History as it really wasn't: the myths of Italian historiography

Abstract

Journal of Modern Italian StudiesPublication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: (1999) Miti e storia dell'Italia unita (Bologna: Il Mulino), pp.1-229, 28,000 lire, ISBN 88-15-07259-4. AbstractAccording to a number of influential Italian contemporary historians, Italian political history since Unification has been distorted by politicized scholarship and the existence of a large number of untenable political myths. These views are presented in the volume Miti e storia dell 'Italia unita (1999). In this roundtable, Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Carl Ipsen and David Kertzer discuss this thesis with two of its leading proponents: Ernesto Galli della Loggia and Luciano Cafagna.

Coming to grips with diverse voices in participatory heritage initiatives

“…These gaps make some northern Italians blame the south for holding the whole country back, as can be seen from various Lega Nord propaganda campaigns. In a similar vein, the situation leaves many southern Italians in discontent for being neglected by the national government, and discriminated against by the "northerners" (Ben-Ghiat et al 2001;Bull and Gilbert 2001;Giovannini and Vampa 2020). Although, on certain occasions, regionalism does not contradict nationalism-e.g., the regional diversity of Italy is often marketed as a testimony to the nation's brilliance (Cavazza 2012;Herzfeld 2015)-it does make many feel that they are not in the same country.…”

“…Meanwhile, many revisionist writers (especially in popular literature) tend to idealise pre-unification southern Italy, and ascribe the backwardness of contemporary Mezzogiorno entirely to the Italian state as well as to northerners. These thoughts were made especially influential at the turn of the millennium, thanks to the publication of several bestsellers (Ben-Ghiat et al 2001;Riall 2000).…”

“…For instance, the regionalisation in the north, typified by the rising of Lega Nord (Northern League), amplified the discourse of "superior north, inferior south" (Giovannini and Vampa 2020;Rossi 2004). Meanwhile, a revisionist turn materialised in the New Mezzogiorno literature, counteracting the northern superiority on the one hand, opposing the presumption of seeing the south as a homogeneous bloc on the other (Ben-Ghiat et al 2001;Riall 2000;Rossi 2004). The growing demand for establishing a separate region is also fuelled by the perceived developmental imbalance within the region of Apulia (Stomeo 2014), as well as the long-standing frustration and discontent with the ineffectual regional government (Putnam et al 1993;Stomeo 2014).…”