New Lines’ Culture Editor Lydia Wilson explores Elizabeth Djinis’s essay on Italy’s thousands of food festivals and how they have been used to shape national identity and political mobilization. Though often linked to ancient customs, the “sagra” became a way for Mussolini’s fascist regime to invent a sense of historical continuity among Italians. After World War II, the Italian Communist Party and left-wing groups repurposed this model for political organizing through “Festivals of Unity.”
Read “The Surprising Roots of Italy’s Food Festivals” for the full story.
✍️Elizabeth Djinis
📽️Lydia Wilson
Created by: Mikey Andreasson + Mindi Andreasson
#foodfestival #italy