The history of Italians and of modern Italian culture stems from multiple experiences of mobility and migration: between the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century 27 million Italians migrated, and 60 to 80 million people worldwide now see their identity as connected with the Italian diaspora. Since the time of Italian unification a series of narratives about mobility has been produced both inside and outside the boundaries of Italy by agents such as the Italian state, international organizations, and migrant communities themselves.
The essays in Transcultural Italies interrogate the inherently dynamic nature of Italian identity and culture. They do so by focusing on the key concepts and practices of mobility, memory, and translation. The essays represent a contrapuntal series of case studies that together offer a fresh perspective on the study of modern and contemporary Italy. The aim of the volume is to advance the transnational turn that is presently reshaping the field of Italian Studies and Modern Languages. The essays in the volume explore the meanings that ‘transnational’ and ‘transcultural’ assume when applied to the notion of Italian culture.