Book Review: Waterways and the cultural landscape

‘Waterways and the cultural landscape’ is the outcome of an International Conference held in Venice in 2015 on the heritage dimensions of waterscapes and historic canals. Therefore, it is in the spirit to collect some of the most meaningful contributions on this emerging topic that Vallerani and Visentin have successfully attempted to frame and realise a credible editorial proposal. This is never an easy task, given the usual heterogeneity of contributions received, but it is by no means a merit of this edited book. The book is divided in two parts: the former is on ‘Cultural visions’, covering a wide range of waterways and waterfronts with high cultural value and unique environmental heritage; the latter is on ‘Touristic perspectives’, providing an overview of different strategies employed to develop sustainable tourism along waterways and their surrounding regions. The book moreover can benefit from an evocative introductory chapter from Francesco Vallerani on ‘flowing consciousness and the becoming of waterscapes’ and a conclusion from Francesco Visentin on the fascinating topic of ‘humanistic hydrology’