UC Berkeley Tourism Studies Working Group

Abstract
This talk addresses the topic of “literary places” following two directions: on the one hand, it focuses on how landscapes and places are represented in contemporary Italian literature, concentrating on the importance of geography in literature; on the other hand, it discusses the relationship between geography and literature, considering rather the importance of literature in the perception of the places, that is, how and why readers influenced by literature visit the places they read about in (short)novels, poems, etc.

A decisive turning point for “literary tourism” in Italy is recorded thanks to Stanislao Nievo (great-grandson of Ippolito Nievo, author of the Confessions of an Italian), writer, journalist and filmmaker, co-founder of WWF Italy and creator, in 1992, of the “Literary Parks”. The parks project received financial support from the European Commission’s Global Grant in 1997; there were 37 parks throughout Italy between 1998 and 2002. The main purpose of a literary park is protecting and safeguarding places related with literature. They can be places represented in literature, or places where an author lived, or places visited by an author. As a second step, a literary park fosters the conditions for sustainable enjoyment, intensifying creative activities in the area to set up a welcoming network that respects literary identity and local uniqueness.

Where did the idea of literary parks come from? Why are readers still interested in visiting (non)existing places they read about? How could literature add value to a place?