Abstract

This Introduction outlines the evolution of historical interest in materiality, beginning with structuralist perspectives that used objects to infer deep social structures and progressing to the Cultural Turn in historiography that emphasized theoretical and cultural aspects, somewhat overlooking the physical objects themselves. The recent resurgence in focusing on materiality shifts attention back to objects not merely as cultural reflections but as entities with intrinsic value and influence in history. This renewed approach integrates both inductive and interpretive methods, examining objects’ actual presence and impact across history. Several essays within the journal explore various aspects of material culture: from Arianna Arisi Rota’s view on political domestic tapestries to memorabilia associates with Dante’s cult and Nazi memorabilia (respectively by Fulvio Conti and Stefano Cavazza), the cultural catalogue of everyday objects in the Fascist period (Emanuela Scarpellini) and finally the complex process of transmission and conservation of objects over time (Rosalind McKever).