Todi: Between Urbanization, Art, and Culture. A Research Project

Beyond Ethnocentrism and Determinism: The Case of Todi: Urbanization, Art, and Multiculturalism is a research study focused on the Italian municipality of 15.724 inhabitants located in the province of Perugia in Umbria . The research aims to be an experiment in urban and rural sociology, drawing on various sociological techniques. Particularly participant observation, detached observation, is supported by a touch of visual sociology and scientific theory related to the topics addressed.

The history of Todi

Todi was founded between the 8th and 7th centuries BC by the Umbrians on a high hill located on the left bank of the Tiber, at an altitude of around 400 metres and a short distance from the territory inhabited by the Etruscans, with the name of Tutere , meaning “border city”. It developed mainly between the 5th and 4th centuries BC, receiving strong Etruscan influences or probably being annexed by the Etruscans itself, according to what was handed down to us by the historian Stephen of Byzantium ¹ . In the 3rd century BC the process of Romanisation began, whilst respecting local autonomies including the right to mint its own money. It obtained Roman citizenship (after 89 BC) with the addition of the Clustumina tribe, and was subsequently renamed Colonia Julia Fida Tuder (around 60 BC). From the Augustan age onwards it received a vigorous building push with the construction of an amphitheatre, civic buildings and villas.

Todi after the invasions

After the barbarian invasions and the Gothic War (535-553), Todi was annexed, along with the rest of Italy, by the Byzantine Empire. It remained Eastern Roman even after the Lombard invasion, becoming part, along with Perugia and other Umbrian towns, of the so-called Byzantine Corridor, which linked Rome to the Exarchate of Ravenna.

In 1067, it became an independent municipality and then a lordship (under the Acts), until it later became part of the Papal States, although it began a period of decline due to the transition from one lordship to another. In the 13th century, the city's territory underwent a new expansion, extending from Terni in the east to the south, from the Forello Gorges (for a brief period it also subjugated Orvieto) in the west to Deruta in the north.

1236 saw the birth of one of the most illustrious citizens: Jacopone, De Benedetti, better known as Jacopone da Todi, descendant of a noble family ² . He became one of the greatest poets of the thirteenth century who composed historic lauds such as “O Signor, per cortesia”.

In 1244, given the increase in population, which had exceeded thirty thousand inhabitants (larger than the population of Rome at the time), the three villages created by the artisan classes were surrounded by walls approximately 4 km long, complete with gates and bastions that are still intact today.

Medieval Todi

Bishop Angelo Cesi transformed various areas of Todi, widening streets and embellishing some buildings.

Today Todi is almost identical to medieval Todi, as can be seen from a print by Giacomo Lauro from 1633. The boundaries of the original city are delimited by the perimeter of the walls.

During the Napoleonic era, several works of art were stolen from France as part of the Napoleonic plundering. According to the catalogue published in the Bulletin de la Société de l'artfrançaise in 1936, of the three works of art sent to France, mainly by Umbrian Renaissance artists, two were returned, while Spagna's "The Virgin and Jesus" remained on display at the Musée Napoléon , and then at the Louvre. Following the Restoration, many Todi citizens joined the Carbonari and Young Italy.

1 Zimmermanns K; Umbria , Milan, Idealibri, 1990, p. 338.(original title: Klaus Zimmermanns, EineLandschaftimHerzenItaliens, Gubbio-Perugia-AssisiSpoleto-Todi-Orvieto , Cologne (Germany), DuMont Buchverlag, Kommandithgesellschaft, 1987)

2 From the official website of the Municipality of Todi; LaStoriadiTodi-ComunediTodi , visited on 7/10/2023.

Garibaldi, taking refuge in Todi after the defeat of the Roman Republic, rekindled patriotism in Todi, and many Todi residents followed him, donning the characteristic red shirts until the Third War of Independence, during which many were arrested and died in battle. Along with the Hero of Two Worlds, Anita Garibaldi, pregnant and already in labor, also passed through Todi: she died shortly thereafter near the Comacchio Valleys. Hunted by Austrian troops, Garibaldi was forced to flee.

Todi today

In short, the municipality of Todi preserves a profound and emblematic history that allows us to understand the evolution of Italy over the centuries. Today, in Todi, these various epochal influences that have followed one another over the years are clearly visible: monuments, streets, alleys, food products, smells, and customs reveal how the city's identity is a predominant presence and the product of a well-structured cultural sedimentation, not artificially imposed for economic, tourism, or industrial reasons.

This innate identity is clearly visible in two fundamental aspects: first, in the spontaneity that local citizens demonstrate in relation to the charm that the historic center and monumental areas convey.

Todi: urban planning

Secondly, and closely related to the first, there is an urban planning factor that encourages the naturalization of Todi's artistic and cultural heritage. This is a barely concealed desire to keep the city center vibrant, not only for the tourism sector but also for the daily needs of local residents.

Todi's historic center, therefore, shouldn't be conceived in the same way as other Italian historic centers. In many of them, in fact, it would be impossible to capture the local social life, the personal interactions, and the diverse cultural encounters present. These centers, in fact, are primarily tourist attractions and accommodations, and those moving through the public spaces are essentially groups of visitors who will only stay for a short time. A sort of aseptic population composed of individuals subjected to a collective hypnosis in phase ³ of mass imitation , who don't protect the place but use it for their own well-being.

Sociology of tourism

In sociological literature, and in its studies on the phenomenon of tourism, its ambivalent nature has been noted: on the one hand, it strengthens identity through the mutual recognition of differences from the surrounding environment, which represents the living space for the resident and a place of discovery and experimentation for the tourist; on the other, it negates identity through the proposition of different interpretations of the same object. This ambivalence is aggravated by the commodification of exchange, whereby the tourist pays for the authenticity they enjoy and the resident sells a component of their identity, and by the implicit cultural dominance of the tourist over the resident^.

This results in a sort of moral devaluation of the social space of reference for local residents, who progressively tend to distance themselves from historic areas and favor new residential neighborhoods in order to escape the frenzy and chaos caused by the constant turnover of tourists eager to acquire part of the city's identity. This relationship between tourism and the local community necessarily raises the issue of cultural comparisons, particularly the issues of communication and integration between different cultures and then between global and local cultures.

3. Alberoni F., Holidays, the big party begins; La Repubblica, July 30, 1982.
4. Palumbo M., Ligurian Tourism. Towards a New Image; Urban and rural sociology; 1992; p. 361

Ulderico Bernardi, having noted the negative effects of ethnocentric closure, emphasizes cultures as dynamic systems, which are defined through processes of inculturation and transculturation, and considers tourism as a vehicle for communicating the material and immaterial aspects of local cultures, highlighting how every society is discovering itself to be multi-ethnic and yet still struggles to recognize cultural pluralism as a true social value ^that goes beyond the purely economic issue often implemented in tourism management.

The specific case of Todi

In Todi, however, we are witnessing an opposite social phenomenon: the maintenance of public services, shops selling basic necessities, and popular recreational areas in areas that also attract tourists, as well as the preservation of the historic center, partially open to traffic, creates a much more diverse daily flow of people, which helps maintain a balance between the dynamics of the crowds occupying Todi's spaces, between residents and tourists.

On one side, therefore, are groups of tourists of varying sizes, wandering around in search of sights and souvenir shops; on the other, the local population, who, in addition to living in the area, wander through the city's alleys, taking care of all sorts of daily chores.

Questions of balance

This condition has generated, in addition to the citizen-visitor balance that allows the city to be protected from tourism and the unregulated business that revolves around it, two particular results:

The first is that this balance should not be understood as a dualistic relationship in which the two categories observe, scrutinize, and confront each other in a silent contest over the spaces of Todi, but rather as a great opportunity in which they mix, creating interactions and social relationships of a different nature.

This approach by the Todi citizens is extremely virtuous from the perspective of the tourism industry. As Emanuele Sgroi emphasizes, it profoundly transforms the environment, natural resources, landscape, and the material and immaterial culture of a territorial and social context. Since these are "public goods," it must establish close interaction with the local community: a tourism entrepreneur can do his job poorly alone, but he can only do it well together with the local community^.

3. Bernardi U.; Fromtravel. Tourism, culture,kitchens,museumsopen air;Franco Angeli, Milan 1999, pp. 52 – 220.
4. Sgroi E.; Cultureof theterritorioemodelsof entrepreneurshiptourist; twoalmostadiscussion panel; urban and rural sociology 1988; p. 139.

Todi's administration and residents have fully embraced this, and indeed, businesses have also been affected by this hybrid social situation . Having recognized that their target customers are neither exclusively tourists nor exclusively locals, versatile shops have emerged that offer a range of opportunities for both customer segments: the sales method employed is not exclusive, but, like the interpersonal dynamics it generates, is inclusive and accessible.

Questions of harmony

The harmony that develops among the various groups of people walking the streets of Todi at the same time, to the point of being unable to distinguish between members of one category and another, represents a successful social experiment in which the elimination of ideal types is achieved not by imposition but by natural inclination. Tourists, finding themselves in a highly integrative context, adapt to this cultural orientation, influenced by the locals and the city's structure; on the other hand, locals respect and accommodate visitors, viewing them as resources rather than as individuals to be exploited.

The two realities do not exploit each other, but, conversely, enrich each other. A situation we are often accustomed to observing with art and artistic movements. It is well known, in fact, that art in all its expressive forms does not remain static but is nourished by the influence of the various movements that progressively emerge over time . ⁷ Todi, likewise, is a synergistic conglomeration of people and personalities, who mix, merge, and give rise to the most diverse and fruitful social interactions.

Todi and the "profession" of art

The similarity between Todi and Art is no coincidence; on the contrary, the latter is a cultural trait that predominates in the city's soul. It has historically shaped Todi's fortunes, shaping its future, and even today, the city, recognizing their weight and value, serves as a custodian of various artistic disciplines. The desire to highlight this propensity for art is certainly not hidden by its residents. Visiting the institutional website, Visit-Todi, aimed at promoting the local artistic and cultural heritage online, the first sentence displayed to users is:

From the above, it's clear that this small town has a profound desire to shine and establish itself as one of the leading artistic hubs for the entire Umbria region. This is no easy task and requires considerable commitment, given the region's historical and artistic importance. Walking through its streets, however, one notices there's no fear in taking on this responsibility, but rather a strong desire to showcase itself as a fertile ground for artistic expression, not only regionally but globally.

The value of the shops

Along the way, you'll find a variety of workshops specializing in every artistic genre, from painting to sculpture, porcelain, and woodworking. Creativity is a key component in Todi, and this is also evident in an invisible yet pervasive aspect throughout the streets of the old town: silence. This silence, however, isn't the passive one born of desolation, a lack of vitality, or a lack of inspiration, but rather a silence symbolic of respect and reflection, conveyed by the succession of artistic creations that encourage visitors to move as if they were walking through a truly permanent exhibition, as the site Visit Todi also claims, "in the open air."

3. Perone U., AroundaJeans LucNancy,, Rosenberg & Sellier, Turin, 2012; entire book.
4. From the institutional website Discover African visitTodi(visitodi.eu); visited on 7/10/2023.

Todi's hunger for creative expression didn't end with the flourishing of art workshops in the purest sense, but continued into everyday life. It insinuated itself into youthful play, as entertainment, without them realizing it, adapting their pastimes according to their own expressive logics.

The application of art in professional life, however, takes on the appearance of more conscious and refined actions. The aim is to infuse a creative aura into even the most common professions, imbuing them with a tone and elegance of high cultural significance.

In the NON-divisive districts of Todi

Todi's inclusive, multi-ethnic, and intergenerational character, as we've seen, is clearly evident in its structures. As already noted, at the urban planning level, the presence of schools, hybrid businesses, shared businesses, art workshops, and public services make the town a place where people from different social strata meet and mingle, eliminating the possibility of constructing any form of typification . ⁹

^{The presence of various forms of services for everyone in the village is the product of a fundamental cultural peculiarity that characterizes this Umbrian town. Indeed, one aspect of local tradition deserves to be highlighted. Todi, like many other Italian cities, is divided into districts: Rione Colle, Rione Valle, Rione S. Maria, Rione S. Prassede, Rione S. Silvestro, and} Rione Nidola. Often, in places where urban divisions into districts or contrade exist, a sort of local ethnocentrism prevails in the social fabric, in which the different districts clash and compete.

Tournament in People's Square

What is striking in the case of Todi, however, is that despite a sports tournament being held in Piazza del Popolo during the summer, in which the various districts compete—with the clear sociological purpose of enacting a ritual that helps maintain community unity, rekindle a sense of belonging, and preserve belief and faith— the parochial sense of belonging to one district does ^n't emerge clearly. Entering the city on days when there are no specific anniversaries, it's hard to realize that it is divided into districts. There are no flags, posters, pennants, or prominent district colors.

The town is uniform in both color and urban structure. The only hints of neighborhood division are found in the marble plaques affixed at the entrance to each neighborhood, the totems along the road displaying the neighborhood's street map, and the signs with directions. The impression conveyed to the observer, and indeed to the citizen himself, is that the neighborhoods, rather than marking a specific identity—a sort of divisive clan ^— where the rituals, totems, and everything related to one neighborhood are considered superior or at least desirable to those of the neighboring neighborhood, maintain the exclusive intention of presenting themselves as the cardinal reference points for orienting oneself in the city.

3. Nuvolati G., LessonsdiSociologyUrbana,Il Mulino, Bologna; 2011; pp. 31 – 124.
4. OF THE; Anthropologycultural; Il Mulino, Bologna 2016; Chapter II. Race, Culture, Ethnicity.
5. Aron R.; Lestagesof thepensierosociological.Montesquieu,Count,Marx,Tocqueville,Durkheim,Pareto,Weber.
6. Milan; 1989; pp. 100-180.
7. R string; Peoples.Ethnic groups,tribe,clan,bands; 2019; pp. 20-98

Todi is peaceful, busy and at times forgotten

The social perception that Todi conveys is therefore of an urban space where coexistence, harmony, and tranquility intersect, and where everyone, regardless of sex, gender, origin, or biological species, can benefit. The constructive silence that emanates from the place is a source of sensorial peace, capable of slowing down the rapid pace of modern society and providing space not only for the observation of artistic creations but also for the unleashing of one's own creative inclinations.

A likely flaw in the city's urban planning is that the decision to make the historic center accessible to vehicles can create traffic disruptions for local traffic. This is because some streets are narrow, as they were obviously not originally designed for vehicular traffic. This can lead, as occurred during the observation and research phase, to cars coming from opposite directions getting stuck, forcing them to make multiple maneuvers to clear the road.

Another problem that seems to reflect an age-old difficulty in Italian cities is the difficulty of maintaining the same standard of care in every area of ​​the city. The further you move from the key areas, the greater the risk of encountering substandard care.

Beyond the walls, beyond preconceptions

The decision to make the heart of Todi accessible and tailored to every daily need forces local decision-makers and active citizens to work together to ensure it remains clean, accessible, and harmonious. Despite some of the shortcomings highlighted above, this effort is being accomplished to perfection by all involved, thanks in part to the local community. After all, if the decision is to dedicate the city's central area to everyone, it is also in everyone's interest—citizens, entrepreneurs, and tourists—to ensure the area is preserved from neglect and decay. In this sense, Todi is implementing a truly effective social cohousing experience, ⁱⁿ which reciprocity, awareness, and participation generate visible positive externalities ^. Circulating in this context, it is truly difficult to find professionals, politicians, and civil servants who are not involved in the process of maintaining collective harmony.

The walls surrounding the site seem to protect the carefully constructed socio-economic balance of the city from external agents, which is meticulously maintained by the local population. After having explored the entire area surrounding the Todi walls, street by street, the curiosity arose as to whether the same dynamics were visible outside, or whether other dynamics prevailed.

So, with this question in mind, the external exploration began. The first thing that emerged was that the decibels had risen and the sounds were completely different.

13 Studio Tomassociati; VLiving together. Cohousing and solidarity communities. The keys and toolbox to build a new way of living.; Altraeconomia, Milan; 2012; pp. 38-103.
14 Stiglitz JE; Public Sector Economics; Hoepli; Milan; 2003; pp. 20-98.

The noise of capitalism

While inside, the silence was broken only by the passing of cars, the occasional shout, and the noise of machinery working on cleaning and restoration projects, once outside, the noise of capitalism and contemporary business returned, loud and clear ^. The frantic clatter of cutlery on crockery in a bank bistro, the noise of cars frantically racing up and down the street, the noise of young people on scooters, and the noise of excavators carrying out construction work, dominated.

The impact with the outside world therefore causes an initial sensation of a reversal of the transmitted sensations, but with the passing of time and external exploration, three fundamental elements emerge that have allowed us to complete the external reading of Todi in a more exhaustive and, above all, less negative way than how it had begun.

The three elements are, first and foremost, the presence of a large number of young people who, in the same way that the artistic and interesting places within the walls were interpreted, occupy the artistic spaces with respect for them, seeking a moment of peace, interaction, and discussion.

Second, during participant observation inside a local bar that served as the main meeting place for the Todi residents, a profound sense of community, participation, and coexistence emerged. There was no specific attention paid to tourists with dedicated services, and conversely, no ghettoization of tourists was observed, despite the fact that the place, due to its location far from areas of historical interest, was primarily geared toward local residents. People of all ages and backgrounds coexisted within the bar.

No one excluded in Todi

The topics and activities covered a wide range of topics. There was even a small group working on planning humanitarian and socially useful activities. Even more interestingly, on the bench near the bar in question, just a few meters from the main road where cars whizzed by at the pace of the modern economy, there were people reading in the same way one would find passionate readers in the greenery of the church of San Fortunato.

A final aspect was having found attention and care even in the popular and less wealthy areas of the city.

Despite its distance from Todi's historic and economic centers, no resident can feel distant or excluded from the city. The Umbrian town's artistic, inclusive, and libertarian vocation extends to all its developed areas. There is no cultural demarcation between the historic center, the economic center, and the outskirts. There is no fig leaf placed over the urban area to emphasize the tourist area. Todi has a single logical thread that unites every area of ​​the city, without, however, stifling the nuances each area possesses, thus avoiding the opposite tendency of oppressing diversity in order to highlight predominant characteristics. Every Todi peculiarity emerges spontaneously and is shaped by the urban context in which it manifests itself.

Todi could be a medium-term experiment to be studied to understand how to implement strategies and policies aimed at preserving Italy's historic centers and preventing the migration of the native population to other areas, untouched by unregulated businesses and unregulated tourism. A social laboratory that, with due caution, carefully analyzing its strengths and weaknesses, and, above all, adapting it to other contexts, could provide a basis for new experiments.

Adelmo Maria Imperi

References

• K Zimmermanns,Umbria, Milan, Idealibri, 1990, (original title: Klaus Zimmermanns, ALandschaft im Herzen Italiens, Gubbio-Perugia-Assisi Spoleto-Todi-Orvieto, Cologne (Germany), DuMont Buchverlag, Kommandithgesellschaft, 1987).
• official website of the Municipality of Todi; LaHistorydiTodi CommondiTodi.
• F. Alberoni, Holidays, the big party begins; La Repubblica, July 30, 1982.
• Mr. Palumbo, TourismLiguria.Toanewimage;Urban and Rural Sociology; 1992.
• U. Bernardi; About travel. Tourism, cultures, cuisines, open-air museums;Milan, Franco Angeli, 1999.
• E. Sgroi; Local cultures and tourism entrepreneurship models; duecasiaconfronto; urban and rural sociology;1988.
• U. Perone, AroundaJeans LucNancy,Rosenberg & Sellier, Turin, 2012.
• institutional website Discover African visitTodi(visitodi.eu).
• G. Nuvolati, Urban Sociology Lessons,The Mill, Bologna; 2011.
• OF THE; Cultural anthropology; Il Mulino, Bologna 2016.
• R. Aron; The stages of sociological thought. Montesquieu, Comte, Marx, Tocqueville,Durkheim,Pareto,Weber.Milan; 1989.
• R. String; Peoples.Ethnic groups, tribes,clan,bands;Self-produced in 2019.
• Tomassociati Studio; Living Together. Cohousing and Solidarity Communities. The Keys and Toolbox for Building a New Way of Living.; Other Economy, Milan; 2012.
• JE Stiglitz; Public Sector Economics; Hoepli; Milan; 2003.
• L. Bruni; The market and the gift. The spirits of capitalism; Bocconi University Publishers, Milan; 2015.