Italian Street Naming Practices and Anti-Mafia Memory Policies

Authors

  • Giuseppe Muti

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.13133/2784-9643/18323

Abstract

The essay reviews the phenomenon of anti-mafia street names in Italy and discusses their meaning within the broader historical context of Italian street-naming policies. A particular focus is brought to bear on the challenges inherent in anti-mafia street-naming process and on the essential role of civic associations.

Anti-mafia street naming emerges as key to Italians’ civic memory of the “second republic” period that has followed the major anti-mafia and anti-corruption trials of the 1990s. Nevertheless, the opposition and bitter public debate generated by these same street-naming practices show that the “anti-mafia” approach remains divisive.

Published

2023-07-07