Beyond Human Limits The Culture of Nature Conservation in Interwar Italy

In Italy, the creation of national parks in the Alps became a major topic in public debates at the beginning of the twentieth century, eventually finding its practical realization under Fascist rule: the Gran Paradiso and Stelvio national parks were founded in 1922 and 1935, respectively. This paper analyzes the dialectical and rhetorical strategies used by nature conservationists and tourism enthusiasts to support the creation of nature reserves and discuss the diverse interpretations of what a park should be. How was the representation of the natural world displayed and constructed? How were the geographical spaces enclosed within the planned and existing parks interpreted in relation to the us/other and humanity/nature divides? In order to answer these questions, I will discuss articles published between the two World Wars by journals that showed at least a partial interest in nature conservation or in the management of natural resources, paying particular, but not exclusive, attention to the publications of the Italian Touring Club.