favored the adoption of legal tender. Subsequently, the impact of the creation of the Euro on the European economy—both historically and geopolitically—will be analyzed, contextualizing the European Union's institutional process. In a response to the crisis, Bitcoin (the first decentralized cryptocurrency) will be introduced, along with an illustration of the supporting Blockchain technology will be provided. Finally, the proposal of American Senator Lummis, who suggests a massive purchase of Bitcoin to be used as a strategic reserve through the “Bitcoin Act” program, will be explored, prompting several reflections on the future of the petrodollar as a reserve instrument. Through these reflections, the reader could develop their own thoughts on the importance of evolving towards forms of money more suited to an increasingly digitized and decentralized economy. In conclusion, by proposing an analogy between the ancient monetary practices on Yap and cryptocurrencies, we aim to stimulate the reflection that innovation is not only desirable in this fast-paced world but essential.

The historical evolution of football in Italy is deeply intertwined with the country’s socio-political and cultural dynamics, making it a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. Initially an elite pastime among the northern urban aristocracy and bourgeoisie, football only became a popular sport after World War I, eventually serving as a propaganda tool under the Fascist regime. The choice of the term “calcio”, in contrast with the more widespread “football”, represents a symbolic case of constructing an autonomous linguistic and cultural identity. During the Fascist era, the sport was subject to a systematic ideological operation aimed at legitimizing Italian symbolic superiority and consolidating political consensus. Furthermore, football acquired a dimension of national cohesion while simultaneously expressing local identities, becoming a lens through which to interpret regional and social dynamics. In this essay, the author critically examines the historical trajectory of Italian football, its transformation into a mass phenomenon, and its role in shaping a collective imaginary, with particular focus on its political instrumentalization and the enduring significance of its symbolic meanings.