Visualizing conviviality in the fortress of the Italian far-right: the case of Veronetta

ABSTRACT

In Italy, the city of Verona is known not merely for its stunning historical scenery, but also for its reactionary environment foreshadowing the nativist turn in the wider society. Against this backdrop, the racialized neighborhood of Veronetta offers much needed insights into convivial practices with pluralist interconnections. Part of a three-year fieldwork, this research investigates possibilities of everyday conviviality and intercultural sociability in urban spaces, tracing those dynamics that allow a racialized neighborhood to strive in a hostile city. Alongside participant observation, in-depth interviews, and archival research, the visual method of photo-elicitation is utilized to draw out multidimensional aspects of conviviality, where migrant and non-migrant residents photographically narrate their everyday practices. The article argues that the juxtaposition of intentional urban encounters and accessible public spaces, alongside everyday community-building practices of grassroots actors complement each other in transforming a “no-go zone” into an anti-racist movement space that challenges exclusionary territorial identities.

KEYWORDS:

• Racialized space
• nativism
• conviviality
• sociability
• anti-racist grassroots activism

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank Prof. Annalisa Frisina for her invaluable guidance throughout the research process, especially with respect to the use of visual methods in contested spaces. I would also like to thank the residents and associations of Veronetta for their active participation in this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 For more information on the statement, see: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-65324319.

2 For more information, see: http://dati.istat.it/Index.aspx?QueryId=19106.

3 Leader of Forza Nuova quoted in the local journal Verona Sera (7 June 2017), available at: http://www.veronasera.it/politica/striscione-forza-nuova-moschea-islam-terrore-7-giugno-2017.html.

4 Official Proposal at the Consiglio Comunale di Verona, Pervenuto 266, 09 September 1999, Mozione Urgente, Verona. Translated from the original Italian text.

5 Their public social media account can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064754050909.

6 For more information on this episode, see: https://corrieredelveneto.corriere.it/verona/sport/19_novembre_08/ieri-manichino-oggi-cori-23-anni-nulla-cambiato-verona-non-ha-ancora-capito-b1faf13e-01f9-11ea-9e6a-948f99bef679.shtml.

7 Open letter by Gianni Zardini from Circolo Pink, La Cittadinanza Va Scritta: Manifestazione Nazionale per l”affermazione della piena cittadinanza degli orientamenti sessuali, delle differenze e di tutte le minoranze religiose, etniche e culturali, 9 June 2001, Verona.

8 In 1995, Verona became the only European city to pass a motion rejecting the A3-0028/94 European Parliament resolution on the equal treatment and equal rights for individuals of different sexual orientation. For more info:

https://ilga-europe.org/sites/default/files/Attachments/1998_equality_in_eu_english_0.pdf.

9 The official website of the event can be found at: https://wcfverona.org/en/.

10 For more information on the so-called “ethnic resistance in Veronetta, see: https://www.heraldo.it/2018/12/21/le-due-anime-di-veronetta/.

11 The full interview can be accessed at: https://daily.veronanetwork.it/news/forza-nuova-la-casa-dei-patrioti-e-aperta/.