Le classi sociali e gli usi alimentari dell'acqua

The social classes and dietary uses of water - Talking about water, like food, requires a complex language as a result of the many forms and modes of consumption. In this respect, it is possible to distinguish different uses (the vinelli, or thin, peasant wines, water mixed with wine, mead, beer, and preparation of sorbets among the aristocracy), different qualities (water from springs, wells or cisterns), different tastes (acidulated water or water with iron and "cold drinks" for emerging middle-class tastes) and properties (mineral or spa water "drinks" for therapeutic purposes). In conclusion there are multiple levels of investigation that are continually redrawing the social hierarchies between those who, whether because of their wealth or lifestyle, can lay in supplies of water as a commodity, and those who are forced simply to look for it in order to quench their thirst. So we invite scholars to investigate from an interdisciplinary perspective the various aspects of water consumption among the different social classes, considering: the development of theories and concepts concerning drinking water and its specific and various properties; the methods of consumption and ways of making it safe to drink; the social aspects of the dietary use of water compared to other beverages; the occasions and rituals in which water plays a part.