Modernitalia provides a map of the Italian twentieth century in the form of twelve essays by
the celebrated cultural historian Jeffrey T. Schnapp. Shuttling back and forth between
literature architecture design and the visual arts the volume explores the metaphysics of
speed futurist and dada typography real and imaginary forms of architecture shifting regimes
of mass spectacle the iconography of labour exhibitions as modes of public mobilization and
persuasion and the emergence of industrial models of literary culture and communication. The
figures featured in the book include Filippo Tommaso Marinetti Mario Morasso Julius Evola
Piero Portaluppi Giuseppe Terragni Alessandro Blasetti Massimo Bontempelli Giorgio de
Chirico Bruno Munari Curzio Malaparte and Henry Furst. Alongside these human protagonists
appear granite blocks that drive the design of modern monuments military searchlights that
animate civilian shows worker armies viewed as machines sunglasses that tiptoe along the
boundary of the private and public newsreels as twentieth-century interpretations of Trajan's
column and book covers and bindings that act as authorial self-portraits. The volume captures
the Italian path to cultural modernity in all of its brilliance and multiplicity.
