'Palermo is a mosaic': cosmopolitan rhetoric in the capital of Sicily
Dados Bibliográficos
| AUTOR(ES) | |
|---|---|
| AFILIAÇÃO(ÕES) | University of California, Berkeley |
| ANO | 2024 |
| TIPO | Article |
| PERIÓDICO | Modern Italy |
| ISSN | 1353-2944 |
| E-ISSN | 1469-8188 |
| EDITORA | Cambridge University Press |
| DOI | 10.1017/mit.2024.13 |
| ADICIONADO EM | 2025-08-18 |
Resumo
The political messaging of Leoluca Orlando, who served five terms as mayor of Sicily's capital, Palermo (most recently, until 2022), articulates a cosmopolitan vision of local identity. Orlando seeks to emphasise Palermo's 'tolerant' values, invoking the city's history to foster this image, as well as using a variety of rhetorical strategies. He portrays Palermo as having a true 'essence', which is necessarily multicultural. I analyse Orlando's pronouncements on his official Facebook page, as well as observing his audience's reactions to his messaging, both supportive and critical. I examine how Orlando articulates the narrative that Palermo has historically been a 'mosaic' of various cultural influences, proposing that the contemporary city is the 'true', welcoming face of the Mediterranean. As well as exploring the political utility Orlando sees in such arguments, I analyse the risks inherent in this essentialising project.