On March 26th, 1923, in a formal ceremony, construction of the Milan-Alpine Lakes autostrada officially began, the preliminary step toward what would become the first European motorway. That Benito Mussolini himself participated in the festivities indicates just how important the project was to Italian Fascism. Driving Modernity recounts the twisting fortunes of the autostrada, which-alongside railways, aviation, and other forms of mobility-Italian authorities hoped would spread an ideology of technological nationalism. It explains how Italy ultimately failed to realize its mammoth infrastructural vision, addressing the political and social conditions that made a coherent plan of development impossible.
| ISBN: | 9781800739390 |
| Publication date: | 14th July 2023 |
| Author: | Massimo Moraglio |
| Publisher: | Berghahn Books |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Pagination: | 208 pages |
| Series: | Explorations in Mobility |
| Genres: |
History and Archaeology Political structures: totalitarianism and dictatorship History of engineering and technology |