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Bozzano De Boni
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Hundred Years (in Italian)

History

Subscription Formalities

Indexes

• of the issues available from 1947
• of the last issues

Summaries of the articles

Information

Details

LUCE E OMBRA

Editor: Silvio Ravaldini

Editorial office
Piazza Azzarita, 5 - 40122 Bologna (Italia)
Tel. + 39 - 51/554033 - Fax + 39 - 51/554033 - E-mail: sravald@tin.it

Editorial staff
Massimo Biondi, Giulio Caratelli, Paola Giovetti

Contributors
Elena Bianco, Cecilia Magnanensi, Enrico Marabini, Alan J. Morgan, Paola Righettini

History

The initial idea of Luce e Ombra sprang from the Milanese environment at the end of the last century as the weekly Opuscolo settimanale di Scienze, Lettere e Arti. It was founded in 1894 by Angelo Marzorati, but was short-lived: only six issues were published. In 1898 Angelo Marzorati began to take interest in Mediumiship that, in those days, was attracting more and more of society's attention. This is how during the 1900 Christmas festivities the first Luce e Ombra issue was published, thanks to financial support of an entrepreneur from Milan, Achille Brioschi.

Angelo Marzorati's personality was such that he managed to focus attention and sympathy on Psychical Research, notwithstanding the aversion conceived by some religious and scientific trends. Infact some Italian scientists of those years collaborated with Luce e Ombra. Among them emerge the names of two well known psychiatrists Cesare Lombroso and Enrico Morselli. Ernesto Bozzano and Emilio Servadio were also later listed as collaborators; the former had approached Psychical Research at the end of the last century from a background of scientific positivism; Emilio Servadio, at the time a young lawyer, was to become a psychiatrist renowned both in Italy and in the world.

Another distinguished man, a doctor started entering Marzorati's closed circle: Rocco Santoliquido. He was a man whose influence was great in the political arena in Rome thanks to the prestigious tasks appointed to him both by the Società delle Nazioni as a representative of the Lega delle Croci Rosse and as a deputee in Parliament. He must be remembered for the Institut Metapsychique International (IMI) foundation in Paris directed by Gustav Geley, one of the most renowned psychologists and metaphysicians of the time.

In 1911 Luce e Ombra was moved to Rome and after Angelo Marzorati's death, on 12th October 1931, it was run by Antonio Bruers, already chief editor in 1908.

In Italy the cultural atmosphere had become difficult for magazines specialized in philosophy, religion and other similar topics because they could have been exchanged for periodicals meaning to divulge foreign philosophies with a vaguely Indian theosophical tint to them, filtered through British mentality. Notwithstanding Achille Brioschi's idea of changing the magazine's name to La Ricerca Psichica (The Psychical Research), clearly to emphasize its scientific bend, the Fascist regime suppressed Luce e Ombra in September 1939.

When Achille Brioschi died on 16th February 1942, it seemed that Achille Brioschi's and Angelo Marzorati 's work had definitely come to an end. But Luce e Ombra , on the contrary, was brought back to life thanks to the initiative of a doctor from Verona, Gastone De Boni, keen to divulge Ernesto Bozzano's and other scholars' work. With Christmas 1946, infact, Luce e Ombra publications were resumed and Gastone De Boni became director.

Having patrons like Achille Brioschi disappeared, Gastone De Boni and all his collaborators wrote and worked for free. Gastone De Boni also took upon himself all the economic and financial responsabilities. He managed the administration of the magazine, notwithstanding the difficulty, untill his death, on 23rd September 1986.

In the 70s Gastone De Boni made two important acquaintances that were to become very precious for the continuation of his work. It was in that period, infact that he collaborated with Silvio Ravaldini, scholar and researcher, and with Paola Giovetti, who would later have become journalist and divulger of Psychical Research. In 1986 Silvio Ravaldini, entrusted with Gastone De Boni's entire bibliographic and documentary patrimony, became director of Luce e Ombra. It till June 1999 continued its publications as the official Archivio di Documentazione Storica della Ricerca Psichica's organ.

On 1st July 1999 it became the official Fondazione Biblioteca Bozzano-De Boni organ, after the fusion between the Archivio and the Foundation.

For celebrating the hundred years from the first issue of the magazine four volumes are in course of publication. They collect some articles published in these hundred years. Besides a Meeting - about The spontaneous paranormal phenomena - is been held on June 3rd, 2000. Its Acta are been published in Luce e Ombra, 2, 2000.

Subscription Formalities

Luce e Ombra issues are for Fondazione Biblioteca Bozzano-De Boni members, as it is its official organ. For information

Redazione di Luce e Ombra
Piazza Azzarita, 5
40122 Bologna - Italia

tel: +39 - 51/554033 - 235675 - 345489

fax: +39 - 51/554033

e-mail fbibbdb@iperbole.bologna.it or sravald@tin.it.

At these addresses you can request the volumes or issues, that are available from 1947.

Information:

If you want to receive literatures, give us your post-office address

Details

• Indexes
  • of the issues available from 1947
  • of the last issues

  
  

• Summaries of the Luce e Ombra's articles.

  
  

• Hundred Years of Luce e Ombra.

  
  

• History and objectives of the Fondazione Biblioteca Bozzano-De Boni (Bozzano-De Boni Library Foundation). 

  
  

• History of the Archivio di Documentazione Storica della Ricerca Psichica

  
  

• Biography of Ernesto Bozzano, his bibliography and list of some his articles recently published.

  
  

• Biography of Gastone De Boni  and his bibliography.

  
  

• Definition and brief history of Psychical Research (in Italian)

  
  

• Indication of some Web Pages about Psychical Research.

  
  

Italian Version

Go to the Fondazione Biblioteca Bozzano-De Boni (Bozzano-De Boni Library Foundation)'s homepage

Bologna, December 16th 1996

Last update October 14th 2008

Webmaster Cecilia Magnanensi