Territorial collective identities and the internet. Processes of individuation of Siena’s neighbourhoods

This study reveals how Siena's historic neighbourhoods, known as contrade, leverage the internet to preserve and project their collective identities against global audiences. By integrating philosophical anthropologist Hemuth Plessner’s concept of identity as an 'imagined unity' with geographer Anssi Paasi’s theories on borders and boundaries, the research demonstrates that institutionalizing social and spatial boundaries is crucial for maintaining territorial collective identities amid technological and societal changes. The analysis, based on ethnographic and digital data from Siena's historic centre and its iconic Palio festival, highlights the contrade's strategic use of online platforms to assert control over their narratives while engaging with broader global contexts.

Boos, T. (2020). Territorial collective identities and the internet. Processes of individuation of Siena’s neighbourhoods. Geografiska Annaler: Series B, Human Geography, 102(4), 305–327. https://doi.org/10.1080/04353684.2020.1775490