The Cultural Unification of Italy
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Latest page update: 14 April 2025
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By: Dion Protani
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One of the fundamental features of Italian history is that the country didn't officially exist until 1861. Most people look at the country and see it as one of the most historic in the world due to its ancient monuments and renaissance architecture for example, but it didn't become the Kingdom of Italy until March 17 1861.
Before that date, the Italian Peninsula had spent thousands of years as an ever-changing series of kingdoms, duchies, republics and city states. The 1861 process of creating a single country called Italy was called the Risorgimento and several "heroes" of the time were subsequently used in the cultural unification of Italy; a type of propaganda to make Italians feel more Italian. |
Piazza Garibaldi, Parma
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The hero of the Risorgimento
The strap line of this article: Why there are so many Piazza Garibaldis, takes us straight to the aforementioned Risorgimento to explain its significance. As you travel around Italy, one name seems to crop up in almost every town: Garibaldi. Born in the French Riviera town of Nice in 1807, Giuseppe Garibaldi was the type of freedom fighter that the likes of Che Guevara may well have cast envious glances towards while he was revolutionising Cuba in the 1960's.
The charismatic Garibaldi was the figure most synonymous with the Risorgimento; the tale of his "thousand" (the number alludes to the size of his army but was likely to be significantly smaller), landing in Marsala on 11 May 1860 is known to every Italian schoolchild. From the landing in Sicily, Garibaldi's rag-tag army of red shirts went on to conquer the island before moving up into the mainland and sweeping all before them to bring huge swathes of territory under their control.
There is a great deal more to the story of course, but in essence, this is the heroic tale that has been told over the years.
The strap line of this article: Why there are so many Piazza Garibaldis, takes us straight to the aforementioned Risorgimento to explain its significance. As you travel around Italy, one name seems to crop up in almost every town: Garibaldi. Born in the French Riviera town of Nice in 1807, Giuseppe Garibaldi was the type of freedom fighter that the likes of Che Guevara may well have cast envious glances towards while he was revolutionising Cuba in the 1960's.
The charismatic Garibaldi was the figure most synonymous with the Risorgimento; the tale of his "thousand" (the number alludes to the size of his army but was likely to be significantly smaller), landing in Marsala on 11 May 1860 is known to every Italian schoolchild. From the landing in Sicily, Garibaldi's rag-tag army of red shirts went on to conquer the island before moving up into the mainland and sweeping all before them to bring huge swathes of territory under their control.
There is a great deal more to the story of course, but in essence, this is the heroic tale that has been told over the years.
The need for cultural unification
Although Italy was officially declared a Republic in 1861, it wasn't until 1870 that the whole country was assimilated. The capture of Rome on 20 September 1870 brought an end to the Papal States which had lasted more than a thousand years by that stage. A plebiscite in October of the same year saw Rome confirmed as capital of the unified Italy, taking over from the brief tenure of Florence in the role.
Whether you regard 1861 or 1870 as the year when the Risorgimento came to an end, there are arguments in favour of both, what became apparent during this tumultuous time, was a need to unite the people. The Italian Peninsula has one of the most traceable histories, going back thousands of years with different civilisations, epochs, languages and cultures having developed.
It may be surmised that not everyone within the new environs wanted to be Italian; just imagine if your country had suddenly been renamed and you were now part of a much wider national community. This is a land where campanilismo, the pride in one's home town is fiercely defended even in modern times, and where most regions have their own dialect, again still spoken to this day.
Why should the people of Sicily for example, all of a sudden be governed by a stranger from Piedmont in the north? A place that many would hardly have heard of in those times and whose language they would have had little chance of understanding.
It should also be understood that Italy's system of roads and transport in general, was significantly behind the emerging nations of the Industrial Revolution. Even to cross the relatively short distance from the Tyrrhenian Coast to the Adriatic Coast at that time would have been seen as incredibly risky: a hazardous journey across the bandit, bear and wolf-ridden Apennine Mountains.
Although Italy was officially declared a Republic in 1861, it wasn't until 1870 that the whole country was assimilated. The capture of Rome on 20 September 1870 brought an end to the Papal States which had lasted more than a thousand years by that stage. A plebiscite in October of the same year saw Rome confirmed as capital of the unified Italy, taking over from the brief tenure of Florence in the role.
Whether you regard 1861 or 1870 as the year when the Risorgimento came to an end, there are arguments in favour of both, what became apparent during this tumultuous time, was a need to unite the people. The Italian Peninsula has one of the most traceable histories, going back thousands of years with different civilisations, epochs, languages and cultures having developed.
It may be surmised that not everyone within the new environs wanted to be Italian; just imagine if your country had suddenly been renamed and you were now part of a much wider national community. This is a land where campanilismo, the pride in one's home town is fiercely defended even in modern times, and where most regions have their own dialect, again still spoken to this day.
Why should the people of Sicily for example, all of a sudden be governed by a stranger from Piedmont in the north? A place that many would hardly have heard of in those times and whose language they would have had little chance of understanding.
It should also be understood that Italy's system of roads and transport in general, was significantly behind the emerging nations of the Industrial Revolution. Even to cross the relatively short distance from the Tyrrhenian Coast to the Adriatic Coast at that time would have been seen as incredibly risky: a hazardous journey across the bandit, bear and wolf-ridden Apennine Mountains.
The creation of heroes
With all the difficulties of unifying this fledgling country, the newly-formed government had to come up with some ideas. By no means the only way to achieve this complex and daunting challenge, one method used however, was to create a sense of national pride. To this end, the likes of Garibaldi were heralded as heroes of the time, fighting the good fight to reunite Italy.
Three further notable figures from the Risorgimento to be used in this same way were hewn from a slightly different rock: Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour was a politician and just as instrumental in the process of unification as Garibaldi. For many people, Cavour was the puppet master who had the likes of Garibaldi dancing to his tune while he wheeled, dealed and connived his way through the Risorgimento.
Working towards unification in a slight different way was another figure: Giuseppe Mazzini. A journalist and political agitant, he was exiled in London in 1840, from where he spent his time campaigning for change in his homeland. The third figure in this triumvirate of political heroes of the Risorgimento was Vittorio Emanuele: the hitherto King of Sardinia, he was crowned King of Italy on 17 March 1861.
These four figures were used sparingly throughout Italy, gracing the names of squares, roads, public buildings and statues. Their names and stories behind them designed to inspire the much sought after national pride desired by the authorities.
With all the difficulties of unifying this fledgling country, the newly-formed government had to come up with some ideas. By no means the only way to achieve this complex and daunting challenge, one method used however, was to create a sense of national pride. To this end, the likes of Garibaldi were heralded as heroes of the time, fighting the good fight to reunite Italy.
Three further notable figures from the Risorgimento to be used in this same way were hewn from a slightly different rock: Camillo Benso, Count of Cavour was a politician and just as instrumental in the process of unification as Garibaldi. For many people, Cavour was the puppet master who had the likes of Garibaldi dancing to his tune while he wheeled, dealed and connived his way through the Risorgimento.
Working towards unification in a slight different way was another figure: Giuseppe Mazzini. A journalist and political agitant, he was exiled in London in 1840, from where he spent his time campaigning for change in his homeland. The third figure in this triumvirate of political heroes of the Risorgimento was Vittorio Emanuele: the hitherto King of Sardinia, he was crowned King of Italy on 17 March 1861.
These four figures were used sparingly throughout Italy, gracing the names of squares, roads, public buildings and statues. Their names and stories behind them designed to inspire the much sought after national pride desired by the authorities.
The need for Italian relevance
The Risorgimento was the most obvious starting point towards the process of creating the Italian identity; a deep well from which to drink in the exploits of the legendary heroes mentioned above. So with such a lustrous history, it would naturally follow that Italian streets, towns and civic buildings would soon be displaying a wide range of famous names from the past, wouldn't it?
In reality, that's not the case: aside from the heroes of the Risorgimento, there is one other name from Italian history who features heavily in the cultural propaganda of making Italians feel Italian. Credited as the Father of the Italian Language, Renaissance poet, writer and philosopher Dante Alighieri is held up as the figure who made the cultural unification possible. Although he died some 500 years before the Risorgimento entered its final phases, his prose and written Italian set the basis for the modern Italian language which is used today.
There are numerous Piazza Dantes, Via Dantes and statues of the writer throughout Italy, but there are some notable absentees from these streets and squares. Carrying a much wider worldwide fame than Dante, Renaissance figures such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo are rightly lauded throughout the country yet their names don't appear in the same way that Dante's does.
Trumping the fame of even those two legendary figures, a certain Julius Caesar is perhaps the most famous Italian of all time, yet you certainly don't see the proliferation of Piazza Cesares that you might expect. Perhaps his exploits of conquest and political intrigue weren't quite as "on message" as the post-Risorgimento authorities would have liked.
Being one of history's most celebrated artists or notable leaders wasn't deemed appropriate enough to create the new Italian national pride, whereas the characters most closely associated with the Risorgimento, along with Dante, are lavishly lauded for their exploits.
The Risorgimento was the most obvious starting point towards the process of creating the Italian identity; a deep well from which to drink in the exploits of the legendary heroes mentioned above. So with such a lustrous history, it would naturally follow that Italian streets, towns and civic buildings would soon be displaying a wide range of famous names from the past, wouldn't it?
In reality, that's not the case: aside from the heroes of the Risorgimento, there is one other name from Italian history who features heavily in the cultural propaganda of making Italians feel Italian. Credited as the Father of the Italian Language, Renaissance poet, writer and philosopher Dante Alighieri is held up as the figure who made the cultural unification possible. Although he died some 500 years before the Risorgimento entered its final phases, his prose and written Italian set the basis for the modern Italian language which is used today.
There are numerous Piazza Dantes, Via Dantes and statues of the writer throughout Italy, but there are some notable absentees from these streets and squares. Carrying a much wider worldwide fame than Dante, Renaissance figures such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo are rightly lauded throughout the country yet their names don't appear in the same way that Dante's does.
Trumping the fame of even those two legendary figures, a certain Julius Caesar is perhaps the most famous Italian of all time, yet you certainly don't see the proliferation of Piazza Cesares that you might expect. Perhaps his exploits of conquest and political intrigue weren't quite as "on message" as the post-Risorgimento authorities would have liked.
Being one of history's most celebrated artists or notable leaders wasn't deemed appropriate enough to create the new Italian national pride, whereas the characters most closely associated with the Risorgimento, along with Dante, are lavishly lauded for their exploits.
All roads lead to Rome
For every Piazza Garibaldi, Via Cavour or Corso Mazzini there's a Via Roma or two. The phrase All Roads Lead to Rome has its origins from the extraordinary network of roads laid down by the Romans during the time of the Empire, but it's also likely to have been a source if inspiration towards creating the sense of Italian unity.
The sense of Rome as the capital of the country, the location of the government, the centre of the historical world-dominating Empire and the very essence of what it should mean to be Italian, was also used in the process of unifying propaganda.
Almost every town and city in Italy has a Via Roma somewhere and it's often the most important street. At the outset of naming roads the main destination was used and it could be expected to find Rome at the end of Via Roma for example. Whereas that may be the case in a relatively small number of roads, for the vast majority of them it most certainly is not.
The best example I can think of is the main thoroughfare on the island of Lampedusa whose Via Roma is perhaps a kilometre or so long and just about as far from Rome as you can get in Italy. A Via Roma is so-named to to remind the population of where the capital is.
For every Piazza Garibaldi, Via Cavour or Corso Mazzini there's a Via Roma or two. The phrase All Roads Lead to Rome has its origins from the extraordinary network of roads laid down by the Romans during the time of the Empire, but it's also likely to have been a source if inspiration towards creating the sense of Italian unity.
The sense of Rome as the capital of the country, the location of the government, the centre of the historical world-dominating Empire and the very essence of what it should mean to be Italian, was also used in the process of unifying propaganda.
Almost every town and city in Italy has a Via Roma somewhere and it's often the most important street. At the outset of naming roads the main destination was used and it could be expected to find Rome at the end of Via Roma for example. Whereas that may be the case in a relatively small number of roads, for the vast majority of them it most certainly is not.
The best example I can think of is the main thoroughfare on the island of Lampedusa whose Via Roma is perhaps a kilometre or so long and just about as far from Rome as you can get in Italy. A Via Roma is so-named to to remind the population of where the capital is.
Events and dates used in the naming of Italian places
One of the most famous roads in Rome itself is the trendy Via Veneto, however, it is not named thus as any particular tribute to the north-eastern Italian region of Veneto. The swanky Via Veneto is in fact named thus in honour of the Battle of Vittorio Veneto: a significant encounter that took place in 1918 and was instrumental in the Italian armed forces defeating the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Of course, the date of the Battle of Vittorio Veneto means it wouldn't have been known about in the wake of the Risorgimento but it shows that the process of creating Italian pride continued well beyond those formative years.
Piazza IV Novembre, the main square in the city of Perugia in Umbria, is also named in commemoration of the Italian victory in World War One with 4 November now celebrated each year as National Unity and Armed Forces Day. Another date widely used in Italian street names or squares is XX Maggio: recalling 20 May as the date when Rome was finally captured to complete the process of Risorgimento.
One of the most famous roads in Rome itself is the trendy Via Veneto, however, it is not named thus as any particular tribute to the north-eastern Italian region of Veneto. The swanky Via Veneto is in fact named thus in honour of the Battle of Vittorio Veneto: a significant encounter that took place in 1918 and was instrumental in the Italian armed forces defeating the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Of course, the date of the Battle of Vittorio Veneto means it wouldn't have been known about in the wake of the Risorgimento but it shows that the process of creating Italian pride continued well beyond those formative years.
Piazza IV Novembre, the main square in the city of Perugia in Umbria, is also named in commemoration of the Italian victory in World War One with 4 November now celebrated each year as National Unity and Armed Forces Day. Another date widely used in Italian street names or squares is XX Maggio: recalling 20 May as the date when Rome was finally captured to complete the process of Risorgimento.
Has the process of cultural unification worked?
The benefits of the drive towards integrating Italy into a single cultural entity are extremely difficult to quantify. Of course, simply renaming a piazza or a street would be insufficient by itself and would have been accompanied by many other factors such as education, improved transport infrastructure and greater dissemination of the written word.
As every generation has passed under the banner of the tricolore flag of Italy, the need to reinforce that message has become less important. Certainly during modern times with the emergence of the internet and other forms of media, it's easier to be exposed to the cultures of multiple countries and their languages. Italian television is broadcast across the nation so to a large degree, people in every corner of the country have access to the same news, shows and general trends in advertising.
Be that as it may, there is still a fierce sense of more local than national pride in Italy. The campanilismo alluded to earlier in the article is as strong today as it ever was, particularly so in the more rural areas of the country. This is reinforced by the local dialects, cuisine and traditional events that all help to cement that feeling.
A positive performance by the Italian team at an Olympics, or to a greater degree in the World Cup of football, does wonders for the national pride and increases that sense of unity, but in a country that's so steeped in the past, the process is unlikely to ever be completed.
The benefits of the drive towards integrating Italy into a single cultural entity are extremely difficult to quantify. Of course, simply renaming a piazza or a street would be insufficient by itself and would have been accompanied by many other factors such as education, improved transport infrastructure and greater dissemination of the written word.
As every generation has passed under the banner of the tricolore flag of Italy, the need to reinforce that message has become less important. Certainly during modern times with the emergence of the internet and other forms of media, it's easier to be exposed to the cultures of multiple countries and their languages. Italian television is broadcast across the nation so to a large degree, people in every corner of the country have access to the same news, shows and general trends in advertising.
Be that as it may, there is still a fierce sense of more local than national pride in Italy. The campanilismo alluded to earlier in the article is as strong today as it ever was, particularly so in the more rural areas of the country. This is reinforced by the local dialects, cuisine and traditional events that all help to cement that feeling.
A positive performance by the Italian team at an Olympics, or to a greater degree in the World Cup of football, does wonders for the national pride and increases that sense of unity, but in a country that's so steeped in the past, the process is unlikely to ever be completed.
