L'immagine dell'Italia e degli italiani nell'Albania comunista

This essay aims to fully capture the very Image of Italy and the Italians in the communist Albania. It is grounded on the fact that, during the regime, a new representation of the whole national self arose and was set, also applying to other countries and becoming a standpoint for many generations to come. The representation of the “Others”, in this case Italians, but also Turks, has often turned out to be very important in the process of building a national self, not only for its own identity but also for a national character. Italy as the nearest West has been the best possible “Other” for the Albanian culture to relate to, and has played a fundamental role, both through similarity and contrast, in the creation of an Albanian western identity. Actually, Italy and the Italians entered the Albanian culture once Albania had built an important self-definition, in particular through the relationship with the other Balkan peoples and Ottoman Turks. For this reason, this essay begins generally presenting the Albanian behavioural traits, their conception of themselves as influenced both by the past and the present, spread and shaped during the regime. Consequently, the cultural relationship between Albania and Italy is indeed historical rather than mythical and, as a result, historical memory and historiography are fundamental in its creation. The first images examined are those gathered from official historiography set according to the regime. Then this treaty deals with literary Imagology meant as the representation of Italy and Italians especially in the Albanian literature of that period. The literary image of Italy and Italians is fundamental because it is the least censored and, more importantly, has been conveyed by the greatest Albanian writers and poets of all times in their influential masterpieces mainly focusing on Italy and the Italians. Besides its importance according to Imagology, this image is examined as the result of a synthesis of literature and historiography, and for its role both in the Identity representation process and in the Albanian self-perception. The aim of this essay is not only to examine the image of Italy and the Italians, but also to focus on its double function, both in terms of causality and result, in the Albanian self-definition process, also according to some important categories such as East and West or its belonging to the European identity.