En el laboratorio de la crisis de la presencia.El chamanismo como categoría analítica problemática en Ernesto De Martino

The aim of this article is to identify the definition of shamanism as an analyticalcategor y, which has been problematic in the Italian school of history of religions. In particular, the concept of shamanism, played a fundamental role in Ernesto De Martino’s thought, as he used it in his reflection on magic. After briefly investigating Raffaele Pettazzoni’s approaches, the article will focus on demartinian proposal to identify debts and distances, in particular with the works of Sergei Shirok-ogoroff and Mircea Eliade. Finally, it will outline a historical-religious proposal for a new definition of shamanism.