Continuing National History: the 1961 Italian Centennial of Unification Commemoration

摘要

In 1961 the Italian nation-state celebrated one hundred years of unification with an official celebration held in the northern capital of Turin. Named Italia‘61, the purpose of the event was to display what comprised and composed a united Italy in 1961 and to showcase what was bringing about a post-war Italian “renascence”. However, the 1961 celebration could not deliver the new beginning hoped for, as in the tradition of previous celebrations the organisers presented a narrative of the nation that was in support of the party and administration in power and in service of their geopolitical interests. Such intent and purpose become clear by looking at the evolution of the planning of what began as a solitary celebration specific to Turin and became the official national commemoration event for the 1961 Centennial.