Elena Russo

Research Topic

Rethinking Nineteenth-Century Adriatic Identity Through Spaces: an Alternative to Nation-States Analysis

My DPhil project analyses Adriatic territories between 1815 and 1848, focusing on Dalmatia, Istria, and the Venetian region under the Habsburg Empire. Despite the proximity of this territory, scholars focusing on Modern History tend to divide Western Italy from Eastern Croatia/Yugoslavia, interpreting the Adriatic as an insurmountable barrier. In fact, the nineteenth-century sea is usually portrayed in national historiography as a fulcrum of rising Nationalism, dominated by an ‘us-versus-them’ mentality. This narrative presents the ideal framework for justifying the later-formed Italian and Croatian/Yugoslav nation-states as the only conceivable political response for the Adriatic region. History, as a subject, is closely entangled with the making and legitimizing of nation-states, leading to an understanding of 19th-century Europe in which national identities were established dogmatically within set boundaries. However, can we find other frameworks that challenge this view? Following the theoretical approaches developed by Mediterranean historians, my project aims to rethink our understanding of nineteenth-century Adriatic space by placing the sea at the centre of my analysis. I argue that nineteenth-century Adriatic territories were a highly connected space. This connectivity through the sea influenced urban spaces and their inhabitants, leading to the consolidation of a shared Adriatic culture. Thus, I explore the role of landscapes in creating a sense of identity that goes beyond nations, classes, and social conditions.

Supervisor: Robert Evans and William Whyte