Autore: Casales, Francesco
Titolo: Spie non si nasce, si diventa. Fisionomia dell’agente segreto in Italia (1877-1908)
Periodico: Memoria e ricerca
Anno: 2026 - Volume: 81 - Fascicolo: 1 - Pagina iniziale: 137 - Pagina finale: 157

The paper examines the cultural construction of spies and secret agents in late 19th and early 20th century Italy, analyzing adaptations of European narrative models. Using sources such as "L’agente segreto" by Alessandro Giustina, "La spia" by Arturo Olivieri Sangiacomo, "Memorie di un delegato di pubblica sicurezza" by Athos Gastone Banti, and "Shairlock Holtes" by Dante Minghelli Vaini, it explores the process of cultural formation of espionage imaginaries in liberal Italy. Unlike in France and Britain, where espionage fiction often revolved around state rivalries, Italian narratives in fact focused on informers and infiltrators as tools of political repression, reflecting the country’s geopolitical marginality and internal anxieties. The study highlights the dual nature of the spy in the Italian context: a figure of betrayal when foreign (often represented by women) and an agent of order when serving the State. Additionally, it underscores the role of translation as a creative act, shaping Italian spy stories as an adaptation rather than a direct importation.




SICI: 1127-0195(2026)81:1<137:SNSNSD>2.0.ZU;2-C
Testo completo: https://www.rivisteweb.it/download/article/10.14647/120218
Testo completo alternativo: https://www.rivisteweb.it/doi/10.14647/120218

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