Abstract

The essay traces the historiography of saints, cults and sanctuaries in Italy from the nineteen-seventies, identifying in the works of Giovanni Miccoli a very important initial turning point, and then continues citing the pioneering studies of Sofia Boesch Gajano, Gabriella Zarri, André Vauchez, Roberto Rusconi, Grado Giovanni Merlo and Anna Benvenuti. It highlights the birth of some associations – in particular the AISSCA – which have had the merit of presenting the historiography of these issues in an innovative way. We then identify some particularly successful thematic strands, from that relating to the experiences of women, to that favouring the spatial outlook as a privileged point of view, to arrive at the review of studies dedicated to Christian shrines in Italy.