La gratitudine al salvatore nella prima crisi Covid-19. Il caso italiano dalle istanze popolari al processo politico-istituzionale

During the first pandemic wave of COVID-19, spontaneous public expressions of gratitude were raised towards the medical and paramedical personnel who were working with a spirit of sacrifice to cope with the clinical consequences of the virus. In a climate of uncertainty, gratitude became the positive emotion through which to counter fear and reaffirm the existence of the community. This essay retraces the steps that led from popular gratitude to the institution of a new civic solemnity, interpreting this process as a reflection of the idea, firmly rooted in the conceptual fabric in the history of political thought, of gratitude towards the saviour.