The Rise of Americanism in Italy

The Rise of Americanism in Italy (1888-1919) investigates the political, industrial, and military ascent of the United States at the turn of the 20th century from the viewpoint of Italian culture. By concomitantly focusing on Italian projections of America and reactions to the growing American influence in Italy, the book traces the evolution of Americanism from an internal debate to a global ideology, and from a wide-ranging promotional/oppositional discourse to a lively platform of cultural, social, and economic exchange.

This study of Italy’s Americanism touches on social debates on emigration, the elaboration of a Columbian narrative, European reactions to the Spanish American war, the impact of American products on Italian society, and Wilson’s military intervention and political propaganda during WWI. First-hand reports by Italian journalists, scholars, and missionaries visiting the United States present a counter-narrative of emigration, reconfiguring it as an opportunity to gain influence abroad. The Italian negotiation of U.S. imports and their incorporation into the national milieu document the formation of an original American subculture and the early phases of the nation’s Americanization.

Unlike in other European contexts, Americanism in Italy offers a singular standpoint to assess the early stages of America’s “soft” expansion, as Italy’s flow of departing and returning emigrants made the country a favorable terrain for commercial penetration in Europe and remodeled an export ideology into a complex network of Transatlantic relations.

When: Tuesday from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m., March 3, 2026

Where: Italian Cultural & Community Center, 1101 Milford Street

Tickets: Free

Meet the Speaker

Dr. Luca Cottini is a Professor at Villanova University and host & creator of the YouTube show Italian Innovators. He holds a PhD from Harvard University, an MA from the University of Notre Dame, and a BA from the University of Milan. He was trained as a classical philologist in Italy, and a cultural historian in the U.S. His interests touch upon Italian literature, visual arts, and intellectual history of the 19th and 20th centuries, and on the birth Italian industrial culture, adverting, and design. His books include a monograph on Calvino (I passaggi obbligati di Italo Calvino, Longo 2017); a cultural history of the origins of Italian design (The Art of Objects. The Birth of Italian Industrial Culture, 1878-1928, University of Toronto Press 2018); a biography of chocolate entrepreneur Michele Ferrero (Il fabbricante di cioccolato, Piemme 2023); and the monograph The Rise of Americanism in Italy, 1888-1919 (University of Toronto Press, 2025). His YouTube work explores the Italian model of entrepreneurship and innovation through cultural profiles, interviews, and lessons across different disciplines (fashion, food, technology, sports, music, engineering).

This lecture is funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance and Humanities Texas.

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