Today marks the 80th anniversary of Italy’s Liberation from fascism and Nazi occupation. In these April days of 1945, the country reclaimed its freedom after years of oppression and violence, and with it, the promise of a new future.

It is precisely on this deeply symbolic date that Hypercritic brings back to light three pivotal moments in Italian history — the Renaissance, the Risorgimento, and the Resistance — all united by the same enduring sentiment: hope.

Hope in the present and possible futures, not doomed yet. Hope may be hard to find, but it must be kept alive — like flowers blooming in a field overrun by weeds.

Hope and trust in the future is what inspired us, five years ago, to begin working on Journey Through Italy: a tour across the country to understand how its places — and its people — have changed.

Our first trailer, shot in front of Italy’s very first Parliament, inside Turin’s Museum of the Risorgimento. Subtitles available in English and Italian.

The Roots of Journey Through Italy | A project inspired by the history and culture of our country

It all started from a blend of visions and narratives that, over time, have helped shape the Italian imagination.
Italy has always been observed, crossed, and interpreted — from the Grand Tours of Goethe, Montaigne, and Ruskin, to Mario Soldati, who in the 1950s explored the banks of the Po River with a camera and microphone, and Luigi Ghirri, who thirty years later captured the quiet poetry of both famous and forgotten places through his anthropological and artistic lens.

One of our most significant sources of inspiration is Le Cento Città d’Italia — The Hundred Cities of Italy — a monumental collection of monographs published by Sonzogno between 1887 and 1901.
This editorial project was launched in the years following the unification of Italy with a bold ambition: to tell the story of the newborn nation, city by city, monument by monument — through words and images accessible to a broad public. It was a journey through Italy’s material and symbolic heritage, designed to inspire knowledge, a sense of belonging, and pride.

A great adventure to tell the story of a nation

Today, 165 years after Garibaldi’s Expedition of the Thousand, Journey Through Italy sets out to explore the country once again — but with new tools and languages, blending storytelling and participation, memory and innovation.

In the coming years, we will travel across Italy to collect stories of transformation, sustainability, and creativity — and give voice to those who, every day, build the future of their communities.
Our goal is to narrate the country in a new way: combining formats and expressive tools, integrating physical and digital spaces, blurring the boundaries between fiction and documentary, just like the Neorealist filmmakers once did, for a living, collective narrative.

De Sica, Rossellini, and Visconti portrayed 1940s Italy with minimal equipment and non-professional actors. We are doing the same: telling the story of today’s Italy using lightweight, everyday tools — a microphone and a smartphone.

This project is not only for those who live in Italy, but also for Italians abroad, and for all those who, even if they have never set foot on the peninsula, are curious about its stories, culture, imagination, and values.

From the Expedition of the Thousand to the Fiat 500 | Discovering the cities, villages, and hamlets of Italy

We will visit Italy’s main cities and uncover hidden towns, hamlets, and villages that still preserve ancient and contemporary knowledge, always surrounded by art, culture, and people.

We will photograph places from the same angles depicted in The Hundred Cities of Italy, comparing past and present to reveal how landscapes and communities have changed.
We’ll read 19th-century chronicles and gather stories from those living in Italy today.

And we’ll be traveling with one of the most iconic Italian cars: the Fiat 500.
In our Journey Through Italy, the 500 is more than a vehicle — it’s a symbol of an era that shaped the country’s social and cultural transformation.
Just as the Fiat 500 traveled the length of Italy during the postwar economic boom, we will drive across the country today, rediscovering its past and sensing its future.

Join the Journey Through Italy | Follow our route and share your stories

Journey Through Italy, created and hosted by Alessandro Avataneo, founder of Hypecritic, starts in Turin, the first capital of unified Italy and a Gold Medal City of the Resistance.

The road ahead is long, and there will be many stops along the way.
You can follow the journey on our social media channels — but most importantly, you can be part of it.

Please reach us at: viaggioinitalia@hypercritic.org
Suggest places, people, and stories worth discovering — and we’ll find you.