Towards a history of the representations of territory: the maps of Italy during the 19th century

Abstract

The article focuses on how the elaboration of maps of Italy has contributed to “do the Italians”. The objective is to show that the history of cartography and the uses of maps allow to conceive in a better way the links established between scientific culture and technical culture (of cartographers and surveyors) in a context of mass education where the scientific and precise content of the message is less valuable than its directly effectiveness within the propaganda circuits.