Sacred Site and Museum of itself. Florence and Rio de Janeiro, two case studies

The paper introduces part of an in-progress research on “sacred site and museum of itself.” Here, the idea of the sacred site is based on the concept of totemism expressed by Durkheim. Some sacred places have astonishing artistic, architectural, or symbolic values that make them museums of themselves, and recall huge numbers of both tourists and worshippers. Considering this frame of reference, could a sacred site also be an exhibition space without losing part of his special city? Can a space maintain its sacred character despite mass tourism? To answer to these questions, the study investigates two case studies: the Monumental Complex of Santa Croce, in Florence, and the Maracanã Stadium, in Rio de Janeiro.