Cosmopolitan Italy in the Age of Nations: Transnational Visions from the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Century

Modern Italian historiography has shifted from nation-building to assessing the impact of the age of nations on Italian history and identity. This volume explores how cosmopolitan attitudes persisted in the late eighteenth century and contributed to the creation of an Italian identity within imperial and global networks. It also acknowledges the process of national individualization and its connection to foreign cultures.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 30 December 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Modern Italian historiography has undergone a significant transformation in the past quarter-century. Initially, historians primarily focused on the nation-building process, but their attention has shifted. The most cutting-edge research now centers on examining the extent to which the cosmopolitan mindset prevalent in the late eighteenth century persisted, albeit in modified forms, over the subsequent two centuries.

The essays collected in this volume argue that the age of nations had a profound impact on Italian history, shaping the development of an Italian identity within the framework of well-functioning imperial and global networks. At the same time, they acknowledge that the process of national individualization also brought about various aspects that reconnected Italian history to the foreign cultures that were constantly evolving and self-fashioning.

Cosmopolitan Italy in the Age of Nations: Transnational Visions from the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Century will appeal to scholars across the globe and those interested in intellectual and transnational history. This book offers valuable insights into the complex and multifaceted nature of Italian history during a pivotal period of global change.

Weight: 494g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367565268