Mapping the Nation, Building the Empire: The Development of Popular Maps and Atlases in Post-Unification Italy (Ca. 1860–1915)

This article explores the development of Italian popular and educational cartography following the national unification of 1861. While Italy had a long-standing cartographic tradition dating back to the Renaissance, this tradition had rapidly declined in the late modern age due to political fragmentation. The late 19th century saw a revival of map production, particularly through figures like Guido Cora and Giovanni De Agostini, who aimed to establish a national cartographic industry and make Italy's map production independent from foreign, especially German, publishing houses. Beyond the dissemination of geographical knowledge for scientific and educational purposes, the revival of cartography proved crucial in fostering the consolidation of the nation-state and constructing an imperial imagination that supported the establishment of a colonial domain.