The recent “News from Italy” conference (ISI Florence, October 23rd-24th) was a resounding success, with an international array of contributors offering important insights on media history and news discourse concerning Italy in the period from 1600 to its political unification in 1861.

Topics discussed over the two days ranged from early modern travelogues compiled by grand tourists to reports on archaeological excavations, and from the portrayal of Italian cities in the Spanish press to the coverage of Italian music in the British press.

Other papers examined translation strategies of Italian news satire, the 1783 earthquake in Sicily, Italian politics, religion, culture and the portrayal of Italian women, the Carbonari and Risorgimento, the country’s presumed backwardness and superstition, and, of course, the Italian identity in general. The international press in which these topics were reported included English, American, Irish, Scottish, Polish and Spanish newspapers and journals.

The aim of the conference was to consider the kinds of news stories reported, the contents and language of their reporting, and whether in the reporting of Italian events and people one can detect underlying ideological assumptions and beliefs about Italian culture and society. What did Italy represent for European and American news readers from the 17^th to the 19^th centuries and how was Italian news being reported? For the answers, please read the forthcoming conference volume!