Myth And Memory In The Mediterranean: Rememberi... Apr 2026

: Many islanders used the phrase una faccia, una razza to emphasize their perceived cultural and biological similarities with their Italian colonizers, often recalling them with a mix of fond nostalgia and bitterness.

: By gathering accounts of everyday life, Doumanis creates a "history from below" that fills gaps left by traditional Greek and Italian nationalistic accounts.

: As noted by IEMed , myths in the Mediterranean often serve to give "historical intention a natural justification," turning fleeting events into eternal cultural images. Myth and Memory in the Mediterranean: Rememberi...

In his book , Nicholas Doumanis explores how ordinary people in the Greek Dodecanese islands remembered Italian colonial rule from 1912 to 1943. Rather than focusing on grand political narratives, the work uses oral histories to show how memory is socially produced and often clashes with official nationalist histories. Key Concepts and Themes

: The book argues that Italian power was not just imposed but was actively negotiated and modified by the local population. : Many islanders used the phrase una faccia,

: Current cultural projects, such as those featured by IEMed , use cinema and theatre to recover "silenced stories" of migration and collective wounds, keeping Mediterranean memory alive as a "living space". Myth and Memory in the Mediterranean - Springer Nature

: It highlights how contemporary social conditions influence what is remembered and what is "purposefully forgotten" to fit modern national identities. Related Perspectives on Mediterranean Memory In his book , Nicholas Doumanis explores how

: While Doumanis focuses on the 20th century, Braudel’s classic work traces the region's "memory" through its geologic beginnings and ancient civilizations like Crete, Greece, and Rome.