The new issue of Studi Umbri confirms the journal’s two prevailing inclinations: that of being a cultural portal, in the broadest sense of the term, and that of embracing a multidisciplinary approach, that is, open to themes that may even be very distant from one another. The connecting thread of the works published is therefore not to be sought in a specific scientific or social field, nor in a single narrative style or an underlying ideological sensibility. What brings together those who write – and those who choose to publish here – is a shared sense of originality, a desire to dwell on paths less travelled by mainstream publishing. This is why Studi Umbri has grown over the years and has earned the loyalty and interest of so many readers and writers: it provides an independent space in which to reason about the world in a free manner, yet it does not forget the importance of scholarly scrutiny and academic responsibility. Although it is an online journal, in fact, it keeps its essentially periodical rhythm unaltered and selects contributions rigorously, with the aim of combining intellectual openness with the readers’ trust in its seriousness.

The opening of this half-year is entrusted to a dialogue with Mauro Agostini, director of Sviluppumbria, and with the professors of the Department of Economics in Perugia, Bruno Bracalente and Alessandro Montrone. The three of them set out for us the results of an unprecedented and thorough study on the state of the economy in Umbria, born precisely from an agreement between the Institute for Regional Economic Development and the University. In this issue, particularly rich in images and pages devoted to art, you will then find an original examination of the figure and work of Aldo Rossi, who for Perugia is above all the father of the much-debated Fontivegge complex. And there are also essays on two illustrious colleagues of Rossi, Giuseppe Terragni and Luigi Moretti, as well as an in-depth study of the “master of gardens” Pietro Porcinai and of his work in Umbria. Staying with the visual arts, four artists present to us their own personal way of interpreting photography, from journalism to stage photography. There is room too for the world of theatre – with a bitter analysis of the current state of the Italian stage – for that of music, with a look at the history of the “Amici della lirica” association of Perugia, for libraries and for the new cultural portal of the Umbria Region. The little-known affair that links Pirandello and the husband of Grazia Deledda is at the centre of another compelling contribution, while the work of Michael Dummett gives occasion for an essay in linguistics on “compositionality”. Finally, cinema: a few light notes on the lessons in economics of the film Mary Poppins and a return to the genius of Kubrick and to Eyes Wide Shut.