The geo-cultural processes in the modern age: the academies development in Southern Italy

Abstract

This work analyses the development of a particular cultural institution in the modern age: literary academy in Southern Italy. The Academy becomes a popular cultural institution as a consequence of its capability to assembly literary men and facility the intellectual relationships. Then, Academy is a micro-society with specific rules, spaces and times, indeed in Italy 2050 academics arose from ‘500 up to ‘700. A detailed study of territorial expansion proves that the academic diffusion starts from centre and moves towards the suburbs, forming an intellectual network. This contribute intends to study the cultural function of these academies and their ties with territorial areas through the rule of three cities: Naples, Bari, Cosenza. The paper demonstrates the importance of cultural institutions for analyzing the territorial areas by geo-historical point of view.