File, la Perla del Nilo salvata dale acque. Il contributo dell'Italia/Philae, the Pearl of the Nile reclaimed from the waters. The Italian contribution

This book originates in the works to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the inauguration of the new Philae and the ending of the UNESCO campaign. In the first part, the book gathers the historical, literary and artistic evidence that recounts the importance of Philae in modern history, to the point that Philae became the name of a mission of the European Space Agency. In the second part of the book, the monuments of the island and the works for their rescue are presented, together with the UNESCO Campaign for Nubia. This volume was born out of Philae but, in particular, out of the magnificent archive of the Italian Society for Condotte d'Acqua SpA, which conducted the rescue work with Mazzi Estero. The archive returned to light and was then passed to the Egyptology Archives of the University of Milan. Many of the images published in this volume are taken from this rediscovered archive. The numerous photographic documentation campaigns, in color and black and white, show the monuments in the various phases, from the emergence from the mud on Philae, once freed from the waters, to the rebirth on Agilkia, but there's even more: those who were behind the lens have been able to grasp the emotion of the human encounters, beyond language barriers, and cultural differences that come not only through contact, but in collaboration.