THE DIGITAL EPHEMER: HENRY III OF FRANCE IN VENICE (1574)

Sometimes digital reconstruction interfaces with the ephemeral aspect of the Cultural Heritage. Photogrammetric survey, integrated with the most up-to-date visualization technologies, aims to the production of 3D models that can recreate and document the artifacts that were made to be short-lived.The paper deals with the documentation of an historical event: the stay of Henry III of France in Venice in 1574. This happening has been studied as part of the journey from Poland to France, undertaken by the king through Austria and northern Italy. Many royal events were organized and among the architectural and sculptural works that were made for the occasion, two stand out: the ephemeral triumphal arch and loggia designed by Andrea Palladio for the grand entry of the King and the three hundred sugar sculptures cast from moulds obtained from Jacopo Sansovino’s workshop.Historical research, iconography and cartography, along with the photogrammetric survey of some artworks still visible today, allowed the three-dimensional reconstruction of the temporary structures and sugar sculptures created for this historical event and made to last only for the ten days of his stay.The purpose of this research is to map the movements of the King and recreate the works of art that were created for him in various parts of Venice, according to a geographic and scientific approach, by framing them in space and time and employing the 3D models to project the observer into 16th century Venice.The integration of methods and techniques pertaining to geomatics and three-dimensional computer graphics allow us to animate and reconstruct images of no longer existing places and works of art which were made to be fleeting but scenic at the same time and arouse amazement between the leading personalities of those times.The “digitalization of the ephemeral” aims to bring these artifacts back to memory, following a meticulous process based on the examination of the historical sources together with cartographic data and a scientific survey.

On the Hierarchical Use of Colourants in a 15th Century Book of Hours

An illuminated Book of Hours (in use in Chalon-sur-Saône) currently owned by the Museo Civico di Arte Antica and displayed in the prestigious Palazzo Madama in Torino (Italy) was investigated by means of optical microscopy, fibre optic reflectance spectroscopy, fibre optic molecular fluorimetry, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and Raman spectroscopy. The aim of the scientific survey was to expand the knowledge of the manuscript itself and on the materials and techniques employed by Antoine the Lonhy, the versatile itinerant artist who decorated the book in the 15th century. The focus was to reveal the original colourants and to investigate the pigments used in rough retouches which were visible in some of the miniatures. The investigation was carried out in situ by portable instruments according to a non-invasive analytical sequence previously developed. It was evident that the use of different pigments by the master was ruled, at least partially, by a hierarchical scheme in which more precious materials were linked to the most important characters or details in the painted scene.

First photographic record of Mishmi Takin Budorcus taxicolor taxicolor and Red Goral Nemorhaedus baileyi from Kamlang Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, India

This study presents a first photographic record of two ungulate species Red Goral Nemorhaedus bailey and Mishmi Takin Budorcas taxicolor taxicolor in Kamlang Tiger Reserve. This area has a high potential for sustaining many endemic and endangered species but unfortunately is less studied due to the complexity of terrain and a paucity of funds. This article establishes a baseline information with the help of advanced technology such as camera trapping and motivates further scientific survey in the region.

The nationwide ‘ZNIEFF’ inventory in France: a free dataset of more than one million synthesised species data in zones of high ecological value

In France, a ‘natural zone of ecological, faunistic or floristic value’ (Zone Naturelle d'Intérêt Écologique, Faunistique et Floristique - ZNIEFF) is a natural area regionally known for its remarkable ecological characteristics. The ZNIEFF inventory is a naturalist and scientific survey program launched in 1982 by the Ecology Ministry, with support from the French National Museum of Natural History (MNHN). This paper describes the ZNIEFF national dataset, which comprises 1 013 25 synthesised data for various animal (38%), vegetal (59%) and fungus (2%) species in terrestrial and marine zones (the last download took place on 26 May 2020). A total of 19 842 sites throughout continental France as well as in the overseas departments and territories (Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte, La Réunion, French Guiana, Saint-Martin, Saint-Barthélemy and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon) are included in the ZNIEFF dataset (last download: 26 May 2020). This dataset is now available in open access. All data were collected by skilled naturalists using professional protocols over almost 40 years. They consist mainly of observations of rare, threatened or endemic species, all validated by regional experts. Data is updated twice a year after national validation. Some of the observed of species, the so-called ‘trigger species’ or ‘determinant’ species, are of central interest for a site to be considered a ZNIEFF (zone of high ecological value). This concerns more than 35 000 taxa, mainly angiosperms, insects, fungi, birds and fish.

The representation of the American territory and the controversy between Jefferson and Buffon

The Franco-American confrontation of scientific reports on nature reveals that the Lewis and Clark Expedition was not so essentially a conquering move as previously asserted because it was conceived mostly within the context of a scientific survey with the aim to prove or disprove Buffon’s contention that the American climate was that of paradise (hot and humid), and that the absence of hardship fostered mediocrity if not degeneration. In his admiration for Buffon, Thomas Jefferson strove to bring his observations to the attention of the French naturalist, beginning with his own publication on Virginia botanical surroundings, and with his observations on large American animals that included the Mammoth, whom he thought still alive because of his respect for creationism. The fact that large animals were roaming the continent disproved that degeneration was the fate of its inhabitants, degeneration implying a diminutive size. As well, “Indians” were not any lesser than other human beings (since creationism excluded evolution one way or the other, and he saw no evidence of degeneracy in any kinds of beings from America). He did foresee that they might benefit from their adoption of British forms of governance and religion so that perhaps, in due time, they could establish their own “nations”.