This volume contains the proceedings of the international seminar dedicated to the scholarly contribution offered by Dr. Ilya Gershevitch (Cambridge University, England) to the development of Iranian Studies which was held in Ravenna, 11th April 2003, on the second anniversary of his sudden death. The variety and complexity of the subjects represented in this volume reflect his most significant scientific interests and the wide and extraordinary competence of this great protagonist of Ancient, Middle and Modern Iranian studies. The range of the present contributions involves, in fact, the following areas of research: Avestan literature and Zoroastrian religion (Prof. A. Panaino, "Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna"; Prof. M. Schwartz, "Berkeley University"; Mr. F. Vajifdar, London), Old Persian (Prof. A. V. Rossi, University of Naples "L'Orientale"), Eastern Middle Iranian languages like Sogdian and Bactrian (Prof. N. Sims-Williams, "SOAS", London; Dr. E. Morano, University of Rome "La Sapienza"), Manicheism (Prof. W. Sundermann, "Turfanforschung" and "Freie Universitat - Berlin"), modern West Iranian dialects (Prof. E.
Filippone, "Universita della Tuscia"), and Ossetic (Dr. P. Ognibene, "Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna").