History of Tourism

Course objectives

The module aims to reconstruct the history of tourism from the unification of the Italian Kingdom to the end of the Second World War, the goal is to highlight the formation of national identity, the realization of the nationalization of the masses with tourist practices. In addition to outline the consensus reached by fascism at various levels of Italian society with travel in Italy, in Italian colonies or abroad organized by the organizations of the regime. The module aims to provide students with tools to understand the phenomenon of tourism from a historical point of view.

Channel 1
ESTER CAPUZZO Lecturers' profile

Program - Frequency - Exams

Course program
Historical development of tourism (ancient age, medieval age and modern age) Birth and development of the Grand Tour English spa towns Birth of the holiday towns Discovery of the Mediterranean Thermal cities in Italy From the Grand Tour to the pleasure trip Travel of the middle class Travel of the Italian people during Risorgimento Travel after the Italian unity New practices: thermal tourism New practices: bathing tourism Italian Alpine Club Italian Touring Club Touring and nation building Tourism during belle époque Tourism and WWI Tourism and the first postwar period ENIT Fascism and tourism Political uses of tourism OND and tourist practices Battlefield tourism in Italy and Spain Tourism in the annexed Italian territories after the First World War Tourism in Italian colonies: Libya Rodi and Aegean Isles AOI Tourism and the second postwar period Mass tourism Tourism and non-European States Postmodern Tourism
Prerequisites
Knowledge of Contemporary Italian History (20th and 21st centuries).
Books
P. Battilani, Vacanze di pochi vacanze di tutti. L’evoluzione del turismo europeo, Bologna, il Mulino, 2009 (with the exception of chaps. I and VII) E. Capuzzo, "Italiani visitate l'Italia". Politiche e dinamiche turistiche in Italia tra le due guerre mondiali (1918-1940), Luni, Milano 2019 The following essays contained in the volume are part of the exam bibliography: Vacanze romane. Interpretazioni e pratiche del turismo nella città eterna, a cura di E. Capuzzo, Roma, Nuova Cultura, 2022 a) A. Berrino, Il turismo a Roma nel Secondo dopoguerra, pp. 61-77 b) E. Capuzzo, Il turismo olimpico a Roma nel 1960, pp. 79-108 c) F. D’Angiolillo, C. Giantomasso, Pratiche di turismo responsabile a Roma. Le passeggiate di Migrantour all’Esquilino e a Tor Pignattara, pp. 135-161
Frequency
Classes will be held in person, with the aid of slides and period films. Educational visits and classroom exercises are also planned.
Exam mode
The evaluation will be carried out with an oral exam.
Lesson mode
Classes will be held in person, with the aid of slides and period films. Educational visits and classroom exercises will also be included.
  • Lesson code1051797
  • Academic year2025/2026
  • CourseTerritory's management and enhancement
  • CurriculumTeorico-didattico
  • Year1st year
  • Semester1st semester
  • SSDM-STO/04
  • CFU9