Rome – The Unauthorized Version

Abstract

This article looks at the interaction of the people of Rome with their past and the creation of sites of memory with a particular focus on the period from the Risorgimento and onwards. It uses visual, textual and oral evidence to examine how the monuments of the ancient past were used as places to live and work. Being an integral part of the daily lives of the citizens meant that these monuments became important symbols of their identity and social cohesion. The use of ancient Rome for political purposes by the Risorgimento and Fascist governments was a separate heritage discourse, distinct from the daily interactions of ordinary peoplle. Using the memorial at the Fosse Ardeatine as a case-study explores how lieux de mémoire change status as succeeding generations reinterpret events and how monuments become co-opted into an Authorised Heritage Discourse.