The Beautiful Country

Using an interdisciplinary methodology that includes archival research, ethnographic fieldwork, literary criticism, and spatial analysis, The Beautiful Country reveals destination Italy’s paramount role in the creation of modern mass tourism.

Stephanie Malia Hom is Presidential Professor of Italian in the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics at the University of Oklahoma.

‘The book is a fresh and fascinating case study… Hom provides a rich history of travel to and within Italy. And she makes readers aware of the many artificial environments around the world designed to draw on Italy’s allure.’

D. Medina Lasansky, Department of Architecture, Cornell University:
“The Beautiful Country tackles a fascinating topic. There is nothing more deserving of sustained scholarly attention than tourism, and Italy is a vital location for such a discussion.”

Nathalie Hester, Department of Romance Languages, University of Oregon:
“A sophisticated and exhaustively researched study of Italy within the context of modern tourism and representational practices.”

Derek Duncan, School of Modern Languages, University of St. Andrews:
“The Beautiful Country provides a detailed, informative, and often surprising account of the development of Italy as a destination, as well as a fascinating series of instances of how ‘Italy’ travels. Hom draws on a wide range of primary and secondary material in what is truly an interdisciplinary project.”