The ‘Roman Spain’ and the ‘Third Rome’. Identity constructions and archaeology museums in Spain and Italy in the 19th Century

Abstract

This article analyses the important role that the archeological museums carried out in the construction of national identities during the 19th century. Specifically, it studies the cases of Spain and Italy, two Southern European countries with similar, but also different characteristics when it comes to the shaping of their identities. One of these was the restoration of the past Roman remains as the essence of identity of the common history.

From the analysis of different Spanish and Italian study cases, it can be understood how the construction process of the Nation-state makes use of the re-readings of the past to fulfil the needs of the present. The re-readings of national history on behalf of the government involved the creation of new tales to unite society under the same characteristics and traits. In the 19th century Spain, the importance given to the archaeology and the need to create a common narrative for national cohesion led to the evocation of the “Roman Spain”. This expression came about as a 19th century idea to adapt the past and vindicate it by means of culture. The archaeological discoveries and literary productions of the 19th century helped to create an imaginary collective based on Roman Spain. 19th century Italy, after its Unification and the definitive installation of the capital in Rome, went through a rediscovery of its own classical past. Together with the Etruscan civilization, the Romans allowed Rome to become the cultural epicenter of the country again, justifying the reasons for it being the capital and strengthening the identity of the villages.