Litalianizzazione

Litalianizzazione, or Italianization, refers to the process of promoting Italian language, culture, institutions, and identity within a territory or population, often through state policy or other coercive or persuasive means. The term is used in Italian historiography and social sciences to describe both voluntary cultural alignment and policy-driven homogenization under the Italian state or empire.

Historically, Italianization has been linked to periods of state consolidation and territorial expansion. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and after the unification of Italy, authorities sought to strengthen control over diverse regions by elevating Italian as the lingua franca of administration, schooling, and public life, and by promoting Italian cultural norms. In territories acquired or contested after World War I—such as parts of Trentino, South Tyrol, Istria, and Dalmatia—efforts aimed to reduce linguistic pluralism in favor of Italian language and official culture, sometimes accompanied by the settlement of Italian citizens.

During the Fascist era (1922–1943), policies intensified as part of broader nation-building and imperial ambitions. In colonial contexts such as Libya, Ethiopia, and other territories, Italianization included schooling in Italian, renaming of places, restrictions on local languages, and the settlement of Italian colonists. In occupied or annexed regions of Europe, similar measures targeted non-Italian populations.

In contemporary scholarship, litalianizzazione is analyzed as a form of state-led nation-building with implications for minority rights, cultural heritage, and regional identities. Its legacy remains debated, particularly in multilingual border areas and former colonies.